Dog that mysteriously disappeared comes back home and rings the doorbell on Christmas Eve

A dog owner was delightfully surprised to find her missing dog ringing the doorbell on Christmas Eve

PUBLISHED JAN 6, 2025

A woman sitting on a sofa with her dog (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Andres Ayrton)

When your beloved pet goes missing, a wave of overwhelming emotions floods the heart—fear, panic and an aching sense of emptiness lingers in your mind. Their absence leaves behind a haunting silence and every corner of the house seems to amplify the grief of losing someone so dear. Brooke Comer experienced something similar when her pet dog, Athene, went missing. However, in a joyful turn of events, just when she had almost given up hope of reuniting with her dog, she was overjoyed to see the adorable pooch return to its family on Christmas Eve, reported by Associate Press.

A woman with her pet dog (Representative Image Source : Pexels | Samson Katt) — A woman with her pet dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Samson Katt)

On December 15, 2024, Athena, the 4-year-old dog, left her owner's home, prompting a search across the community and surrounding towns. To date, it remained a mystery about how the dog managed to get out of the house. Comer revealed her family had gone to the church when she received a message, along with a picture of Athena (from her neighbor), the day it went missing. With overflowing emotions, her family rushed back home, only to find Athena's collar in the crate. The following week was filled with Comer receiving calls from nearby areas, along with footage and photos of possible sightings of the dog.

Dog sitting outside home (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Fernando B M)

At every lead, the owner and her family would go to search for Athena but the pet was nowhere to be found. “She was the hide-and-seek all-time grand champion. With every sighting, my heart jumped and it honestly was excitement and then your heart’s crushed because we were always one step behind," Comer shared. Notably, with all the inputs the owner got, she and her family assumed that Athena easily made a nearly 20-mile (32-kilometer) roundtrip while she was missing. Comer shared she was also worried about her dog being harmed while it was missing.

A visibly sad woman (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Engin Akyurt)

Fortunately, though, the search operation for Athena came to an end on Christmas Eve when the dog parent received a ring video notification from her doorbell and her other pet started barking. “I was kind of like in a daze, and the dog was barking, and as soon as I heard that ring, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell,” Comer revealed. The moment Comer opened the door, Athena darted inside, eager to lick her son’s face as he lounged half-asleep on the couch.

A woman with her dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ion Ceban)

In the blink of an eye, Athena grabbed her favorite ball, ready to play, before heading straight to her cage for a well-deserved nap. It was like nothing had even happened. Comer couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of hope at that moment, grateful for the unwavering support of the neighbors and the larger community who had been searching for her pet dog all week. The next step? Comer took Athena for a full vet exam, flea and tick treatments and got her dog microchipped to ensure her safety in the future. This heartwarming journey of Comer and Athena captured the emotional rollercoaster of hope and despair that comes with losing a beloved pet. Furthermore, the incredible story highlighted how it ultimately led to a Christmas miracle for the pet parent, renewing her faith in loyalty and love.