Your worst nightmare is waking up on a Sunday morning to find someone or something sleeping in your bed! However, this woman and her husband loved the surprised guest as it made itself at home on their bed. Their surprise guest was a gorgeous puppy that had made its way into their home.
Julie Thornton Johnson awoke one morning in early May to find something she hadn’t expected. She and her husband, Jimmy, were surprised to see a large brown dog snoozing and snuggling beside Julie in their bed.
The Johnsons have three dogs of their own- Zeppelin, Hollis, and Jupiter. But this dog wasn’t either of them. Julie’s husband then asked: “Julie, who’s dog is this?” She rolled over and stared at her husband for a few seconds before replying, “That’s not our dog”.
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The mysterious dog snoozed peacefully while the married couple pondered the problem at hand. Since Jimmy, who is known as “the calm in the home,” cares deeply about all living things, Julie said, he took it upon himself to snuggle up to the sleeping dog as if she were one of their own.
“The way he handled the situation was awesome and quite hilarious looking back,” Julie remarked. There was nothing wrong with the pup, who seemed to enjoy the warmth and did not inflict harm on anyone. “She was just laying on our pillows, completely content. She was just trying to snuggle,” Julie recalled.
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They assumed the dog was wandering outside in search of shelter due to a severe raging storm the night before. The couple had accidentally left the back door open and woke up to find a missing puppy was found curled up on their bed.
However, the dog lovers laid back down next to the lost pup and pondered the best course of action for locating its owners. Julie shared a few photos of the doggo on Facebook and wrote: “It is absolutely normal to wake up in our house with one of OUR dogs in the bed with us. One small problem, THIS IS NOT OUR DOG, nor do we know how she got in our house. This is the weirdest post I have ever had to make. Is this your dog?”
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Julie kept posting updates and photos about the mystery pup, with one saying- “she will not tell me who her Mom is. Maybe she will after her next nap.” As more and more individuals joined in on the hilarity, the worrying situation took on a comical tone.
Finally, the dog’s owners, who lived just a few miles away, got in touch with them. Julie then shared the latest update- “Her name is Nala and her Mom is on the way to get her. Good luck getting her out of my bed, mam.” When the storm arrived, Nala couldn’t find her way home after getting lost on a walk the day before. She then sought refuge with strangers when she couldn’t find her family.
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Cris and Felicia, Nala’s owners, soon showed up and explained that Nala had run away while they were out walking the day before and that they’d been searching for her ever since. Julie said, “We were a safe place, and she knew it. Nala’s Mom came right over and picked her up. It was a really happy reunion.” Nala was reunited with her family, and her Mom’s mind was finally at ease.
Johnson said, “They thought that we’d be mad that their dog snuck into our house, but our feelings couldn’t be more opposite. Everyone was safe. Nobody was stuck out in the storm. It was a roundabout way to open our hearts to someone else.”
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In the end, Nala’s surprise visit resulted in the two families becoming good friends. A new Facebook update stated: “We’ve become Facebook friends with Nala’s moms. I don’t recommend waking up with a stranger, but if you do, I hope it’s someone like Nala.”
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The two families later arranged a playdate with their dogs, during which they got to know each other better. Julie said- “If they ever need a dog sitter, I think we’ve proven we can be trusted. And we’re sure it goes vice versa.” Now they’ve made friends for life, and “for years we have a story to tell.”
The pet owners have also had a talk with their pets about requesting permission before going into slumber party mode at each other’s house for future surprise visits.
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A stroke of good fortune brought Nala to Julie and Jimmy’s house, where she found a safe haven and a wonderful tale to share. The story has been shared over 30k times since being posted on Facebook, and there will be more because everyone could use a good dose of wholesomeness.
“Maybe people just need a feel-good story to focus on something other than negativity. Our puppy snuggle session experience has officially gone viral. People across the globe are seeing photos of me, sleepy eyed, in a gown, snuggling with a stranger,” Julie said in another one of her Facebook posts.
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Nala’s family also posted statements on their Facebook accounts after the incident. They said- “Our overly friendly pup, Nala, has hit an all time record for ignoring personal space and added yet another trick to her long list of Houdini acts.”
“Thank you Julie Thornton Johnson for keeping her safe, treating Nala like your own, and making sure you got the word out for us to find her!”
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Like the Johnsons’ three rescue dogs, Nala came into the family unexpectedly and brought a lot of affection. Julie also mentioned that stray dogs are an issue in their community and that residents aren’t always sympathetic to them. Nala was led to a loving and caring family by an incredible stroke of good fortune. Julie says, “we all have room in our hearts to spread some love.”
Having clean linens and a fresh gown on hand is another piece of advice she gives her audience. After all, you never know when your 10 minutes in the spotlight may arrive. People online have sent a lot of love to both the families and even started sharing their own funny stories.
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