It’s not unusual for Julie Thornton Johnson and her husband Jimmy to share their bed with their three beloved dogs. But one morning, they woke up to an unexpected—and uninvited—guest snuggled up beside them. A dog they didn’t recognize had somehow made herself at home, lying comfortably on a pillow as if she belonged there.
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At first, the couple didn’t think much of it, assuming one of their pups had just shifted during the night. But when Jimmy asked Julie, “Who’s this dog?” they both realized the snuggling stranger wasn’t one of theirs. Instead of panicking, the couple couldn’t stop laughing and marveling at the situation. How had this dog managed to sneak into their house, settle into their bed, and avoid alerting their notoriously barky dogs?
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Julie shared photos of the mystery dog online, jokingly recounting their unusual wake-up call. “How did the dog get in my house?” she wondered aloud. “And we have three dogs—they bark at everything! A squirrel, a rabbit, a bird. There was no noise.” The couple soon discovered that their back door had accidentally been left open, giving the friendly pooch an opportunity to slip in undetected.
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It didn’t take long for the post to go viral. Cris Hawkins, a neighbor, saw the photos and recognized the dog as her missing pup, Nala. Hawkins explained that Nala had likely slipped out of her collar during the night and wandered down the street. Looking for attention, the clever pup had found her way into Julie and Jimmy’s home.
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Before reuniting Nala with her family, Julie asked for proof of ownership. Hawkins provided plenty of photos, including Christmas pictures that confirmed Nala’s identity. When her family arrived to pick her up, Nala was reluctant to leave the cozy bed she’d claimed. But as soon as she saw her humans, her tail wagged with excitement.
Julie and Jimmy joked that they would’ve gladly kept Nala if no one had claimed her. The unexpected encounter not only gave them a great story to tell but also led to a new friendship with Nala’s family. The humorous and heartwarming incident has since gone viral, leaving everyone involved with smiles and a day they’ll never forget.
