Woman Wakes Up To Find A Random Dog In Her Bed

Earlier this week, Julie Thorton Johnson woke up to a big surprise. Snuggled up next to her in bed was a large, sleepy dog—one that neither she nor her husband had ever seen before.

The Johnsons have three dogs of their own who sometimes join them in bed, so it took a moment for the couple to realize this dog wasn’t one of theirs.

“My husband said, ‘Julie, whose dog is this?’ I rolled over, and for the first 10 seconds, we just stared at each other. I said, ‘That’s not our dog,’” Johnson told The Dodo.

The mystery dog, however, seemed very happy.

Naturally, Johnson and her husband were a bit surprised by their unexpected new bedmate, but it soon became clear that the dog wasn’t there to cause any trouble.

“She was just lying on our pillows, completely content,” Johnson said. “She just wanted to snuggle.”

As a dog lover, Johnson decided to snuggle back while trying to figure out where the dog had come from.

A strong storm had swept through the area overnight, and Johnson believes the dog was lost and looking for shelter. The couple had accidentally left a back door open, so the dog likely came in that way.

“Dogs are really smart,” Johnson said. “She found an open door and came in.”

Thinking the pup had owners, Johnson took a few photos of the furry visitor and posted them on social media, hoping the dog’s owner might see them. And sure enough, that worked.

Before long, Johnson was contacted by the dog’s worried owner, who lives a few miles away. She learned that the pup’s name was Nala and that she had gotten lost during a walk the day before.

When the storm hit, Nala couldn’t find her way home and sought shelter with strangers.

“We were a safe place, and she knew it,” Johnson said. “Nala’s owners came right over to pick her up. It was a really happy reunion.”

Nala was back where she belonged, and her owners’ worries were finally put to rest. Meanwhile, the Johnsons were thrilled to have their home (and bed) visited by such a sweet pup.

“They thought we’d be upset that their dog snuck into our house, but we felt just the opposite,” Johnson said. “Everyone was safe, and no one was left out in the storm. It was a roundabout way to open our hearts to someone else.”

In the end, Nala’s surprise visit brought more than just a funny story.

The Johnsons recently met up with Nala again—this time on purpose. They arranged a playdate with their dogs and the sweet pup who had snuck into their hearts.

“It was wonderful. We got to know Nala’s owners, and it started a real friendship,” Johnson said. “If they ever need a dog sitter, I think we’ve shown we can be trusted.”

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