Florida Dog Athena Returns Home After Weeklong Adventure, Rings Doorbell on Christmas Eve
A missing dog in Florida, Athena, returned home on Christmas Eve after a weeklong search, ringing the doorbell. The 4-year-old mix traveled 20 miles, sparking community support before her safe return.
After nearly a week of searching, Athena returned home to her Florida family just in time for Christmas Eve, even ringing the doorbell.
Athena, a 4-year-old German Shepherd-Husky mix, escaped from her Green Cove Springs home on December 15. Her owner, Brooke Comer, said the family had left for church and later received a neighbor’s message with a picture of Athena outside the house. Panicked, the family rushed home only to find Athena’s collar in her crate and no sign of how she escaped, leaving them puzzled.
Over the next week, neighbors and people from nearby towns responded to missing dog ads, sharing photos and videos of Athena. Based on the sightings, it seemed Athena had traveled nearly 20 miles during her adventure. Despite rushing to each sighting, Comer and her family always arrived moments too late to catch her.
“She was the hide-and-seek all-time grand champion,” said her owner, Brooke Comer. “With every sighting, my heart jumped, and it honestly was excitement and then your heart’s crushed because we were always one step behind.”
Athena’s escape baffled the family. Comer said they found her collar in her crate with no clear opening for how she got out. During the search, Athena reportedly traveled a nearly 20-mile roundtrip, with neighbors and townspeople contacting Comer after spotting her or capturing her on camera.
The emotional ordeal ended at 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve when Comer received a Ring doorbell notification and her other dog began 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 recounted.
The moment Comer opened the door, Athena dashed inside, eagerly licking her son’s face as he dozed on the couch. She then grabbed her ball to play briefly before heading to her crate to sleep.
Comer shared that the experience brought immense hope, thanks to the support of neighbors and the community during the weeklong search. The family now plans to give Athena a full checkup, flea and tick treatments, and a microchip.
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