The holidays can be a tough time, especially if you’ve recently lost a loved one. This past summer, the Barger family said goodbye to their beloved dog, Russell. Bidding farewell to a pet is always difficult, but Santa Claus surprised the Bargers with an amazing Christmas gift: a new dog named Athena!
First, Santa sent the two Barger children a letter expressing his condolences for their loss, reminding them that Russell will always be in their hearts, and telling them that he had arranged a surprise early gift for them. All they had to do was follow the red dots!
The Barger kids trailed the red dots that Santa had laid out…
…there were quite a few, but they eventually led to a door…
…and when they opened that door, they were greeted by the most priceless present of all: their new dog, Athena!
Seriously, look at how happy these kids are.
The best part about this story? (Yes, it gets even better.) The Barger family adopted Athena from the Licking County Humane Society, so Athena got her Christmas wish, too: a happily furever after home.
So even if Santa drops the ball this year and doesn’t get me anything on my list (of course I wrote him a letter), I’m gonna go easy on him. He did good. Real good.
Featured image via Licking County Humane Society Facebook