Jack Jokinen was jolted out of bed at 4 a.m. on Saturday by his wife. He was used to early morning wake-ups as the father of a one-month-old infant, but he immediately recognized this was different.

“I was asleep when my wife jolted me awake, saying, ‘The baby’s OK…’ ‘However, we have a puppy at our house,’” says the narrator. The Dodo quoted Jokinen. “I was obviously perplexed.”

“The first thing that comes to mind is, ‘There must be someone in our house,’” Jokinen explained. “So I perform a security check to make sure no one is lurking in closets or anything.” And after I’m done, I’m left wondering, ‘How did this happen?’ ‘Is this a magical puppy?’

I just woke up to this puppy in my house and we have no idea how it got here. pic.twitter.com/OZMystNsZE

— Jack Jokinen (@JJFromTheBronx) December 14, 2019

When Jokinen went downstairs, he noticed a little Lab mix in his living room. He couldn’t figure out how the dog managed to come inside with all the doors and windows locked securely against the storm outside.

He saw security footage from his front door camera as he returned after bringing his 2-year-old dog George for his final stroll the night before. Jokinen seemed to close the door behind him as he entered, but it did not latch. The front door flew wide open as the wind picked up later that night.

“Then, at 3:16, we see the dog, which we’ve called Suzy, walking down the street and stopping outside our house,” Jokinen added. “She was out in the rain and cold, and she paused for a moment before entering the house.”

A passerby passed past the residence about a half-hour later and observed the open door as well. Before closing the door, he double-checked that everything was in order. Suzy may not have remained the night if it hadn’t been for that: “He didn’t realize there was a dog in the home that wasn’t ours,” Jokinen explained.

Jokinen and his wife cleaned the dog’s paws and helped her feel at ease. They contacted animal control the next day, but immediately concluded that surrendering the ill stray wasn’t the best option: Jokinen described her as “emaciated,” with “teeth all over the place” and “only walking on three legs with no collar.” “We reasoned, ‘Who knows what would happen if we just drop this puppy off?’”

Instead, they took Suzy to the vet, where they learned that the “puppy” that had strayed into their home was actually around 9 years old. Suzy was infested with fleas and ticks, and she had a paw infection in addition to dental problems. The pair made the decision to assist her.

I just woke up to this puppy in my house and we have no idea how it got here. pic.twitter.com/OZMystNsZE

— Jack Jokinen (@JJFromTheBronx) December 14, 2019

“Of all the bad things that may happen by leaving your door open in the dead of winter in a large city, we decided to end up with a nice puppy who had wandered in… “At the very least, we have to give it a shot,” Jokinen said.

Jokinen posted a photo of Suzy, which went viral to his surprise. He got $15,000 in donations in less than two days to help pay for the elderly dog’s medical costs.

He also discovered the person who politely closed his door that night thanks to the power of social media.

Suzy is now secure and warm, and her new family is assisting her with her weight growth. She has a genuine home for the first time in a long time.

“We’re able to achieve all of this in part owing to the internet’s generosity,” says the author “According to Jokinen. “This isn’t our dog in the sense that it’s the internet’s dog.”