Breaking In
For a lot of families, some of their worst fears is someone breaking into their home while they're asleep. Now if you have a one-month-old daughter like Jack and Emily Jokinen, your fear would be justified. So when a stranger made their way into their house in the night, they were surprised.
A stray dog entered their house at 4:00 in the morning. They didn't what to do. Where did they get in? Where was their owner? What was their next move?
Right At Their Front Door
It was 4:00 in the morning when Emily Jokenin woke up to get a pacifier for her daughter. She soon figured that she wasn't on her own. Something had gotten into her house in Philadelphia during the middle of the night. How did they get in?
Emily rushed to her sleeping husband Jack and woke him up. Jack opened his eyes and asked if everything was alright: “The baby is fine,” Emily said, “but there is a puppy in our house.”
Not Sure What To Do
Jack told reporters at TODAY, "I wasn't sure — honestly, I was just like, 'What does that mean? You said words that I know, but they don't go in that order."
On this particular weekend Jack's parents were in town. "I did wonder, like, 'Is this a messed-up Christmas gift?'" he said. But this was no gift with a bow on it - it was a dog that had broken into their house in the middle of the night.
Completely Lost
Jack remembers: "I went downstairs, and on the first floor, in the middle of our house, there was sitting what looked to be like a cold, wet puppy." The dog was limping on three legs and seemed like she was starving.
Jack thought that the dog was a puppy due to its weight. "I just woke up to this puppy in my house, and we have no idea how it got here." Still, Jack didn't have any answers.
Where Did She Break-In?
The couple couldn't figure out where the dog came from: "The front door was locked, the back door was locked, windows closed, everything. There was kind of this mystery puppy in our house, and we had no idea how it got here."
The couple found no one else in the house, so they tried to find out what happened. Thankfully they had security cameras and could check the video from their monitors.
The Security Cameras
Looking at the video, the couple saw the dog arrive on their doorstep at 3:15 in the morning. The dog was looking for a place to hide from the rain. She decided to walk in through their door - which was completely open mysteriously. Even the family's dog didn't seem to mind the stray coming in.
"We don't know if it was the light, the warmth, smelling George. She came into the house, and then she went out of it, and kind of on our porch, and then she was in the house." Jack recalls.
The Door Was Wide Open
Why was their front door open anyway? The video shows how it came to be open. Normally the door automatically locks electronically when Jack shuts the door after walking his dog at night. But tonight, it never locked.
The winds in December are strong and they swung the door open in the night. The sleeping family didn't notice a thing. Thankfully their dog hadn't wandered out the door during this time.
How Did The Door Lock Afterwards?
The video also explains how their door locked after the dog wandered in. A friendly neighbor noticed that the door was open and after yelling into the house he was greeted without any response.
After no one answers him he decided it best to shut the door. That's when the lock activated and the house was impenetrable once again. But now they had an unknown guest in their house.
What Now?
The couple didn't know what their next move was. The dog was quite friendly towards them so they didn't immediately kick her out. Jack got onto his computer and searched: "What do you do when you find a dog?"
"There's really no playbook for this," Jack said. "And surprisingly, we've never found a dog in our house before.” The family had a dilemma, either call Animal Control or drop the dog off at the vet.
Looking After Her
The couple called Animal Control. After talking on the phone they said that they could take the dog off their hands. Honestly, the family didn't like that idea. Jack was reluctant to part with the dog that way.
The family knew two things: The dog was probably a puppy, and that she was hurt. They felt like she wouldn't last at Animal Control. "We said, at a minimum, let's call a vet," Jack proposed.
The Prognosis
They took the dog to the vet for an emergency visit where just the appointment cost $72. The vet told them that the dog wasn't a puppy but actually nine-years-old. She was way underweight. Weighing only 19 pounds instead of the 40 pounds she should be.
The dog also had many teeth infections and an injured leg. She didn't have a chip either. The family were stumped on what to do next.
Life Or Death Situation
After the vets gave a diagnosis, Jack and Emily realized how dangerous the situation was. Jack described that they "just kind of woke up." When the couple handled this stray dog, they could only feel ribs.
"This dog can't go back wherever she was, even if there was a chip," Jack said. He said that when looking at the dog, he saw the winter that ravaged Philadelphia. If she hadn't walked through that door, she might not have survived until New Year's.
"It's Your Dog"
Throughout the journey, Jack revealed the story on his Twitter. Since he runs a New York Yankees podcast called George's Box, he had over 35,000 followers. Former Indianapolis Colts player Pat MacAfee retweeted Jack and said that it was "your dog now."
"There was a lot of 'That's your dog,'" Jack recalled. "It really started to feel like she was our dog. Some people said, 'If you can't take this dog, I'll take the dog. She looks scared.'"
Taking In Suzy
Although the internet voted for them keeping the dog, Jack and Emily discussed the matter for a while. Adopting a stray senior dog with several vet bills would be a lot, but they still felt bonded to their little intruder.
Eventually, they decided to keep their unexpected dog. Around that time, New York Yankees sportscaster Suzyn Waldman emailed the Jokinens expressing how kind they were to the dog. They named the dog Suzy Pupman after her.
A Long Road To Recovery
Although Suzy had a new home, he had a long road to recovery. She had to be spayed, re-nourished, vaccinated, groomed, and treated. Her paw infection, teeth damage, heart murmur, and pads missing on her feet would cost a lot more than the $72 vet bill.
Jack told Action News that she needed treatment for a paw infection, hookworm, and dental care. Jack's followers, who were already invested, immediately jumped in to help. Word of the abandoned, malnourished dog spread like wildfire.
Unexpected Charity
Although Jack and Emily didn't expect money, several Twitter users were offering to help with Suzy's medical expenses. Eventually, Jack posted his Paypal and Venmo, and the donations began to pour in.
Jack also uploaded a public spreadsheet detailing how much money he received. Within the week, the couple raised over $25,000. The Jokinens hoped that Suzy's bills wouldn't be that high, and they planned to donate the rest of the funds to charity. They have not decided on an organization yet.
Recovering While Updating Twitter
The Jokinens updated Twitter on Suzy's state. "This dog was in such bad shape. Whoever would've had it is a terrible person," Jack said in an update video. "So, we’ve decided to keep the dog."
As the Jokinens gave Suzy a flea bath and grooming, they reported her progress on Twitter. By this time, Jack's followers were fully invested in this dog. Emily and Jack worked to give Suzy "a dignified end of her life."
Careful Recuperation
To bring Suzy's health back, the Jokinens had to tread carefully. They put her on a low-fat diet via the vet's orders. Slowly, her weight climbed from 19 pounds to the high 30s. She also got much better sleep on a bed than on the street.
With the help of the donations, Suzy received treatment for paw and dental injuries. Jack and Emily still don't know what kind of dog she is; she's likely a terrier and lab mix.
"The Internet's Dog"
Since the internet had an emotional and (sometimes) financial investment in Suzy, the Jokinens updated their followers every step of the way. "Suzy is not really our dog," Jack said during an interview. "She's kind of the Internet's dog at this point."
Since adopting Suzy, Emily and Jack have made an Instagram account for their dog, which has over 43,000 followers. Jack also created follow-up videos on his Twitter to let everyone know that Suzy was doing better.
But Suzy Had Hard Times, Too
Although Suzy reaped many benefits during her new life, she also struggled with the change. She quickly developed separation anxiety and became destructive. One day, Jack came home to Suzy covered in blood because she busted a nail in her frustration.
Fortunately, Suzy's fellow canine George has eased some of her anxiety. Jack and Emily assert that adopting a new dog--especially a senior dog--is a struggle. But to them, "it's a challenge that’s worth it."
The Identity Of The Helpful Stranger
To make this story more heartwarming, Jack and Emily eventually found the stranger who closed their door on that fateful night. A neighborhood Facebook group helped bring the neighbors together. He was 35-year-old Steven Griendling.
"My family could have been murdered if it wasn't for this guy," Jack later said. To give thanks, the Jokinens took Steven out to a steak dinner. Although Steven could have stolen from the home, he went out of his way to help the family.
From Stray To Famous
Suzy's spotlight didn't die down after she was adopted. Her story was featured in the Washington Post, TODAY, ABC, FOX, and CBS Philly. Her photo even made the front page of the Philadelphia News.
Strangers from around the world donated money to support Suzy's recovery, and they all wanted to know how she was doing. Jack posted several update videos to Twitter, thanking his followers for helping and telling everyone how Suzy was adjusting to her new home.
Adjusting To Her New Home
Meanwhile, Suzy had to adjust to her new home. Within two days, she warmed up to the family. Even the Jokinens' current dog, George, gave up his bed for her. The family revealed that she got along great with their one-month-old daughter.
"She's been through a lot," Jack said in an update video on Twitter. "She's not where she should be, health-wise, but she's not where she was, and we're going in the right direction."
A Christmas Miracle
As the story played out, Jack and Emily viewed the situation as a Christmas miracle. "It's the holiday season, and it's not about us," Jack later said. "It's about this dog that people have found faith in."
"We're simply the vessel of this story, and anything we do to keep it going and spread the awareness that there are good people out there," Jack continued. He believes that the fight for Suzy's life brought people together.
Suzy Today
Suzy now lives like she was never a stray in the first place. She enjoys car rides, walking with George, and protecting the baby. She's happy, healthy, and a beloved member of the Jokinen family.
"I hate people say 'Everything happens for a reason,'" Emily wrote in an Instagram post. "But I really do feel like this happened for a reason." Instead of a burglar, Jack and Emily gained a new pet and companion for their daughter.