When Abby, an eight-year-old mixed breed dog that belonged to the Grapengeter family of Fairbanks, Alaska went missing on December 13th there wasn't much hope for a happy reunion.

Not only was Abby on her own in negative 40 degree weather, but she was blind. The family, which includes three children under the age of ten had, hadn't micro-chipped the dog. Instead they relied on social media to appeal for the pooch's return.

What happened next certainly seems like a Christmas miracle to the Grapengeters.

Musher and veterinarian Mark May noticed a strange dog running with his sled team on December 19th. He was going to grab the pooch and see who it belonged to but it fell out of pace too quickly for him to do so. The next day, that same lost dog showed up at May's front door.

"Everybody just assumed it was some kind of scaredy-cat, but there it was in front of the door in our dog lot and it was blind," May said. "It was sitting there, all the way from 14 mile on the winter trail down into this neighborhood, I guess by just sniffing, so I picked it up and brought it in."

Despite spending a week in the cold, the dog was healthy and had no signs of frostbite.

Because of the Grapengeter's social media efforts, May was able to figure out Abby belonged to them.

"We're so, so grateful for all (the community's) hard work," McKenzie Grapengeter said. "They've given us the most amazing Christmas gift we could ever ask for."

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