Christmas came early this year for one Jacksonville family. They were reunited with their dog, which had been lost for more than six months.
The family found the dog, Bear, at this past weekend's Mega Pet Adoption Event at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
Bear's family is calling the reunion a Christmas miracle. On Wednesday, the family was laughing and running together with their dog this holiday season. Six-year-old Bear is finally back home.
"I have seven boys and he's another one of my boys," said Sherry Murphy.
Bear helped save his family from a house fire last December by barking and alerting them to the fire.
After the fire, the family found a new home but Bear ran off and got lost.
"The moment we lost him it was almost like losing a part of yourself," said Donald Stoner.
"He's like our angel, he helps us out with stuff and there's no more angel there," said Gabriel Perez.
A family incomplete for months until this past weekend when they went to the Mega Pet Adoption and found not a new pet but their long-lost family member.
"Shock. I was like, 'Bear,' and he's like, 'What, is that mommy?'" said Murphy.
A reunion made complete when Sherry's oldest son, Stoner, returned home from work this week -- a surprise homecoming from the dog he first got for the family.
"It was almost like a dream. I was like 'there's my dog' and that feeling overwhelmed and I just dropped and ran straight to him and he did the same to me," said Stoner.
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