A dog who ran away from home after hearing fireworks on the 4th of July returned home and announced their arrival by ringing the doorbell of the family home.
Mary Lynn Whitacre and her husband Ryan Washick were enjoying the fireworks on US Independence Day when suddenly 18-month-old Rajah, a lab-Catahoula Leopard Dog mix, jumped up in fright of the noise and ran from her home.
While the pair saw Rajah run, she was so quick that they were unable to catch her, and soon, she had made it through the fencing surrounding the South Carolina home. There was simply no way they could catch her.
Mary and her husband were soon searching frantically, calling neighbours to see if they had seen her, contacting the authorities, and even posting on local Facebook groups for information that could secure Rajah's return.
Mary told journalists:
"Ryan and I were freaking out and we felt really helpless. I kept hoping I wouldn't find her on the side of the road."
That night, on returning home after hours of searching, at 3AM, a scratching was heard, and the doorbell rang. Unbelievably Rajah was alone and had rung the doorbell herself. Her actions being caught by the doorbell camera.
Ryan said:
"She was just sitting there."
Mary added:
"She thought she was in so much trouble and she was sad and sulking, but we were like 'we're just happy you're back.' It was hilarious, and we couldn't stop laughing."
Apart from being very dirty, Rajah was no worse off for her experience, and bizarrely, the couple had only moved to the house months before, meaning they do not know how Rajah learned to ring the doorbell. The resulting footage has now been watched by hundreds of thousands online.
Canine experts continually warn about the dangers of fireworks to pets and dogs and suggest making sure they are indoors when any fireworks are being let off, keeping the TV or a fan on, to drown out the sound, remaining calm around them, and if possible, keeping them in a basement or other soundproofed room.
[Based on reporting by: Positive Outlooks]
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