Viola went down the stairs that night, hoping to make as little sounds as possible, since her husband, Glenn, was sleeping. She could hear her little ones breathing peacefully in their sleep. Viola wasn’t sure what was making that sound. Could it be the wind? Whatever it was, she needed to find out. “Is someone there?” she said. But she opened the door, the sound suddenly stopped.
Most guys only care about having a sports car, going out with their friends, or jumping from girl to girl. But Glenn Maloney couldn’t care less about all that. He had always dreamt about having a big family, and when he met Viola Tiszl, his dreams came true. He’d never met anyone like her — beautiful, smart, and with a great sense of humor. She was so amazing in his eyes, that he never understood why she was with him. But their relationship escalated way too fast.
Glenn knew he’d end up living his very own happily ever after with Viola. She was the embodiment of the perfect woman for him. Viola loved him for who he was, and stood by him every step of the way. Glenn was 100% sure he’d end up proposing when the time was right, and from then on, he’d make every one of her dreams come true. But when the time came, he was in for a big surprise.
Viola shared some incredible news with Glenn. She was pregnant, and he could’t be happier! But once reality started to sink in, their excitement quickly turned into worry. He obviously wanted a big family, and all, but things were moving too fast. His plan was to get married, buy a house, get a dog, and then have a baby. But they managed to skip every single step! He was happy, sure, but he couldn’t help but feel worried.
When baby Megan was born, she was everything Glenn and Viola could’ve hoped for. She was perfectly healthy, and even rocked a full head of hair. Little Megan irradiated happiness, and it was contagious! Glenn finally understood what unconditional love truly meant. He knew that being a daddy was his true calling in life, but he still felt like he was missing something.
But what could’ve been missing from Glenn’s life? After all, he had been blessed with a beautiful baby and he was married to the love of his life. That alone was a lot more than other people could count on. Plus, his hard work allowed him to afford a farmhouse on the outskirts of town. Little Megan had all the room in the world to run around and play outside. But when Christmas time rolled around, Viola gave him a gift that turned his life upside down…so to speak.
Glenn wasn’t really expecting anything for Christmas. He even told his wife he didn’t really need any presents. All he wanted was to see their baby open her own gifts. But when he spotted a big box with his name on it, he was overjoyed and a little confused. He unwrapped the cardboard box and that’s when he saw it: two big brown eyes, staring back at him. He was stunned. What could it be?
The pup was even smaller than little Megan that Christmas eve. They named the beautiful Russell Terrier, “Mugsy”, and from that day on, he became a part of the family. Mugsy and Megan grew up together, and it filled Glenn’s heart with joy. Now he had the family he’d always wanted. Still, raising a kid would prove to be no easy task.
Mugsy grew up with Megan, and over the next four years, they’d spend every day together. The pup even met Megan’s baby brother Kevin, way before she even had a chance. It was Viola’s second child, and everyone was ecstatic. In a way, Glenn wanted to hit the pause button so his two babies, and his furry son, Mugsy, would stay little for a while longer. He couldn’t believe how quickly time was passing by. And he was starting to realize that time would wait for no one.
Little Megan was only four years old when life flipped the switch on Glenn. He heard the heart-wrenching sound of a car pulling the brakes outside. Megan and Kevin were building a gingerbread house at the kitchen table at that moment. Their entire house was decorated in tinsel and baubles. Glenn’s heart stopped for a moment, and when he looked outside the window, he saw Mugsy lying on the floor. He rushed by his side, but Glenn was completely dumbfounded.
“I picked Mugsy up, but he died in my arms,” Glenn recalls, completely heartbroken. His little buddy who had been his faithful companion wasn’t breathing. Sadly, his heart wasn’t beating either. Glenn was shattered, but he still rushed to hide little Mugsy so his kids wouldn’t see such a horrible sight. Viola got back home later on, and together, they dug little Mugsy’s grave in the garden. But life is full of twists and turns. They just didn’t know it yet!
Viola woke up at 3 am that night to some strange sounds that seemed to be coming from the front door. What if someone was trying to break in? She immediately grabbed Kevin’s baseball bat and summoned the courage to head downstairs. She peeked through the window, but there was no one out there. What could be making those sounds? She opened the door to find out, but she suddenly let out a scream when she was what out there.
Glenn rushed down the stairs the moment he heard his wife’s screams. But when he finally got near her, he saw Viola hunching down on the floor. And who was right by her side? Little Mugsy completely covered in mud. “Mugsy was covered in dirt and his eyes were bloodshot,” Glenn explained. He thought he may have been dreaming for a second, but it took him a few seconds to realize it was him. But how did this happen?
Mugsy couldn’t hide his excitement, and neither could his owners. They took him to the vet the next day to find out what happened. Apparently, Mugsy had been hit by the car so badly, that it knocked him out. But his heart didn’t actually stop. It was just beating unusually slow, so much so, that Glenn wouldn’t have been able to hear it. Still, Glenn couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to get out. After all, he had buried him deep.
Russel terrier dogs were bred and trained to hunt foxes. It’s part of their DNA. Small dogs can even locate and burrow deep when they’re looking for vermin, which would explain Mugsy’s natural ability to dig. When he woke up buried deep underground, he had the skills to dig himself up. But has this strange occurrence happened before?
Glenn couldn’t be happier to see the entire family back together. Both Megan and Kevin were really young, but they still shed plenty of tears over their beloved dog, Mugsy. Viola felt like she was living a dream. Was it more than just mere luck? The kids hugged and kissed Mugsy and even gave him a new toy. But if you think the story ends there, you couldn’t be more wrong!
As you can imagine, word spread like wildfire and everyone was stunned about what Viola and Glenn went through. Eventually, the entire nation was covering the story of Mugsy, the dog who seemingly came back from the dead. The story was so captivating, it caught Oprah Winfrey’s attention, and she was just as stumped as everybody else!
“I guess when he woke up in that hole, he just thought it was another old hole and he dug his way out, not knowing it was supposed to be his grave,” Viola recounted. Oprah, who’s a self-proclaimed dog lover, felt like she absolutely needed to meet this couple and have them on her show. But no one realized their story would reach such a big audience!
Glenn and Viola kind of feel like they went through their very own Christmas miracle. Even though the vet explained why Mugsy hadn’t really passed away, but was actually unconscious, he still chooses to believe that Mugsy simply wasn’t ready to leave this world, especially his family. He feels the dog wouldn’t have been able to wake up underground after been buried for 6 hours. But was there more to the vet’s explanation?
Mugsy’s story is so mystifying, he’s now become internationally renown. People all over the world have been left in shock by his story. Some people think that love motivated Mugsy to fight for his life, while others feel it was a beautiful Christmas miracle. Whatever the case may be, the kids, Glenn and Viola, are overjoyed to be a big family once again. Everyone was so thrilled to have their beloved pup back, that they even bought him some extra special Christmas gifts for him!