Grandpa drives cross-country to deliver beloved stray dog to grandchildren on Christmas

FARGO, N.D. (WDAY) – A North Dakota family got an unexpected visit for Christmas and a special gift from hundreds of miles away.

The Parrett family in Fargo is still talking about the best Christmas ever after Country showed up at their house.

Nicole Parrett said the family had gone to Texas to visit relatives in early December when a stray dog showed up at the home.

“We were like, don’t touch him. We don’t know if he’s mean, but he kept his distance and hung around,” she said.

The dog refused to leave, but the kids loved on it.

“He was so pleasant to the kids, and that is what won us over,” Parrett said. “Because we were just ... we were still, like, no matter what happens, we are not taking this dog home.”

Parrett cleaned the fleas and cockleburs off the dog’s fur. Her husband, Nathan Parrett, said they also fed him and asked their kids what to name him.

“And I was like, oh man, you are going to name the dog,” he said. “We are getting closer to ownership with every day we’re there.”

When it finally came time for the family to leave Texas and fly back to North Dakota, they immediately missed the dog.

“As soon as we drove away, they were weeping, crocodile tears, it was horrible to watch,” Nicole Parrett said.

However, their grandpa, Mike Parrot, in southeast Texas later surprised his grandkids by driving about 1,250 miles to bring them the dog.

“When I saw how the dog was around her, I knew,” he said. “I knew he was special.”

The kids were surprised on Christmas day with the reunion of the dog they loved and left behind.

“I wanted to make them happy, I knew it, it is something you just know,” Mike Parrett said. “And I was going to make it happen.”

Country, the dog from Texas, now fits right in with the family from North Dakota. He was checked out by a veterinarian and now has the best life a dog could ever ask for: a forever home with kids who gave him a new life.

“It was just magic, our kids are at an awesome age for Christmas,” Nathan Parrett said.