On a frosty October day, exactly 27 years ago, the family’s beloved four-year-old jack russell terrier, Mugsy, was hit by a car on the road by their house.

His life could sadly not be saved and poor Mugsy died in owner Glenn’s arms in their driveway. But as many of us know, life can sometimes work in mysterious ways.

The morning after Mugsy’s death, to the mourning family’s disbelief, an unexplainable miracle occurred.

When Owner Glenn went on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1991 to tell the story about what happened to his dog, he could still remember every detail of that horrific day.

While his wife Viola was at work, Glenn was out in the garden watching over their children. Suddenly he noticed that Mugsy was no longer by his side.

Seconds later — he heard a terrible noise.

“He was way out the driveway and I was out at the clothes line,” Glenn said in his interview. “I heard him yelping, ran down the road and found him crawling up the driveway. He was all covered in blood.”

Mugsy’s life could not be saved — he had stopped breathing, had no pulse and his heart wasn’t beating. There, on the driveway, the poor dog died in his owner’s arms.

Like any parent, Glenn didn’t want his kids to see their beloved dog dead, so he immediately told them to go indoors.

Glenn went straight to their backyard, dug a small hole in the ground and buried Mugsy on his own.

“I was really upset. So I buried him quick and I didn’t even tell the children,” Glenn continued to tell Oprah. “I didn’t have the nerve to tell the children, until like seven o’clock that night. Mugsy was dead.”

In the evening, when Viola had came home and the children were told what had happened, the family arranged a small burial ceremony.

The daughter recited a moving verse, the family said their goodbyes and grieved together. They all then went to bed. But around five thirty the next morning, something unbelievable happened.

“I wake up to a scratching at the door,” Glenn continues. “I get up, I go to the backdoor and pull the shades back.”

Glenn couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a true miracle. For low and behold, who was standing in front him while wagging his tail? None other than Mugsy himself!

Viola was convinced that Glenn had buried another dog and that Mugsy hadn’t died at all.

So they went out to the backyard and had a look at the grave. The grave had been completely dug up and there was no dog to be found there.

So how had Mugsy resurrected?

The answer was revealed on that episode of the Oprah Winfrey show.

“The vet said that probably after six hours, he actually dug his way out,” Viola explained on the show. “His heart rate and everything was so slow that it was not obvious that he was alive. He had no vital signs.”

She continues to explain, “he probably just slept until five thirty in the morning, shortly after six hours, and just dug himself out.”

So Mugsy was fine and alive after all! When the family went on that episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show the year after, their beloved pup was happy as ever.