SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Still looking for that perfect holiday gift for the kids? Last year, Rancho Coastal Humane Society teamed up with an Oceanside family -- and a jolly old man -- to deliver an unforgettable present.
We first introduced you to this bundle of love last Christmas after Santa made his list and checked it twice, then brought her to a North County family that's very,very nice. Our cameras were there to capture the surprise and the immediate look of love in their eyes.
Carly was her name, but they realized pretty fast it wasn't the perfect one for her, so it didn't last.
"The day we got her she gave us so many kisses that we decided to name her Mistletoe, Misty for short," owner Jack Pentlarge said.
The Rancho Coastal Humane Society is where this all started. Jessica and Catie met the dog, and then they departed. But unbeknownst to them, their mom and their dad had a secret plan with Santa sure to make the girls glad.
Now a year later, Misty's having a ball, running around with her new family and loving them all.
"She makes every day so much better," her owner said.
She runs really fast, turning heads. And at night she loves to sleep in multiple beds.
"First she goes with mom, and then in the middle of the night, she usually comes with me," her owner said.
The Pentlarge family is sharing their story, hoping this year you'll feel their Christmas glory. But before asking Santa to bring you a dog, there are a few notes that you might want to log.
"You want to make sure you have the time to spend with the dog. There's a lot of training involved, there's a lot of loving giving involved. There's also a lot of patience involved," Jack said.