A 5-year-old husky mix named Missy wasn’t scheduled for daycare on Monday. She had a vet appointment instead. Missy had other plans. The dog dug her way out from under the back gate of her yard in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, followed her usual route and showed up at Spot’s Place daycare just before 11 a.m. — covered in mud and ready to play.
A video of Missy’s solo adventure is now going viral on TikTok, and the details from her owner and daycare staff make the story even better.
How Daycare Staff Reacted to Missy’s Unplanned Arrival
Staff at Spot’s Place saw Missy running loose in the parking lot before immediately letting her in. Her home is only a few minutes away.
“We were basically like, ‘Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?!’” staff members said, per USA TODAY. “We couldn’t believe that she came on her own.”
“What stood out most was how she was just acting like it was a regular day,” they added. “She showed up like, ‘Hey guys, I’m here! Sorry I’m late!’”
Missy was described as a dog with a lot of energy who loves playing with other dogs and snuggling humans. Most of all, she clearly loves her routine. After she showed up, staff called her owner to come get her.
How Missy’s Escape From Her Yard Went Down
Missy’s owner, Heath Hrappstead, later shared the full story of how Missy escaped.
“The way it all started was, I went to work in the morning, and usually she gets ready with me and we take off on the bike. I ride the bike there, and then I come back and go to work,” Hrappstead told CBC.
“But that day, she ended up staying at home. I could tell from the whimper she was very upset with me that I decided to leave without her.”
His partner left Missy in the yard when she went to run errands. That’s when Missy made her move.
“She ended up getting a call [from Spot’s Place] because Missy had dug her way out under the back gate and ran and took herself to daycare,” Hrappstead said.
“It sounded like she just followed the route that we normally take in the morning with the bicycle.”
Missy usually attends Spot’s Place Monday through Friday. Since she and Hrappstead bike there every day, she knows the route well. This wasn’t her first jailbreak, either.
“This is the second time she got out. It was the same kind of deal, but she didn’t dig her way out [last time]. She just managed to get through the gate. So I’ve got to do a little more reinforcing.”
Missy Was Covered in Mud and Ready to See Her Best Friend
Spot’s Place staffer Mackenzie Hoffman described the scene.
“She was full of mud, obviously, because she had a little escape journey,” Hoffman said.
Missy seemed thrilled to spend time with her pal Shaggy, another dog at the daycare that she has gotten close to.
“So we’re like, ‘Perfect, she gets to see Shaggy.’ We’re like, ‘They probably want to see each other. She came all the way to see Shaggy,’” Hoffman noted.
“They kind of hit it off right off the bat,” Hoffman added of Missy and Shaggy’s bond. “They do have other friends here, but they definitely gravitate to each other the most.”
Missy’s Daycare Backstory Will Melt Your Heart
Missy has been coming to Spot’s Place for about four years.
“She used to come twice a week when she had a brother and then he passed on. So then they started bringing her every day to help with her grieving process,” staff said.
Hrappstead described what drop-off usually looks like.
“When I drop her off in the morning, they’re really good with her,” Hrappstead said. “She just shows up with her tail wagging … we call it butt-wagging because she’s wagging, but her butt’s moving too, and she’s so excited.”
Missy made it back home safely after her solo trip. She was scheduled for daycare the next day.
