Reta McKinlay thought her grandchildrens' puppy was dead after it escaped through a fence at her home in Yelm and was hit by a car.

Scamp was bleeding. His eyes were fixed. He wasn't breathing.

McKinlay told The Olympian ((http://is.gd/oSZowB) her husband wrapped the terrier-Shih Tzu in a blanket Dec. 3 and left it under a wheelbarrow to keep animals away from the body. She sat down with her 6-year-old twin grandchildren and told them Scamp had gone to heaven.

But when her husband went out to bury the dog the next morning, Scamp was sitting up.

After $3,000 in veterinary bills, McKinlay says they felt confident enough to tell the grandchildren the puppy is alive. She says Scamp's return is the family's Christmas present.

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Information from: The Olympian, http://www.theolympian.com