Most Christmas presents that United States Postal Service letter carrier Mike Queen deliver contain stamps and addresses, not four legs and a tail. They usually don't bark either.

But the gift Queen delivered to New Boston resident Gary Cunningham on Tuesday certainly wasn't the usual one.

“It was the best Christmas delivery I could make,” Queen said.

That delivery was Sassy, Cunningham's 5-year-old Shih Tzu dog that was missing for five days. Sassy got loose while chasing a cat.

Cunningham, 63, posted signs alerting passersby to the missing dog. Finally, Queen found the dog on Columbia Avenue.

“I figured that was the dog that belonged to him,” Queen said. “The dog allowed me to pet her, then I picked her up and returned her.”

Queen said Cunningham was elated when the dog came home.

“He was almost in tears,” Queen said. “He had been praying and his church had been praying almost like a member of the family had been gone.”

Cunningham attends the Cedar Street Church of Christ in New Boston.

For Cunningham, the dog is a member of his family. He lives alone with Sassy and Chancy, his other dog. He is recovering from a heart attack he suffered about six weeks ago.

“I was grieving like she was a human,” Cunningham said. “This was truly a miracle. My Christmas was not going be too good. I almost lost hope of finding her.”

Other than suffering from bladder stones, Sassy is doing well now. But her five days left her dehydrated and cost her five pounds. The dehydration aggravated the dog's bladder stones.

“God had to have a hand in this, or she wouldn't have made it,” Cunningham said.

He said he lost two pounds and had several sleepless nights throughout the ordeal.

Cunningham said he will build a fence around his property in the spring to prevent the dog from running away again. He blames himself for letting Sassy get away, but vowed to not let it happen again.

“I'm not going to let her out of my sight,” Cunningham said.