Family adopts new pup after losing their beloved pet – only to discover an incredible truth about both dogs through DNA test
Sometimes life delivers surprises that are least expected, almost like a scene from a movie. That’s exactly what happened to an Alameda family when they recently discovered an incredible connection between their late dog and a new one they adopted. As reported by Fox KTVU, the family was left stunned after a DNA test revealed that their newly adopted dog, Ziggy, is actually related to Rufus — their cherished pet who passed away just months earlier. Rufus, a half-Chihuahua, half-rat terrier, was more than just a family dog. Adopted in 2016 from the San Francisco SPCA, he had grown to become a member of the family. “He was always the dog that greeted, and I don't think there was an event that Rufus was not there for,” Reiff told the outlet.
In April, tragedy struck when Rufus died suddenly at the age of 15 due to a gallbladder issue. The loss hit the family hard. “It felt like the most profound loss you can imagine. It was gut-wrenching. It was terrible,” Reiff said. But the night Rufus died, something unexpected happened. Reiff’s daughter stumbled across a photo of a dog on the Muttville, senior dogs rescue website. The resemblance was uncanny. “She showed it to me and said, ‘Mom, look, it looks like Rufus,’” Reiff recalled.
Within days, the family went to see the dog in person. His walk, his demeanor, everything reminded them of Rufus. “His happy, wonky, sideways little trot — just my heart sunk, because it was like I was looking at our dog,” Reiff said. They adopted him immediately. Named Ziggy, he was also a half-Chihuahua, half-rat terrier, just like Rufus. “The uncanny nature of their personality traits being identical — not just similar—identical, every day and hour that passed,” Reiff stated. From lying next to the kids to being extremely vocal, Ziggy mirrored Rufus in nearly every way.
Driven by the overwhelming similarities, Reiff ordered a DNA test. The results were nothing short of shocking: Ziggy wasn’t just a lookalike; he was Rufus’s biological father. “It said that they were an identical DNA match and that Ziggy was actually the biological father of Rufus,” she shared. Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville, called it extraordinary, “It’s like a Hollywood scriptwriter wrote it. It's rare that any of us get a second opportunity to be with their soulmate dog after they pass away, I mean, what a gift and a blessing that is.” Reiff added, “I think he knows he was always meant to be here, and that this last chapter of his life, which we are incredibly blessed to spend with him, he knows that he's in the right place.”
In another fateful story, a woman was accidentally reunited with her beloved childhood dog. Around seven years ago, Nicole Grimes from West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, had to give up her dog Chloe, who was a gift from her late grandmother. At the time, Grimes was 14, and her dad, who worked from home, found Chloe’s barking too distracting for his job. With a heavy heart, she surrendered Chloe to the Washington Area Humane Society, hoping she’d find a good home. Years later, she saw a Facebook post about a senior dog named Chloe needing adoption. Something felt familiar, so she adopted her, and a vet scan confirmed it was the same Chloe. Needless to say, Grimes was overwhelmed with emotion and utterly grateful for the reunion.