When Rufus, their faithful Rat Terrier, passed away earlier this year, the Reiff family felt an enormous void.
The little dog had been adopted years earlier from a San Francisco SPCA shelter in the United States, and had become a cherished family member.
Instant connection
A few days later, whilst searching for a new pet to love, they came across Ziggy's profile - another elderly Rat Terrier available for adoption through Muttville, a San Francisco rescue organisation.
From the moment they met, there was an instant connection. Something about the dog felt familiar, almost uncanny.
A DNA test that changes everything
Back home, the Reiffs were struck by the similarities between Ziggy and their late Rufus. Their behaviour, their expressions, certain habits - the resemblances were too numerous to ignore. Curious, they decided to have the newcomer's DNA analysed. The results left them speechless: Ziggy was actually... Rufus's biological father. An incredibly rare coincidence, confirmed by the laboratory, that stunned the entire family.
Even Sherri Franklin, Muttville's founder, couldn't believe it. In nearly twenty years of rescue work, she had never witnessed such a story. For her, as for the Reiffs, it was an incredible surprise that brought comfort when they needed it most.
Ziggy, of course, knows nothing of this discovery. But since his adoption, he's been living peacefully in a loving home, unaware that he has found his way back, by the greatest of chances, to those who had already loved his own son.
