In the spring of 2023, Rachel Mae and her husband, who live in West Virginia, USA, adopted Gracie, a working Golden Retriever who had been neglected by her previous owners. The dog had been kept tied up, was completely starved of attention, and spent her days barking to try and get someone to notice her. When the neighbours admitted they could no longer care for her, the couple welcomed her with open arms. Gracie quickly became a cherished member of their family.
But a few weeks later, Rachel noticed that Gracie was gaining weight. The dog, who had never been spayed, was due to have the operation... but it was too late. Gracie was already pregnant. In their rural area, where dogs roam freely through the valleys, several local males could have been the father: a Sheltie, a Border Collie, a Labrador...
Ten black puppies and a growing mystery
Just before Christmas, Gracie gave birth to ten perfectly healthy puppies. To Rachel's surprise, none of them had their mother's golden coat. They were all black, which didn't help at all in identifying the father. Soon, however, there were more pressing matters: raising the litter and finding them good homes. After posting on Facebook, eight of the puppies found new families, and the couple decided to keep two females, Rosie and Stella.
Months went by, until one day Rachel came across a Facebook post about a starving young dog found on a remote road. She immediately recognised him as one of Gracie's puppies. The little one, now named Bandit, was brought back to her home in an alarming condition. As soon as he saw his mother and sisters, he let out a cry and ran straight to them. With proper care, he regained his strength and was renamed Jax.
A DNA test reveals more than expected
To clear up any lingering doubts – was Jax really one of Gracie's puppies? And who was the father? – Rachel decided to get a DNA test for Gracie, Rosie, Stella, and Jax. Everyone around her was betting on the Border Collie. Rachel, however, suspected the Sheltie, whose dark eyes and agility seemed to have been passed down to the puppies.
The results, which came back three weeks later, confirmed Rachel's hunch: the father was indeed the Sheltie. But there was another surprise in store. The test revealed a genetic match with a fourth dog, a biological brother from the litter... named Charlie. He had been adopted by a nurse but had since completely fallen off the radar.
Hoping to find out more, Rachel contacted his new owner... but got no reply. The story seemed to end there until October, when, browsing on Reddit, she stumbled upon a photo of a dog that looked identical to Gracie's puppies. It was Charlie. This time, her private message got a response. Charlie had been abandoned and later rescued in Florida, before finding his forever home. His new owner was delighted to hear from her and even sent a photo of Charlie sitting by the ocean. Relieved, Rachel shared the whole story on Reddit, where thousands of users are now following the family's adventure.
Today, Rosie, Stella, and Jax are still living happily with their family. As for Charlie, Rachel hopes that one day their paths will cross again.
