A grieving family has been left stunned after adopting a rescue dog that looked exactly like their dearly departed pup – only to discover the two were father and son.
Jillian Reiff had only just said goodbye to Rufus, her beloved rat terrier mix, when she stumbled across a photo on Instagram of a dog.
The pup looked like Rufus’ double – having the exact same markings and ears.
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Still deep in mourning, Jillian wasn’t sure if she was ready for another dog – but something told her she had to meet him.
Just four days later, she and her family visited Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, and it was love at first sight.
“He felt like a gift,” Jillian told Need To Know.
Seeing his happy face reminded us so much of our beloved boy.
“It brought peace to a house that had been crying for days.”
Jillian says the resemblance was uncanny, and they decided to adopt the pooch on the spot, naming him Ziggy.
Once home, Ziggy settled in straight away – strolling through the front door like he owned the place and instantly bonding with their elderly dog, Petey.
And it didn’t stop there – Ziggy started doing all the things Rufus used to do, from greeting the kids every morning to pulling a blanket over his head at bedtime.
But when he started howling like a wolf, just like Rufus did, Jillian’s suspicions kicked in.
She ordered a DNA test for Ziggy, matching it with one she’d done for Rufus years before – and the results were mind-blowing.
Not only were they the same mix, they were family – Ziggy was Rufus’s actual dad.
It turned out Rufus had been adopted from the San Francisco SPCA nine years earlier, while Ziggy had recently turned up as a stray and was sent to Muttville, also located in San Francisco.
Now reunited in spirit and under the same roof, the Reiff family say their home is full of joy again – all thanks to a chance scroll on Instagram.
Jillian said: “There is no science I can find to explain this, only kismet.”
“We have cried many times since last Thursday, this time in unadulterated joy.
“The fact Ziggy is here and with us to spend the rest of his amazing life is because of Muttville.”
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