2 days ago
Couple Adopt Puppy From Shelter, DNA Reveals Unbelievable Mix
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When dog owner Milly, from Ohio, posted photos of her 5-month-old dog Bess online, she wasn't expecting the flood of admiration that followed.
"We keep getting asked if she is a 'designer dog' but we really just lucked out with the shelter," the owner said in a Reddit post with thousands of upvotes and more than 100 comments.
An unusual mix of Siberian husky and golden retriever, Bess has the classic markings of a husky with unmistakable long fur and floppy ears of a golden retriever.
Bess is more than just photogenic. She's the emotional bridge for Ellie, Milly's 6-year-old German shepherd who had suffered years of abuse under a backyard breeder. When Ellie arrived at the family's home in 2024, she had endured multiple litters and was emotionally struggling.
"Ellie would howl and cry every time she saw a puppy, so we decided she needed one of her own. We began searching through the local shelter websites and came across Bess' litter in April of 2025," Milly, who didn't give a surname, told Newsweek.
Pictures of Bess, the unusual mixed breed who often gets mistaken for a designer dog.
Pictures of Bess, the unusual mixed breed who often gets mistaken for a designer dog.
OhioIsForCats/Reddit
Bess and her litter were born at our local Humane Society and were featured at an adoption event in May. They didn't last long as her entire litter was adopted out within 30 minutes.
"We knew from the website that she was a retriever mix, and the coloring showed she was likely some type of husky as well," Milly said. "We did a doggy DNA swab and found that she is 50 percent golden retriever with the rest being mostly Siberian husky and a little border collie, as well."
In the comments on Reddit, people couldn't get enough of Bess' unusual looks. "Wow! She's gorgeous!!! Those markings and that face," said one commenter.
While another said: "So cute. 50 percent golden, 50 percent husky, 110 percent shedding machine."
Beyond the aesthetics, Bess is a sweet soul. She's already mastered five speech buttons to communicate with her humans—and has a penchant for full-body tail wags any time she spots someone new.
"She's too cute not to share. The reactions online were very similar to what we see in-person: absolute gushing over her cuteness," Milly said. "It's lovely to see how much people love Bess. She is not only a beautiful puppy, but she is so sweet and smart, too."
This isn't the first time a rare dog breed mix has impressed people online. A half basset hound and half English bulldog captured viral attention previously on Reddit, while another unusual breed mix left people guessing after the owner shared pictures on the internet.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
