6 days ago
Owners Adopt Shelter Dog, Get DNA Test—Results Reveal Shocking Twist
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.
Four years after adopting a dog named Lulu, a pet owner decided to do a DNA test.
What followed was a shocking and heartwarming discovery: Lulu had a sister living in the same town. The owner, Amber Patrick, who shared the incredible story in a Reddit post, called the reunion of the two dogs "a dream come true." Patrick, 42, spoke to Newsweek about how she felt seeing the two pups get reacquainted, and what's to come for the siblings.
In the post, Patrick explained that she and her family adopted the dog, a mix of dominantly 61 percent beagle, 18 percent chihuahua, and 6 percent Parson Russell terrier, from a county shelter. A couple of years later, a DNA test revealed a sibling match.
Stock image: Two beagles play in the park.
Stock image: Two beagles play in the park.
Roman_Gorielov/Getty Images
Patrick quickly connected with the sister's owner, and a playdate was arranged.
"We got them together for a park playdate yesterday and it was one of my favorite afternoons ever," Patrick wrote in the post. "They were so much alike." Lulu's sister, named Lucy Lou, was also a rescue—though she was adopted as a puppy.
"[Lulu] was around 10 years old when we got her and she has been the absolute best dog," Patrick told Newsweek. "We always say we aspire to have Lulu levels of chill. When we met her sister, it was like seeing the same dog with different coloring."
A Sibling Reunion
The two dogs not only looked similar but also acted alike.
"Their personalities are so similar and the minute they met, they were comfortable with each other," Patrick said. "I don't know that they remembered each other but there was a familiarity there. They felt something special for sure."
The reunion was filled with sweet, subtle moments that suggested an instinctive connection.
"Usually my dog initially barks (she is friendly though, it is just her knee jerk response)," Patrick added in the post. "But she didn't bark at all at her sister. That really surprised me!" They added that while they're not sure if the dogs remembered each other, they did sniff each other for a very long time.
The story's serendipitous nature was a hit with other Redditors, with one writing, "That is so awesome! How serendipitous that you ran into each other."
"They even have matching names!" another wrote. "Oh, I just love this so much!"
A Happy Ending for Two Rescue Dogs
The details of the dogs' lives before their reunion were a mystery.
Patrick shared they weren't sure if the pups were together earlier in life. Lucy Lou's owner told Patrick that she was found on the streets and was "basically feral" when she was first rescued. In contrast, Lulu was turned in as a stray but seemed comfortable in a home.
Now, Patrick said she feels like she has a few more family members—and the pups will have a whole week together when she pet sits Lucy Lou in September.
What started as a simple curiosity on her part became a joyous reunion, suggesting that some family bonds are just meant to be.
"I always hoped something like this would happen. I always hoped we would meet a sibling or one of her puppies," Patrick said. "It took a couple of years for the dream to come to fruition but it was absolutely worth the wait. Also, the fact that we live in the same town just feels too good to be true, almost divinely inspired."
