Family adopts a shelter dog -- then learns he's the father of their late dog

Jillian Reiff and her husband had an ongoing debate about their new rescue dog, Ziggy.

Ziggy’s appearance and personality are similar to those of their late dog, Rufus, who died a few days before they brought Ziggy home in early April. Reiff thought Ziggy was the same breed mix as Rufus — rat terrier Chihuahua — while her husband wasn’t convinced.

So to settle the debate, Reiff submitted a DNA test for Ziggy, just as she had done for Rufus.

But when the results came in June 26, she was so shocked, Reiff stood up and screamed.

“I had a verbal outburst,” said Reiff, who lives in San Francisco.

The DNA test confirmed that Ziggy was not just the same mixed breed as Rufus. He was Rufus’s father.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/07/19/dog-shelter-dna-mutville-senior/