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

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/