Couple Adopts Their Dog's Twin — Then Realize Who He Really Is

"She was so exhausted her first few days with us; she slept all day long and very, very deeply," Bridge shared with The Dodo. 

He added, "After a week or so, her sensitive, playful and incredibly sweet personality started to come out."

Aware of Lucy's tough past, Bridge and Dillon knew she needed extra care and love. 

The small, robust bulldog was found wandering alone in a truck yard in Oakland, California. 

Rescuers noticed indications that she had recently given birth, but her puppies were not found.

With Bridge and Dillon, Lucy found a safe and loving home and quickly adjusted to her new life.

Two years post-adoption, Bridge and Dillon received an unexpected message from the animal rescue. 

The staff mentioned a dog at the shelter who bore a striking resemblance to Lucy, raising the question – could they be related?

"We were excited, but also emotional, because we’ve always talked about how sad it is that she was separated from her puppies," said Bridge. 

He recalled, "When we first got her, she used to look under every car we walked by on the street, as if she was looking for her puppies that might have been left in the truck yard she was found in." 

The thought of reuniting Lucy with one of her puppies was compelling for the couple.

Despite lacking DNA confirmation of their relationship at that time, Bridge and Dillon felt a strong intuition that Lucy and the new dog, named Ronnie, should meet. 

Their first encounter was remarkable.

"We should have filmed their first meeting — it was hilarious," Bridge recalled. 

"It’s like they were looking in a mirror and both realizing how crazy that was. "

"Then, they started hopping around each other, freezing and jumping around more … It was so clear they had their own connection that went beyond just liking each other."

DNA tests later confirmed what everyone had suspected – Lucy is indeed Ronnie's mother.

Now reunited, Lucy and Ronnie spend their days enjoying each other’s company, inseparable in their activities.

"These two are inseparable," Bridge noted. 

"You can always find them laying on the couch together, smooshed up in their bed together, or following the sun around the house to snooze in the warmth."

For Bridge and Dillon, welcoming these two rescue dogs into their family has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. 

"After Lucy and Ronnie, there is no way that we’d ever get a dog from anywhere but a shelter," Bridge said. 

"It’s been so special to give Lucy a better life, and now we can do the same for Ronnie too."