Finding your long-lost brother is definitely not an everyday occurrence.
However, a puppy named Maddy experienced exactly that after finally reuniting with her other half, Mozart, after 13 years apart.
Before being adopted into separate homes, Maddy and Mozart loved spending their days playing and having fun together. But now they have a lot of catching up to do.
New member of the family
In 2011, Mozart was adopted by Ann MacLean, a high school science teacher working in Freehold, New Jersey, after losing their previous dog, Bogey, a year prior. When Ann was looking for a new four-legged friend to bring joy into her home, she found the perfect solution..
“I came across a litter of five eight-week-old puppies listed at Paula’s Dog House in Mount Olive, New Jersey, about 60 miles from our home. The litter consisted of four males and one female. Two were gold in color and three were black. MacLean said People.
When Ann and her family went to pick up Mozart, they also met his sister, Maddy, who they also fell in love with.
“Two days later we called Paula’s kennel to let her know we were interested in adopting Maddy as well; however, we were informed that someone had just expressed interest in her and would be picking her up the following weekend. We were disappointed but grateful that she had a home,” Ann said.
The New Jersey teacher thought she would never see Maddy again, so she tried her best to forget about her. But destiny had planned something else.
Amazing find
After adopting Mozart, Ann decided to use a DNA test for dogs Embark to find out what breed her beloved puppy was. When she received the results, she discovered that Mozart was a mix of Labrador Retriever, Chow Chow, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Collie and Boxer.
But Embark’s DNA test also gave him a relative search feature that notifies pet parents if another dog owner submits their puppy’s DNA and it turns out their dogs are related.
“In January 2024, I connected to Embark. I haven’t logged into the Embark website in over a year. I thought the chances of Mozart finding any of his siblings were becoming slim since Mozart was now 13 years old. I was SO excited to see “immediate family” listed! » said MacLean.
Looking closer, Ann came across Maddy’s profile, which said she loved running through tall grass and scratching her back in the bushes. She immediately knew it was Mozart’s sister because it was also one of his favorite things.
“I saw that Sheila [Maddy’s owner] had contacted me a year earlier via Embark messaging. I immediately messaged Sheila. We shared information about Mozart and Maddy, and it was clear that they were siblings. It was so wonderful,” she added.
As soon as Sheila received a response from Ann, she knew they were about to do something incredible!
After exchanging a few text messages which quickly turned into phone calls, Ann and Sheila discovered how similar their fur babies really are. Both dogs love playing in the white snow and would do their best to hide from the sun. Additionally, both suffer from hip arthritis.
After learning that they both lived near Freehold, New Jersey, and had taken their puppies to the same veterinarian, they knew they had to reunite them as soon as possible.
“I was very surprised to find out that Mozart’s family lived so close, given that she was adopted from the Sussex County area, about two and a half hours north of here. It was obvious that these two would get together once we knew of each other’s existence, but this close distance makes it easier to meet regularly. The Universe works in such a fortuitous way! » Sheila said.
Back together, finally
Sheila and Ann decided it would be best if Mozart and Maddy met at the park with plenty of space to play and have fun.
After seeing each other for the first time, the dogs took a moment to get acquainted and As soon as they realized they were actually siblings, they were the happiest puppies in the entire world.
Since their reunion, Maddy and Mozart have met three times, but their friends are already planning many more play dates in the near future.
“Maddy behaves very differently with Mozart than with any other dog she has met. She is calm and tolerant, and this behavior increases every time they get together. adds Sheila.
More play dates are exactly what these two need, because they have a lot to catch up on. I’m sure that with time, the natural bond between Maddy and Mozart will become even stronger, showing everyone how close furry siblings can get.
