For nearly a decade, Rufus — a tiny Chihuahua–rat terrier mix — was at the very center of Jillian Reiff’s family life.
Adopted from the San Francisco SPCA, Rufus was there for everything: the proposal, the wedding (in his own little tuxedo), and the births of Reiff’s two children.
“He wasn’t just a dog,” Reiff told The Dodo. “He was their protector, their best friend, their shadow.”
Rufus passed suddenly at age 16, leaving an irreplaceable void. Reiff believed no other dog could ever be like him.
But then she met Ziggy.
The night after saying goodbye to Rufus, Reiff’s daughter couldn’t sleep. Snuggled in bed together, they began scrolling through rescue profiles. That’s when a photo stopped them in their tracks.
“I thought she was looking at my own camera roll,” Reiff said. “This dog looked exactly like Rufus.”
The resemblance was uncanny — same coloring, same ears, even the same head tilt.
His name was Ziggy, and he was posted by Muttville, a senior dog rescue. Though it felt too soon, Reiff couldn’t get Ziggy out of her mind.
When they finally went to meet him, the connection was instant.
“It felt like magic,” Reiff said. “Like little pieces of glitter in the air. It was like watching Rufus walk right back into our lives.”
Ziggy trotted straight into Reiff’s daughter’s lap as if he’d always belonged. The family brought him home that day — and he acted like he’d lived there forever.
Still, the similarities nagged at Reiff. Months later, she decided to run a DNA test.
When the results came back, she learned Ziggy was 50/50 Chihuahua–rat terrier — just like Rufus. But the biggest surprise came under the “relatives” tab.
Rufus’ name appeared. Ziggy wasn’t just a look-alike. He was Rufus’ son.
Reiff and her family had spent years loving and caring for Rufus, and now a small part of him had returned when they needed it most. Reiff couldn't hold in her surprise and excitement.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Reiff said. “It didn’t make sense — but at the same time, it made perfect sense. It gave us so much peace.”
Ziggy had originally come from the same shelter as Rufus, adopted years ago but later abandoned in his senior years. By chance — or fate — he found his way back to the family who had loved his father so deeply.
“He’s old, he’s lumpy, he’s been through a lot,” Reiff said. “But he’s perfect for us. He was meant to be here.”
For the Reiffs, having Ziggy feels like carrying a piece of Rufus forward — a living reminder that love can find its way back in the most unexpected forms.
And now, Ziggy is spending his golden years surrounded by the family who was always destined to be his.
To help senior dogs in the Bay Area like Ziggy get the second chance they deserve, you can volunteer or make a donation to Muttville.
