When beloved, adopted dog Diego would soon be blind, his owner Jane Salazar rescued another dog from a nearby shelter in Tennessee to be her dog’s companion. What Salazar didn’t know until she sent away the dog’s DNA sample to Embark, was that the two dogs were brother and sister!
Initially, Salazar just wanted to find out about the dog’s breed – pit bull and Australian cattle dog, but Diego’s health profile showed the two-year-old pup had “two copies of a bad eye gene” which meant he likely would go blind within a few years. Unfortunately there is no treatment for Diego’s loss of vision, but the veterinary ophthalmologist suggested a companion pooch could help Diego deal with his disability.
According to People, that’s when Jane and her husband began the search for Diego’s companion, so the two could become bonded before the dog went completely blind.
And so the couple went to the a local rescue and found a dog who looked similar to Diego except smaller, and what could be a better fit they thought? And so Dixie came into the family and of course, the couple used Embark again to find out their new dog’s background.
“I had convinced myself that if was just a coincidence that they looked alike because her behavior is completely different from Diego’s. She’s very prey driven, she’s very loving and very people orientated. He’s a little more timid and aloof, so t hey just didn’t behave the same way.”
Jane Salazar
And when Dixie’s results came back from Embark, her health background stated she had two copies of something that could lead to disc disease, but there was more, and who would have ever guessed? The two dogs are full siblings. Although their backgrounds and where they were bred isn’t clear, it’s likely they were the product of an irresponsible North Georgia owner since they are both 30% inbred; likely the cause of their health issues.
This is the first time Embark has ever heard of adopted siblings turning out to be real siblings.
The two have since bonded, love each other, play together, and we hope they all live to ripe old ages in their wonderful home.
(Photos screenshots via Jane Salazar and Embark)
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