“It’s like they were looking in a mirror and both realizing how crazy that was.”
When Cole Bridge and Gabby Dillon adopted their dog Lucy from Hopalong Animal Rescue almost three years ago, the pair quickly fell in love with the rescue pup’s adoring personality.
“She was so exhausted her first few days with us; she slept all day long and very, very deeply,” Bridge told The Dodo. “After a week or so, her sensitive, playful and incredibly sweet personality started to come out.”
Bridge and Dillon knew that Lucy needed extra love, as she came from a difficult place. The small, stocky bulldog had been found living alone, wandering a truck yard in Oakland, California. Rescuers noticed she showed signs of having recently given birth, though her puppies were nowhere to be seen. Safe with Bridge and Dillon, Lucy happily settled in, finally secure and cared for.
Cole Bridge
Two years after Bridge and Dillon adopted Lucy, the pair got a strange message from the animal rescue. Shelter staff told the couple that there was a dog at the rescue who looked exactly like Lucy. Could they be related?
Cole Bridge
“We were excited, but also emotional, because we’ve always talked about how sad it is that she was separated from her puppies,” Bridge said. “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. We just couldn’t shake the thought of missing out on bringing one of her puppies back home to her.”
Though they hadn’t yet confirmed through DNA testing whether or not the pair were really related, Bridge and Dillon couldn’t shake the feeling that the dogs needed to meet. Soon, Lucy and the new dog, Ronnie, were face to face. The resemblance was undeniable.
Cole Bridge
“We should have filmed their first meeting — it was hilarious,” Bridge said. “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.”
Soon, DNA testing confirmed what everyone already knew — Lucy is Ronnie’s mom.
Cole Bridge
Together again, Lucy and Ronnie will live out the rest of their days doing all their favorite things.
“These two are inseparable,” Bridge said. “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.”
Cole Bridge
For Bridge and Dillon, adding these two rescue pups to the family has been the experience of a lifetime.
“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.”
Keep up with Lucy and Ronnie by following the pups on Instagram. To support other dogs like Lucy and Ronnie, make a donation to Marin Humane + Hopalong and Oakland Animal Services.
