FAMILY TIES
Canine Sisters Re-united After Two Years
New York City takes in a lot of rescue dogs from the South—particularly from Tennessee. Like many other states across the country, the euthanization rate in New York is on the rise again. Therefore, rescues in New York working with counterparts in the South must be vigilant to ensure they have destination homes for their Southern charges, whether they be foster or permanent homes.
So, when Social Tees Animal Rescue in Manhattan took in a pack of puppies from the southern state two years ago, they deployed their foster system immediately to ensure these sweet little pups had loving fosters to get them ready for adoption. Brioreo, the spokesdog for our sister magazine, Pet Lifestyles Magazine, was one of the puppies in this pack.
Her sister, Masala, named by the rescue (later Beca, after their neighborhood Tribeca, by her adoptive family), was the first out of the rescue to a foster family, who ultimately became a foster failure. What is a foster failure? Essentially, a family takes in a foster and decides within days to adopt rather than foster. About a month later, Brioreo went to a different foster immediately and was transferred to a second foster family. One fateful day, Brioreo was out with her second foster family and met me. My wife Kylie and I adopted her almost immediately.
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Beca’s family contacted us as they saw posts about Brioreo. We arranged for a sisterly reunion two years after both girls had been in separate, loving homes. If you believe what veterinarians and behaviorists say about canine memory, neither pup should have remembered each other.
According to conventional thinking, if two pack mates are separated around five months old and see each other before two years pass, they will remember each other. Well, it had been over two years, and they were separated long before their fifth month on this Earth. Both knew exactly who the other was. The point is not to debunk the medical advice or knowledge of professionals but rather to prove that not every human, dog, cat, or other sentient being on this planet is the same.
Despite the differences in upbringing, both Brioreo and Beca have incredibly similar behavioral traits. They are both very sassy, loving, protective, and high-energy dogs. They have identical behaviors regarding playing, comprehension of commands, and animosity toward skateboards, e-bikes, and the like.
TWO OF A KIND
Yes, they certainly have their differences as well. The litter’s DNA showed a mix of American Staffordshire and Dachshund. Beca is built more like a Staffy, stout and lower to the ground with a less pronounced snout, while Brioreo is more extended in body and snout length. Both also have distinct levels of anxiety when it comes to triggers like loud construction noises, echoes from buildings, etc.
There is no denying these two are sisters when you see them with the same coloring, hair type, and markings. I have always said that dogs are very much like human children around the age of four or five. From their memory capacity to their ability to understand what is happening around them, I have seen many dogs that could give a five-year-old a run for their money.
Have you ever been a part of a dog reunion? Whether it is a pair of siblings or a human reconnecting with a canine, we would love to hear your story.
Please email it to
Sean-Patrick@petlifestylesmagazine.com