This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog!

Venice didn’t just find a home — she found a family we didn’t even know we were missing.

Sharon Efstathiou

She came from Arkansas, left behind at a veterinarian’s office for a procedure and never picked up. Somehow, we found her online, and the moment we saw her face, we knew she was meant to be ours. We brought her home and, like proud new dog parents, signed up for puppy school.

Sharon Efstathiou

On the very first day of class, my husband noticed another man in the room. He kept whispering that the man looked exactly like an old photograph of his father — the father he hadn’t seen in over 40 years.

Sharon Efstathiou

Week after week, the resemblance stayed with us. By the fourth class, curiosity finally won. We gathered the courage to ask him his name.

It was his father.

Because of a rescue dog who needed a home, my husband found the father he thought he had lost forever. That chance encounter turned into conversations, visits, holidays, and now an 11-year relationship we treasure every day.

Sharon Efstathiou

Venice came to us as the dog nobody came back for.

But in the end, she gave us someone we never thought we would get back.

She didn’t just rescue us — she reunited a family. She is a perfect fit in our lives. She loves walking, hiking, camping, traveling with her parents, and even dressing up.

Story submitted by Sharon Efstathiou

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!