Losing a dog never really gets easier (and it probably shouldn’t). We always do our best to comfort our furry friends in their last moments, but in the end, it’s usually us who needs the most comfort. For some, that looks like getting a new dog but in stories like this, it’s getting a little nod from Fate that everything is connected.
One Chicago family had a wild realization when they adopted a new dog after their old one passed away.
https://www.facebook.com/UptonsNaturals/posts/10157461297365797
Nicole Sopko and Dan Staakmann are the founders of Upton’s Naturals, a vegan food company. Dan adopted a wonderful little pup named Greta back in 2007 when he adopted her from the Heartland Animal Shelter. Greta was found after the Chicago Animal Care and Control found her and gave her over to the shelter.
https://www.facebook.com/UptonsBreakroom/photos/a.524984134232294/4171040422959962/?type=3
When Dan saw Greta, he knew that she was going to be the perfect “business partner”.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10212427496306902&set=o.85681771443&type=3
Since the adoption back in 2007, Greta became the unofficial mascot for the company and was always around. Greta was an amazing dog and everyone who went to the markets where Upton’s was selling always ended up falling in love with her.
“Greta loves her Wiggle Biscuits! She is a vegan dog who lives and works in the building that houses Upton’s Naturals & Upton’s Breakroom.” – Facebook
Like all things, Greta’s time on this earth did finally come to an end.
https://www.facebook.com/UptonsNaturals/photos/a.446876570796/10159280547300797/?type=3
In a Facebook post sharing the sad news, Upton’s said this:
In loving memory of Greta Sopko Staackmann, who transitioned from this life into the next peacefully at home on Saturday, May 1st, 2021. She was 14 years old. Her early life was difficult, but she found the love of family in 2007 thanks to the help of Heartland Animal Shelter, where she was found waiting in the last kennel on the left.
It was obviously a sad day, but at 14-years-old, Greta had a wonderful life. That wasn’t the end of the story, however.
The two decided to foster and eventually adopt another dog named Frida.
The German shepherd mix is named Frida and Dan and Nicole heard about her through the Palm Valley Animal Society. Frida had been picked up in Texas during a winter storm and taken to a Chicago shelter that had some more space. When they met her there, they totally fell in love with her.
Once they brought Frida home, they wanted to do a DNA test to see what her mix was.
As they got the test back, they discovered something amazing – Frida was related to Greta! They shared 6% of their DNA making them first or second cousins, a miraculous coincidence.
“Like most people who share their lives with an animal, we were devastated by the loss of our dog, Greta. When we found Frida, we knew that she was meant to be in our family, but we had no idea that she was also Greta’s biological family. I don’t know what the chances are of that happening, but it confirmed for us that some things are just meant to be,” – Sopko
They felt like it was a beautiful confirmation of how things were meant to be. Things sometimes end up working out, even when it’s hard.
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