How this dog mom lost her fur baby to a bad relationship but got him back after 10 years apart, never having given up hope they’d be reunited one day, dog mom says: ‘Friends would gently suggest I get another dog, but I never did.

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jun 4, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

Copawrenting a doggo is no easy task, and when things go wrong in your relationship, well, then there is also an unfortunate doggo who will be at the center of the mess that you both make. Often leaving the pupper in the wrong hands.

This is a sad reality and one that is often found on Reddit's r/Vent subreddit from which this story comes. The dog mom in this story had to handle as she parted ways with her ex. Through their trying years together their dog Rex became a beacon of joy and pawsitivity to his mom, something she was not able to get anywhere else. But with their relationship being torn away from them they were soon both left feeling empty and lost. In the years following though, hope was not lost, at least on the dog mama's side.

She ignored gentle pleas to adopt a new dog, to move on, always knowing in her heart that her beloved would one day come back to her. And through a series of surprising events that is exactly what happened one faithful day when this woman finally got to get the closure she so dearly needed and the doggo she so deeply loved.

 

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  • 01
    "It's a lesson on being careful who you trust, and enjoying time with the your pets while they're still with you."
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    I dated a guy for 7 years - - we'll call him Tom. We got along well for several years, moved in and got a dog together -- we'll call him Rex. I loved that dog more than anything. I was the primary caretaker. He had an incredible amount of energy, so he was my always-ready walking buddy. He was the
    via Serene_Science
  • 03
    sweetest, most beautiful dog. He had eyes that made him seem human. I never had kids and so he was basically my furry child. Eventually, it came to light that Tom had severe dgad on problems. It got so bad that he couldn't keep a job, and didn't help with anything. I worked hard and paid
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  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10635063552
    via magann via Adobe Stock

    Boxer dog sitting, represented by model. 

  • 05
    the bills, and handled everything with our dog. He had hid it from me for a long time, but once I finally knew the extent of his addiction, I gave him an ultimatum. I gave him one year to get clean. I paid for a year of rehab and services, with the stipulation that after a year if he's not clean, then I'm done. A year came
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  • 06
    and went, where I paid for the rent, food, rehab, counseling, everything, and he still wasn't clean, so I kept my promise and left him. He was barely capable of caring for himself, and rarely helped at all with Rex, so I kept him.
    via Serene_Science

  • Wow, we cannot imagine how much Rex must have meant to our heartbroken pawrent. It is tough enough to support someone going through a tough time in their life. It takes so much energy and willpower, both of which this woman must have drawn from the restorative time she used to get to spend with Rex. Those kinds of bonds are rare and we cannot imagine what it must have felt like to not only lose a partner but to lose the support system you had helping you keep your relationship alive. Sometimes doggos have no idea how much good they bring to our lives.
     

  • 07
    I had no idea how ugly it would get. I saw another side of Tom. He was furious with me for cutting him off of endless money to fund his lifestyle. He engaged in classic narctic ak e, through physical and other types of a e and reputation destruction,
    via Serene_Science
  • 08
    where he lied to my friends and family about me, claiming all sorts of nonsense with the purpose of ruining my reputation. Most hurtful of all was that he stole Rex from me. He ripped Rex from my hands and drove away with him.
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  • 09
    Needless to say I was devastated. Tom had no job and so I knew he couldn't afford to care for Rex. I was advised that I couldn't file a police report since Rex was in both of our names. Years went by. I moved far away to go to medical school. I kept a picture of Rex on the mantle. Friends would
    via Serene_Science
  • 10
    gently (and they were right tbh) suggest I get another dog, but I never did. I had a gut feeling that I would see Rex again. After graduating, I heard that Tom had passed away from a di OV se. I looked up his al history and saw cr
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  • 11
    assault charges on an EMS worker, meaning things had clearly spiraled much further since I left. I assumed that Rex had gone to his mother -- we'll call her Pat. Though it was years later, I texted her, asking about Rex, asking if I could have him back. I got no response. I
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    Cheezburger Image 10635063808
    via Maksym Azovtsev via Adobe Stock

    White dog lying in grass tongue hanging out of mouth, represented by dog model. 

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    also messaged many of Tom's friends, and no one responded. I believe the reputation destruction had been effective. Finally, several years later I get a call from the animal shelter of my home town. They had
    via Serene_Science

  • Finally vindication is coming for this woman. And you know what, considering what she and Rex had been through, we can totally understand how and why she would wait almost a lifetime if it meant that there was even a shred of a chance that they would be reunited. The two of them have been on a pupper-pawrent journey like no other, one that stretches far beyond even the most loving of pawrent relationships. They rode the fires and flames and emerged victorious on the other side. It does not get much more loyal and devoted than that, and now after all this time their dedication is about to pay off. 
     

  • 14
    Rex. Pat had dropped him off. I flew down and got him. He was in a sad state, extremely stressed. He didn't seem to recognize me. I guess I should not have been surprised it had been 10 years. Still, I took him
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  • 15
    far away from that place, straight to the vet, and to the groomers. He looks almost the same as he used to, though our walks are a bit slower. He seems happy, gets all the treats, has a yard and peace and quiet, and he's still the sweetest thing on the planet. I think about how
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  • 16
    much he's been through over all these years. Fast forward to Rex's next birthday, and I get an email from the rescue shelter. Pat has contacted them. She's very close to cg from c r, and her last wish is to see a picture of Rex. I debated with myself for a moment.
    via Serene_Science
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    Cheezburger Image 10635063296
    via YouraPechkin via Adobe Stock

    Rotweiller sitting on beach, represneted by dog model.

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    I have been so angry with her for keeping me in the dark all these years, but I also recognized that she fell for Tom's lies. At the same time, she saw what happened all those years I was with Tom. She saw the ae, and knew that I had worked and paid for everything, how I had tried so hard to get Tom clean.
    via Serene_Science
  • 19
    After mulling it over, I decided I didn't want to live with the thought of denying a d¸ng woman's request. The shelter agreed to keep my identity anonymous, so I sent in a picture of Rex with a dog-safe cake for his birthday, and let her know that he's being
    via Serene_Science
  • 20
    cared for and loved. I looked at her social media and she posted the picture. All of the people who hate me are commenting about how wonderful the family that adopted him is. How happy Rex looks and how they are so thankful that he finally has a stable home.
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    I feel quite bitter with how cruel they all have been, and how senseless all of this was, when I was happy to keep him from the beginning. But I'm mostly joyful to finally have him back. It's a lesson on being careful who you trust, and enjoying time with the your pets while they're still with you. Give your dog some extra attention. Life is short.
    via Serene_Science

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