Written by Helga Schnetler
Professional photography Marique Photography
Jessica was our heart dog.
She was part of our family for ten beautiful years, gentle, loyal, and deeply woven into our daily lives. She was more than just a dog; she was our child, our Jessie. When she passed away from cancer on the 25th of July 2025, the silence she left behind was overwhelming. The house felt emptier in ways we hadn’t anticipated, and for a while, we couldn’t imagine opening our hearts again.
Jessica had her own story. A puppy I first held when she was just two weeks old. A beautiful mix and classified as an Africanis by our vet. We’d tested her DNA with MuttMix in 2020 and discovered she was 75% Labrador and 15% German Pointer; a perfect reflection of her kind, steady, loving nature. Losing her was devastating, and grief settled quietly into our home.
In September 2025, my son and I visited the SPCA. We weren’t planning to adopt. We simply wanted to look, to interact with the dogs, and feel a little less lost. We walked past kennel after kennel, greeting wagging tails and hopeful eyes, until one kennel made us stop.
Inside was a small, two-month-old puppy, all alone.
The name the SPCA had given her was Jessie – a coincidence, perhaps, but one that immediately caught our attention.
She was quiet and observant, scared, and yet somehow calm despite everything she’d already been through. She didn’t bark or press herself forward. She didn’t beg for attention. She simply sat there, watching, waiting; uncertain of what was going to happen next, or what she was meant to do. She’d not yet known love or belonging. She was alone.
Then we realised something else.
She was in the very same kennel my daughter’s dog, Gracie, had been in when she was adopted a year earlier. That alone gave us pause. It felt familiar. Like being gently nudged by the universe.
What we learned next took our breath away.
She was born in the very same week our precious Jessica passed away.
The signs weren’t loud. They weren’t dramatic, yet they were impossible to ignore. They didn’t demand belief or insist on meaning. Instead, they arrived softly and quietly, the kind of signs you only recognise when your heart is open enough to notice them. Each one settled a little deeper than the last, until it felt less like coincidence and more like certainty.
In that moment, we understood something we hadn’t dared to hope for yet: this puppy wasn’t here to replace anyone. She was here to carry love forward. We adopted her and named her Milly.
From the moment she came home, Milly showed us who she was. Confident yet gentle. Affectionate yet deeply observant. She bonded deeply and quickly, always wanting to be close, always aware of her people. Even as a young puppy, she carried herself with a quiet protectiveness – never aggressive, just present, and watchful.
As she grew, we became curious about her breed mix. From the start, we suspected some Staffie or Pit Bull, so having her DNA tested through MuttMix felt like the obvious next step.
Milly’s MuttMix Results:
13% Staffordshire Bull Terrier
12% American Staffordshire Terrier
11%. American Pit Bull Terrier
10% Perro De Pressa Canario
10% Neapolitan Mastiff
9% Bulldog
9% Miniature Bull Terrier
9% Rottweiler
9% Bull Terrier
8% Boston Terrier
Her mix is complex and varied, but suddenly, her personality made complete sense. Her intuition, loyalty, emotional awareness, and steady confidence all fit beautifully with her genetics.
The MuttMix results now help us to understand Milly better and will guide us on how we approach her training and development.
Knowing her strong Staffie, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Pit Bull heritage highlights the importance of close connection, clear guidance, and positive, consistent training as she grows. Milly already shows signs of thriving on engagement and, going forward, we’ll focus on ensuring she continues to feel included and understood.
Her mix of guardian breeds, including Rottweiler, Presa Canario, and Neapolitan Mastiff, points to a natural watchfulness and quiet protectiveness, even at this immature age. This will guide our approach towards calm exposure, confidence-building, and gentle leadership rather than correction.
The Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier influence shows in her determination and curiosity, giving her that bright, inquisitive personality we see every day.
At just five months old, Milly is still very much a puppy, but the MuttMix results have given us valuable direction for how we support her development, helping us build trust, confidence, and a strong bond as she grows.
Interestingly, her DNA couldn’t have been more different from Jessica’s, and yet, both babies arrived in our lives with exactly the qualities we needed at the time. Jessica had carried us through years of unconditional love. Milly arrived to remind us that love doesn’t disappear when we lose someone, it simply finds a new way to grow.
Milly hasn’t replaced Jessica. She never could, and she was never meant to. Instead, she opened our hearts again when we weren’t sure we were ready. She filled the house with movement, curiosity, warmth, and quiet joy. She reminded us that healing doesn’t always come with effort; sometimes it comes with four paws and a wagging tail.
Milly didn’t just find a home with us.
She belongs here.
And for that, we are endlessly grateful.
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