A woman had a chance encounter with the dog her parents had given up 11 years prior, but had to say goodbye all over again.
24-year old Kate Griffin was walking across the street about 3 weeks ago when she saw a dog crossing the same road. In an instant, Griffin knew that she knew this dog.
By some miracle, it was Cami, the pet dog her parents has given away 11 years prior.
The Recognition
Griffin said she recognized the dog by her unique color, saying Cami has the same color hair as her.
She said when she saw the pup, she immediately got the gut feeling she used to get every time she’d come home from school to be greeted by Cami. According to Griffin, there is no other dog in the world who could give her the feeling of seeing a member of her family.
The fateful reunion occurred in Griffin’s hometown of Park Ridge, Illinois.
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The Memories
Griffin says that Cami was the best thing to ever happen to her as a child.
She recalled how she and her sister had begged their parents for a puppy, and finally got their wish. Griffin remembers Cami as bring friendly, energetic, and small.
For five years, Cami and Griffin were best friends.
Sadly, eleven years ago, Griffin’s parents got a divorce. Wanting to spare everyone the pain of sharing the dog between two households, a family babysitter helped rehome Cami instead.
Since then, Griffin has never had another dog. She never forgot Cami.
The Reunion
“Seeing her again was the greatest gift I could’ve gotten in this lifetime.”
When they met in the street, Cami recognized Griffin. She walked over and licked the girl’s face, which is not something dogs do to unfamiliar people.
Griffin never expected to see Cami, and was shocked.
Griffin recounts the details of the encounter. While walking home from the coffee shop, she saw two dogs being walked. One was large and black, but the other small blond dog was instantly familiar to Griffin.
While Griffin immediately recognized her beloved former companion, she had to argue with herself about whether or not to approach. Finally, she decided she had to.
Griffin explained to the owner who she was, and that she recognized the small dog as her childhood pup. The owner introduced her to the other dog, Riley, and explained that 15-year old Cami was a sweetheart.
After Griffin sat in the street and got a kiss from Cami, she walked with the owner to their house.
She cuddled a little more with Cami, and then had to say farewell – this time, forever. Unfortunately, Cami’s family is moving to Chicago.
Though Griffin was sad to say goodbye to Cami yet again, she described this encounter as the best gift she could ever receive in this lifetime.
Seeing It From All Sides
Since Griffin’s story gained popularity, her parents have received a lot of criticism for having given up their dog. But Griffin wishes people would have more understanding.
She said that period of her life was very overwhelming, and that it was confusing having two households to live between at all times. She said she couldn’t imagine going through that as a dog.
Griffin's parents did the responsible thing. Instead of giving their dog to a shelter, not knowing what would become of her, they chose to find a loving forever home for her. They did the right thing.
Cami clearly got a wonderful second chance at life. Perhaps this was the closure Griffin needed to know all was well with the situation, and she can be at peace knowing Cami is truly happy.
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