Rescuers Stunned to Learn Two Cruelly Injured Dogs Saved Years Apart Are Half Brothers

Two Great Pyrenees dogs rescued years apart had both endured unimaginable cruelty. Each had the same front leg amputated and was saved by the Dog Squad. Then something unbelievable happened – rescuers discovered the two dogs are related.

Bernie was rescued by the Dog Squad in South Carolina back in February of 2024 after he had been put on the euthanasia list by Greenville County Animal Care. “He was found trapped in a bear trap, his body riddled with gunshot wounds. One bullet shattered his humerus, requiring an extensive fracture repair. The plan was to remove the hardware a few months later,” Dog Squad shared on social media. Sadly, despite initial surgery, Bernie’s leg could not be saved. But Bernie not only healed he thrived, so much so that Dog Squad decided to keep him. “He became a mentor, a teacher, and a living example of resilience. We decided to adopt him,” they wrote.

Then a year and a half later they met Atticus. Atticus was owner-surrendered to Greenville County Animal Care after a welfare investigation. “His previous owner was charged after chopping off his paw, leaving him with a severe bone infection that made amputation unavoidable,” the dog rescue wrote. “The same leg. The same loss. The same kind of unimaginable cruelty—followed by unimaginable strength.”

Atticus had a difficult recovery with several set backs but pulled through. Several months after his rescue and recovery, his rescuers decided that maybe meeting another tripod Great Pyr would be good during his recovery.

“When Atticus had fully healed, Dog Squad carefully introduced him to Bernie. Bernie is known to be dog-selective and typically wary of large male dogs,” they wrote. “But when he met Atticus, his tail never stopped wagging. The two bonded immediately.”

Dog Squad was delighted at how fast the two dogs became friends, if not a little curious as to why. A DNA test would reveal an answer they never expected. The rescue shared that all of their foster dogs get DNA testing through Wisdom Panel and when Atticus’ results returned in this new year they learned that he is Bernie’s half brother!

“We don’t even have the words for the emotions we felt when we learned that foster Atticus is half brothers with our own Bernie,” Dog Squad wrote. “What are the odds that these two three-legged boys would find each other here, of all places—safe, loved, and finally understood?”

“Maybe it’s coincidence. Maybe it’s fate. Or maybe some stories are written long before we ever step into them,” Dog Squad wondered. “Watching Bernie take Atticus under his wing feels like witnessing something sacred. Like they know. Like they’ve always known. And we are endlessly honored to be the ones trusted with their story.”

With a brighter future ahead for both dogs, Dog Squad is hoping to provide them with improved quality of life by getting them both custom prosthetic limbs that will “make a huge difference in long-term comfort, mobility, joint health, and overall quality of life.”

They shared: “Through Charm’s Paws-Ability Fund, we will be working with @3d.pets to develop two custom front-leg prosthetics…This fundraiser is about more than mobility—it’s about giving these brothers the support their bodies deserve after everything they’ve been through.” They are looking to raise $4000 so that the large dogs can each get one. Visit their GoFundMe to donate to the fundraiser.

Atticus continues to mend and adapt to his new circumstances but now surrounded by love and friendship. Dog Squad shared, “There’s something incredibly grounding about watching dogs who have known pain choose joy anyway. Atticus and Bernie don’t dwell on what they lost — they show up exactly as they are, and that lesson is one we’ll carry with us into the new year.”