Mom and Daughter American Bullies Reunited via DNA Test: 'Tails Say It All'

A rescue dog being reunited with her puppy has melted hearts this week after a video of the reunion was shared online.

Matthew Magorien lives in Los Angeles with his rescue American Bully dog, Bella. After getting her from a shelter in 2021, he wanted to find out more about his new companion.

"We found out she had been bred several times and her last pregnancy failed and she needed surgery. She was relinquished by the owner—assuming they couldn't afford the surgery—and the vet ended up doing the surgery, she lost her litter and she was spayed," Magorien told Newsweek.

"She has lots of scars on her face and butt and legs, was definitely bred a lot, and it is obvious she has some trauma," said the owner. "But she is the most gentle sweet and affectionate dog I have ever had."

A senior dog at 10 years old, Bella has had a new lease of life, going on lots of adventures with her new owner.

With some limited information about Bella's past, Magorien wanted to find out more and purchased an Embark DNA test in a bid to do so.

Embark CEO Ryan Boyko told Newsweek: "Embark's veterinarian-developed dog DNA test helps dog owners, breeders and veterinarians learn about a dog's breed, ancestry, and health. The test itself is simple: A cheek swab and instructions are included in the kit, and a sample is taken in under a minute at home by swabbing your dog's cheek."

When the sample arrives at Embark's lab, the DNA is extracted and analyzed to produce a detailed view of the dog's genome.

Embark says that it tests for more than 215 genetic health risks and its database contains more than 350 breeds, including wolf, coyote and dingo.

Magorien sent off Bella's sample and just a few months later, they received a match.

"She has lots of close matches, but June was the only immediate family match," said Magorien. "On Embark I messaged June's owner and found out she lives in the Sacramento area—same as my parents. So when I visited my parents over Thanksgiving we arranged to meet up."

June had also been adopted just last year by her new owner, and a great deal of her background was unknown too.

"She too has obviously been bred and was spayed by the shelter," said Magorien. "Unlike Bella, there were no vet records for June that were available and could possibly shed light on her background."

"Ninety percent of dogs tested with Embark will have at least one dog in Embark's database as genetically related as human first cousins, and 12 percent of dogs tested with Embark discover their siblings, parents, or offspring," said Boyko.

"Not only does this feature generate fun connections and even some family reunions, it also contributes to the health benefits of canine genetic testing," he said. "Many health conditions don't yet have a known genetic link but learning a dog's family medical history can be crucial in developing a personalized veterinary care plan."

Over Thanksgiving, Bella and June were finally reunited, and Magorien shared the heartwarming footage on Reddit where it has received more than 16,000 upvotes.

"The tails say it all," said one viewer of the video.

"It was truly fun seeing them interact," said Magorien. "I feel like the video doesn't do it justice, they got along really well. Bella is usually very, very shy with new dogs, the fact she immediately engaged makes me think she recognized June."

The pair spent about an hour together before Magorien took some adorable pictures to mark the reunion.

"I am proud of her," said Magorien of Bella. "She is the most gentle patient dog I have ever had. I trust her 100 percent."