The photo stopped Sheri Hogue in her tracks. There was something in the dog’s eyes that she could not ignore, a quiet sadness mixed with a gentle spirit that felt strangely familiar. Sheri had seen that expression before, in a dog who once meant the world to her. As she studied the picture, memories surfaced, and her heart softened. She and her husband, Dave, had opened their home to many Labrador retrievers over the years, offering safety to dogs who had nowhere else to go. In that moment, Sheri felt a strong pull that this frightened Labrador might soon become part of their family.
Sheri and her husband, Dave, have always had a special place in their hearts for Labrador retrievers. Living in Memphis, Tennessee, the couple has spent years fostering and adopting dogs who needed safe homes. Their house has long been a place where rescued pups can rest, heal, and begin again.
In July 2024, Sheri received a message that would change their lives. Kathy Martin, president of Lucky Lab Rescue and Adoption, reached out asking if they could foster a stray dog who had been taken to a shelter in Kentucky.
The message included a simple note. “She reminds me so much of your Bella.”
Bella had been the Hogues’ beloved dog, adopted from the same rescue more than ten years earlier. She had been their constant companion until cancer took her, leaving an ache that lingered long after she was gone.
“She was our soul dog,” Sheri said. “We always wished we could find another dog just like her.”
One look at the photo was enough. The Hogues immediately agreed to foster the dog and arranged to meet the volunteers transporting her from Kentucky. When they finally met the frightened Labrador, her emotional state was clear. Her body was tense, and her eyes carried the weight of whatever she had endured.
“She was so beaten down and just an emotional wreck,” Sheri said. “She was so, so sad. She had really been traumatized.”
The couple named her Honey.
With patience, gentle routines, and a quiet home filled with kindness, Honey slowly began to change. The fear in her eyes softened. Her body relaxed. Little by little, her true personality began to shine through.
“Slowly over time, she began to smile,” Sheri said.
Before long, the Hogues realized Honey was not just a foster dog. She was family. They officially adopted her and watched her continue to grow into a joyful, affectionate companion.
A Second Rescue Brings Another Surprise
Months later, in April 2025, Sheri came across another post from Lucky Lab Rescue late at night. The rescue was searching for someone to foster a yellow Labrador with several medical issues. The photos showed a small dog who looked tired and fragile.
Sheri could not shake the feeling that she needed to help.
“It was about 2:30 a.m., and I woke up my husband and said, ‘I think I found a dog,’” she said.
She quickly messaged Kathy Martin and offered to take the dog in. By coincidence, this Labrador had also been found as a stray in Kentucky. The Hogues drove to Indiana to meet the transport team and brought the dog home on Easter Sunday.
The moment she entered the house, something remarkable happened.
“She and Honey bonded immediately,” Sheri said.
The two dogs greeted each other with curiosity and warmth, as if they had known each other before. The Hogues named the newcomer Poppy and began working closely with their veterinarian to address her health problems.
Under their care, Poppy started to recover. Her energy returned, and her confidence grew stronger each day.
As Poppy healed, the couple noticed how naturally the two dogs fit together. They often curled up side by side, resting like puppies in a pile. Sometimes they moved in perfect sync around the house. The connection between them seemed unusually strong.
“My husband and I would frequently comment,” Sheri said. “They were both found in Kentucky somewhere. I wonder if they came from the same place.”
Curiosity eventually led them to explore dog DNA testing. Although they had never done anything like it before, they decided to send samples for both Honey and Poppy. They simply wanted to see if the dogs might share distant relatives.
The results delivered something far more meaningful.
Last month, the Hogues received the email saying the test results were ready. When they opened it, they were stunned.
Honey and Poppy were not just connected by chance. They were sisters.
“We are blown away,” Sheri said.
For the Hogues, the discovery felt like something meant to be. Two dogs who had once been lost and struggling had somehow traveled separate paths, only to find each other again in the same loving home.
Today, Honey and Poppy spend their days side by side. They nap together, explore together, and lean against their humans for affection.
The bond between them is unmistakable.
“It has given us great joy to restore both these dogs to health and give them a safe, loving home,” Sheri said. “For them to be long lost siblings who found their way back to each other from some terrible circumstances makes our hearts smile so big.”
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