For Katybugfoster, a Reddit user and proud pet parent, life with her black Lab, Angus, had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Angus had been attending the same doggy daycare for three years, and the drop-off and pick-up process had become second nature. Both owner and pup were familiar with the staff, the other dogs, and the flow of daily routines.
“We really like them and have had a great experience with them,” she told The Dodo. Nothing ever seemed unusual — until one ordinary afternoon when everything felt just a little bit … wrong.
When Katybugfoster arrived to collect Angus, a happy black Lab was trotted out to greet her. He wagged, jumped into the car, and settled in for the ride home, just as Angus always did. At first, nothing seemed out of place. But once they got back to the house, Katybugfoster started noticing small but unsettling differences.
Dog Who Didn’t Quite Belong
The first sign was the dog’s behavior. Normally, Angus would race straight to the door as soon as they arrived home, eager to bound inside and greet everyone. Instead, this time, the Lab lingered, sniffing curiously at everything — people, furniture, corners — as if he were stepping paw inside for the very first time.
“He started sniffing everyone,” Katybugfoster said. “Angus usually just runs to the door. I figured maybe Angus had a really exciting day and was extra energetic, but the sniffing continued inside the house as well.”
The more she watched, the more doubts crept into her mind. This wasn’t the Angus she knew. His expressions, his reactions, even his little quirks felt … off. “At first, I thought maybe Angus had been hurt at daycare, and that’s why he was acting strange,” she recalled. “But my skepticism grew, and I started to really doubt my sanity and my dog.”
The Truth Revealed
Trusting her instincts, Katybugfoster decided to look for proof. Angus, she knew, had a chipped tooth — a small but distinctive marker that no other dog could replicate. With a mix of nervousness and determination, she gently checked the Lab’s mouth.
The tooth wasn’t chipped.
Her heart sank and then leapt at the same time. Relief washed over her because she realized nothing was “wrong” with Angus — this wasn’t Angus at all. She had accidentally brought home someone else’s dog.
Shocked but amused, she quickly bundled the imposter pup back into the car and drove straight to daycare to clear up the mix-up.
“They were very apologetic. It was an innocent mistake,” she explained. As it turned out, the other black Lab’s name was Billy, and his dad was already at daycare waiting anxiously to be reunited. The staff had even mistakenly sent Billy home wearing Angus’s collar, making the swap even more convincing.
Back Where He Belongs
Thankfully, the daycare staff handled the situation with grace, and both families were able to laugh about the mix-up. Billy was joyfully reunited with his owner, and Angus was soon trotting back to his rightful home. Still, Katybugfoster couldn’t help but laugh at her own moment of doubt.
“Angus seemed a little miffed that I picked him up so late, even though I wasn’t actually late,” she joked. “I was very relieved to have him back, and of course, now I look at him and think, ‘How could I have ever thought that other dog was mine?’”
The incident served as a reminder of just how closely dogs of the same breed can resemble one another — and how small details, like a chipped tooth or a familiar behavior, are often the only clues that set them apart.
For Katybugfoster, the day started as just another routine pickup but turned into an unforgettable story about trusting her gut and the quirks of life with dogs. And for Angus? He’s probably just wondering why his mom seemed so suspicious of him in the first place.
