Sometimes, giving up an animal can be the hardest thing for a family to do. However, it could be in the pet’s best interest.

One family from Washington state surrendered their German Shepherd, Haley, to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County three years ago as a result of an undisclosed family crisis that prevented them from providing proper pet care, according to OhMiDog.com.

The dog was never far from the unidentified family’s thoughts, as they kept pictures and mementos of their beloved canine. Assuming that too much time had passed, the family decided to get a new dog once they were freed of their problematic predicament.

As luck would have it, a family had adopted Haley in 2007 but had returned her a few days ago because they were having problems with her running away. When her original family came to the shelter looking for a new pup, they were reunited with their old friend.

The family quickly adopted Haley and they now have regained the family member that they had lost years ago.

Firemen rushed to a house in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after a home caught on fire in the middle of the afternoon when a heat lamp inside a dog house caused the flames.

While the Ford family was not home at the time of the incident, the family’s seven pets were all in danger, according to Nashville NBC affiliate, WSMV. The firemen assessed the situation and got to work ensuring all of the animals got out safely, much to the gratitude of the Ford family.

"Our family couldn’t be replaced. Our animals couldn’t be replaced," homeowner Carla Ford told the news provider.

According to the Daily News Journal, even a Federal Express worker saw there was trouble and managed to pull one of the pets to safety.

The four dogs and three cats are all said to be in good pet health, and are under the care of neighbors as the Ford’s try to put their lives back together. The Red Cross is currently assisting the family with finding a place to stay.