SPOKANE, Wash. --- A Newman Lake woman is now the owner of a dog who was born with the same medical condition she was.
Mars and Sue Blackenship met just a day ago, but they knew they were meant to be.
Mars is formerly known at the Spokane Humane Society as Bruno.
Mars, just like his new owner, was born with a condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosis which caused abnormal blood flow between major arteries connected to his heart.
Blankenship heard about Mars and his condition from a neighbor.
"In that moment, as crazy as it sounds, I just had this feeling that we were meant to be because I had had that same surgery like 60 years ago," she said.
Blankenship did not know that Mars would be hers right away, but she knew she had to do something.
"I emailed my neighbors, I emailed my mom, my brother, sister and asked them all to donate," said Blakenship.
The Spokane Humane Society was able to raise the funds needed for his surgery thanks to Blakenship and a supportive community.
However, she couldn't stop thinking about him.
"I just felt like I had a connection with him," she said. "I couldn't forget him, you know what I mean? I kept checking the website every day, seeing if he was on there yet because I was not sure how he came out of the surgery."
The second Mars was healed and up for adoption, Blankenship knew she had to bring him home.
"He jumped up on the fencing and just made incredible eye contact with me, I mean just like boring into me, and I just felt like he was saying take me," she said.
Blankenship is happy to have found her new love, but she is encouraging others to do the same.
"You might not think you're in the right spot for an animal right now, you're wrong," she said. "Everything you give to a dog, they give it back 100 fold."