A woman was left in tears when she finally found her rescue pup's family after doing a DNA test.

Cathy, 28, adopted mutt Wilee five years ago but knew nothing of his past.

Cathy decided to test him immediately to find out his genetic makeup and understand whether he was at risk of certain diseases.

Cathy used Embark, a genetic testing company, which help dog owners find their pet's breed ancestry, genetic health risks and relatives.

Months later, Cathy received a notification saying Wilee's mother had been found.

Cathy, a content creator from New York City, said: "I did it out of interest to find out what breeds he was and to find out if he was at risk of any diseases."

"I would get updates any time someone came back as a match."

"Slowly they started trickling in. I actually got in touch with his mom's owner."

Cathy immediately contacted the owner who revealed Wilee's tragic story.

Cathy explained: "Wilee's mum was found pregnant in the streets. "

"The pups were adopted but she was sent to a kill shelter."

Cathy was chilled to know that Wilee bounced around shelters, where he could have been put down at any time.

He was eventually adopted and taken to New York, where Cathy adopted him.

She said: "I always think what if that was a kill shelter or he had stayed longer somewhere. He may have been killed."

"It makes me feel like he had a whole life before me. I have to think about him going all that way."

"The emotional impact is more him going all that way alone and being born in those cages."

Two years after finding out about Wilee's mother, Cathy received notifications about his siblings.

She has not made contact with the siblings' owners but found that the pooches were extremely similar.

Cathy said the experience has allowed her to get to know Wilee in a way most dog owners do not, especially for mutts.

She said: "It's really exciting to see that there's other dogs that look just like him because he looks so unique."

"There's a little box where you can describe the dogs and all the siblings have the same thing and have a lot of energy."

"It made me more excited to know I made the decision to adopt. He has such a long history and personality."