After losing his two dogs - Nemo and Lucy - James Xuereb of Ontario, Canada was extremely upset.
When James started making comments on his surviving dog, Mini, needing a friend, his daughters, Jaleen and Jade, and wife, Wanda, knew it was time to get a puppy.
The family presented James with a special card on his birthday and asked him to read it aloud. Knowing how much the loss of the family's dogs hurt, it wasn't certain exactly how James would react. Jaleen told ABC News:
"Honestly, we didn't know what to expect. The loss of our two dogs was devastating for him and we weren't entirely sure if he was ready or not."
Check out the emotional video below:
Wanda and her two daughters picked up the Bichon Frise puppy from breeder Fern Flett of Bichon Lovers in Ontario. They named the pup Lumo in honor of Lucy and Nemo.
Before surprising James with the new puppy, the family gave James a birthday card where inside was a handwritten note from Lumo's perspective.
Wanda told ABC News that she knew her husband would cry at the surprise but had no idea he'd get so emotional:
"We kept this a secret a really long time," she said. "We were really anxious. I can't explain it. He considers them like children. It's unbelievable."
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This article was originally published November 13, 2017.