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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A thrift-store trip turned into an emotional journey for one New York resident when she stumbled on something that left her crying.
Hudson Valley resident Lindsay Lazare was shopping at the ReStore thrift shop in Poughkeepsie, New York, when she stumbled on several framed prints and canvases—each telling the story of a cherished pet and her devoted owner.
Lazare shared her discovery in a video on Instagram that now has over 2 million views as she picked up the pictures of the golden retriever that had been donated to the store.
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"Never have I ever cried at a thrift store, until today," Lazare captioned the video.
Shortly after posting, Lazare learned from a local veterinary hospital that the pictures featured a dog named Emily, whose owner Joseph had passed away just a month prior.
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Joseph's obituary requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Take Me Home Pet Rescue NY—an organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming animals in need.
Lazare was so moved by the story that she purchased every single photograph of Emily available and shared the rescue center's Venmo details on her social media, encouraging people to donate in honor of Joseph and Emily.
"I had actually visited the store a few days prior and remembered seeing one of the photos of this beautiful golden retriever," Lazare told Newsweek. "But I thought it was just a one-off, maybe an accidental donation. When I came back and kept finding more and more, I realized these were all from the same dog. Once I saw the framed photo labeled 'Emily's First Day in Her New Home,' it all clicked."
As a professional photographer, Lazare reflected on the significance of printed memories and the emotional weight of abandoned personal belongings.
"There was a point in time where these canvas prints adorned a space in a home and brought Emily's dad immense joy," Lazare said. "Because of these prints, that joy lives on. In fact, I am mailing photos out to 20 people across the country to keep her legacy going. If these photos were never printed, Emily might have been forgotten forever."
The video of the heartbreaking and yet delightful thrift find sparked a wave of comments online.
"And we know those prints are there now because they are all united again," said @Cruzingonconner.
Viewer @Itsmrbip wrote: "This pup was someone's entire world."
"This story reached me in Australia, a reminder of universal humanity and the power of dogs," posted @Sydneyflapper. "I had a dog on either side of me while I donated."
"I've cried because of Instagram reels, but never full-on BALLED my eyes out like this," added @Tatumbaughan.
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