A Fresno family grieving the loss of their beloved Weimaraner got the surprise of a lifetime. The dog they believed dead turned out to be very much alive. The family was tearfully reunited over the weekend. 

Two weeks ago, the family felt they had no choice but to humanelly euthanize the 2-year-old dog, named Kayla, after she got injured and they were unable to afford the emergency care. They handed over Kayla to the SPCA in Fresno. 

Kayla had gotten hurt when she slipped and fell on a spike in the back yard. Frank Martinez, an out-of-work landscaper said, "The concrete was wet and she slipped and fell on a spike we used to keep the dog tied to go round and round. It ripped a huge hole in her chest."

The family didn't have the money to pay the veterinarian bill to patch her up. In desperation, they attempted to care for her themselves, but a few days later they realized she would not survive. 

Frank Martinez burst into tears when he handed Kayla over to the shelter. He gave her one final hug and through tears, cried, "I'm sorry. I'm poor, and I hope you can forgive me." With that, Kayla licked his face.

Heartbroken, Martinez went home to his wife and the two mourned together. "It was very hard, very difficult, we were crying constantly. Everywhere I looked, I would imagine her being there," said Francine Martinez.

Two weeks after having said goodbye to Kayla, Martinez received a call. It was the Central California SPCA calling to ask if he would come to the shelter the next day to pick up Kayla. He was stunned. 

The CCSPCA had stepped in and saved Kayla. 

A staffer explained they had been so touched by Martinez's heartfelt goodbye they had decided to help and save Kayla's life. "I was having a heart attack. I was overcome with emotion," said Martinez.

The SPCA had made the decision when they saw Kayla was young, had been well-cared-for, had a microchip to identify her and her shots were up to date. The only thing wrong was the chest injury. "They had done all the right things, spaying her, getting her vaccines, keeping her healthy," said Beth Caffrey with the CCSPA.

When the Martinez family picked up the dog, Frank said, "that little tail was going 100 miles an hour."

Taking her to the family car he said, "If you're going to have a pet, you need to have money for emergencies. I learned a valuable lesson. I'm so grateful to the SPCA."

• Weimaraner
• SPCA
• Fresno
• surprise