Today is Thursday January 7, 1999, the day I was born, a Miniature Schnauzer puppy. The last of 5 born, I was named Star Gazer and was the runt of the litter. They must have called me Star Gazer because of the white spot on my chest that looked like a star. I had the cutest little white mustache and my ears were edged with silver. I looked like a little black bear.

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters and we loved to play a lot. Lilly, my mother, was very proud and adored all of us. Lilly was taken care of by a really nice lady named Cathy.

Over the next couple months there were visitors that came and played with us. I noticed that the first couple to show up played with me the most. They came to visit me 3 times over those 2 months. The 4th visit I went home with them and they changed my name to Romeo. Good thing they changed my name because the star on my chest was slowly disappearing.

Cathy gave me some parting gifts such as a pillow bed with a wool blanket, food, and my favorite penguin toy.

When I got to my new home, they set my bed on the floor. They lifted me out and placed me on the floor. I was so scared that I walked back into my bed. This happened several times until I realized that it was safe and they wanted to play with me. I was still a little nervous and cautious.

What I heard next was a sound that I would be afraid of the rest of my life. It was the sound of a beep from the microwave. It wasn't until I was gone and mommy and daddy were watching the movie of bringing me home that they finally realized why I hid in the hallway every time I heard a beep from the oven or microwave.

When I was 3 months old I would get so excited and run around in circles in the living room when my daddy came home from work.

One of my routines is to jump on the couch, off the back, and down on the floor, down the hallway and back again a couple of times.

One day I got overly excited and fell over the couch and landed upside down behind it. It must have been a funny site when daddy looked over the back and saw me starring up at him. He had to move the couch to set me free.

I soon discovered the back deck and many birds chirping and eating bird seed. At that time I was just learning to talk. It took me several times before I got the right sound out. Then began to bark quite often.

When I was 5 months old I watched my first movie, the name of it was Homeward Bound. As I was placed on mommy's knee facing the TV I was mesmerized by all the puppy activity. I watched the entire movie without moving. It became my favorite movie and I watched it many times as I grew older.

I must admit I was just adorable when coming home for the first time. That is because I had my first Schnauzer cut at 9 weeks old. I then met Rebecca, who became my personal groomer for the next 7 years. She was magical, I looked so good when leaving her. I was show dog material if I say so myself.

I grew up in an area where there were many trees. Living in the trees were my friends the squirrels. Actually, I wouldn't call them my friends, I loved to bark and chase them back up the tree.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, wait a minute, what's this? A toy! And another. Thanks grandma. So it began, the toy collection of all collections. When all was said and done I ended up with over 100 toys in my lifetime. I had so many toys that they were stored in a big bag which hung on the door. I would sit there staring at the bag until mommy noticed me and she would pull one out. I barked and wagged my tail as she did it but I wouldn't grab that toy. I made her take out one after another until the bag was empty and all the toys were on the floor. She would then have to pick them all up again.

It is my first winter and while I was starring out the window, I saw my first snowflake. I didn't know what they were so I did what any puppy would do, I barked at them. We went outside and I had a blast. Trying to catch them in my mouth before they would hit the ground. As I walked through the snow it felt cold and slushy on my feet and I had the most fun plowing the snow with my nose. I had so much fun playing that I didn't notice how frozen I was until I came inside. I had snow chunks stuck in my beard and paws and as they melted off I began to taste them. Yum, yum, yum. PS., don't eat the yellow snow.

Yellow beard was my nickname when I was a youngster. It must have been because of all the dandelions I use to eat. They would turn my beard a bright yellow.

During the week day Mommy would turn on a favorite TV show of mine called Blues Clues. I barked along with Blue, and it became the highlight of my day.

When I was 8 months old, we drove to Yellowstone National Park.

I slept in a tent the first night, it was rainy and cold so I snuck in between Mommy and Daddy in the sleeping bag to keep warm. I felt very snug and secure next to them.

The next day when we were having dinner, I wandered off to explore and discovered a sticky round weed that looked like miniature tumble weeds. It didn't take too long for me to get them stuck all over my beard. I ran to mommy for help and she pulled them out one by one, boy did that hurt.

Romeo sitting on KOA Campground Cabin swing.

Ever see a dog hug? I can. It came naturally to me. Maybe that is why my name is Romeo. Hugging is something that my mommy taught me. I would jump up on people who sat on the couch and put one front leg on each of their shoulders and rub my face on both of their cheeks in an upward motion. That is how I hugged.

If you ever eat an ant, don't eat one with pinchers. It must have been a funny site to see the ant bite me and stick to my tongue.

The leather green recliners were my favorite resting spot. Especially when it was reclined with daddy in it and I laid on the end between his feet.

Damn that weeble, I can never knock it down. I couldn't even grip it with my teeth because it was made of hard plastic. I pushed it and banged it against the walls until I was totally frustrated. It soon began to tire me out.

There are two days a year that I really don't enjoy. The worst of the two being the 4th of July and the other being New Years Eve. That is because of all the loud noises and explosions which made me jumpy.

For Christmas this year I received an elephant rug with a big elephant head. I really enjoyed lying on the soft elephant fur and using the head as a pillow. It was my favorite Christmas present that I had ever received.

This summer we met new neighbors while walking down the street. We met Betty and her dog Bogey. Bogey became my new best friend for several years to come. We went to the same groomer together and always looked like show dogs when we were done.

Why do humans buy us coats, sweaters, boots, and shoes. Boots! Come on now. I put an end to that right away. I did however, like the matching scarfs they made for me and them.

 

The only time I really went outside was to go do my business. But when I went out I really went out of my way to introduce myself to every blade of grass and tree. I must have known them all by name. I would sniff everywhere between all the trees and bushes.

Halloween was meant for ghost and goblins and little kids. But for dogs like me I had to wear silly outfits like angel wings and halos. I couldn't wait to take it off as soon as the picture was taken.

 

Three of my favorite games were peek-a-boo, keep away, and hide and seek. I quickly outgrew peek-a-boo as a youngster. Keep away was always fun to play with mommy and daddy. I always let them believe I couldn't get it from them. But my favorite of the 3 games was hide and seek. Mommy would go hide and daddy would count down from ten to zero and let me go. I would run around until I found her. Once I found her then daddy would go hide and the counting started all over again. One day my mommy cheated and went outside the front door. I found her though. You can't trick me. I even hid myself. Sometimes I would just walk off to another room and sit there until they noticed I was missing. They would call my name and run around looking for me. There was always a happy tail wagging from me when I was found. I would get a big “There you are!” when found, along with hugs and back rubs. What more can a dog ask for.

Visiting the neighborhood retirement home was always fun for me. Though we didn't go very often, the people there were always happy to see me. I sat at my spot by the fireplace and waited for them to come and pet me. They were not all dog lovers but the ones that were really liked me.

One of my fondest memories was when I was 3 and had a surprise birthday party. That is the year I received a peanut butter cake for dogs and shared it with my friend Bogey.

 

Remember when you had friends over for dinner. You didn't know it at the time but she had taken off her shoes and I licked her toes while she was eating. She didn't move so I must do good work. The next day when you saw them again she mentioned it to you. You apologized but she told you that she liked it.

Ever chase bubbles and eat them? Of course you didn't but I did. It may look strange if you saw me eat them but you didn't taste them. It helps if they are peanut butter flavored.

Wait a minute, why are you putting all my toys in a box? What do you mean we are moving? Bogey is my friend, will I still see him?

Racoons are not my friends. Even though I tried to talk to them through the window, they just didn't want anything to do with me. So I did what any other dog would do, I chased them.

As Alvin always said, “All I want is my hula hoop.” So they thought they can trick me to jump through a hula hoop to get a treat. Well, it didn't work. Okay, it did. But I resisted at first. The first few times I would run up to the hoop, stop, and then walk around it. I started out slowly by walking through it but then gave in and jumped through as they gradually raised it. Those treats sure were good.

I am the biggest ham around when it comes to pictures and movies. I always stop to get my picture taken. Some would even say I pose.

Packing my stuff again? We must be moving. This will be my second time I moved in the last two years. This time it is different though. We are moving into a condo and it will probably be my last move unless we sell. New neighborhood, new trees, new birds, and the list goes on. I don't really mind though because there were not that many friends at the last place. Well, my first night at the condo and I hate the neighbors above us. Stomp, stomp, stomp. Chop, chop, chop. Boy they loved to chop fresh vegetables. They were heavy walkers, too. It seems that every other minute they were dropping a bowling ball on the floor. It always made me jump and scared the bajeebees out of me.

I have visited many parks in my lifetime but Eagle Park was my favorite. I named it Eagle Park because of all the eagles flying around. I never did find out what the name of the park really was.

At our new condo I met a new friend, a cat. She followed me on occasion and once followed me home.

As far as neighborhood kids go, I had a couple of favorites. Valerie always wanted to dress me and was probably my bestest kid friend. Jamie, the 5 year old across the way was always excited to see me. She would come running to greet me whenever she saw me.

After moving into the new condo I met 2 new friends. Their names were Bailey and Ginger and were brother and sister. They were much younger then me but I was able to keep up with them pretty good.

If dogs were meant to swim they would have fins. I hated baths! Every time daddy would set me down next to the tub I would run to mommy for protection. I didn't know many words but I sure knew what the word bath meant. I would never run to daddy when he said time for bath.

My beard was like a magnet and leaves were attracted to it. Every fall my beard would need brushed every night because of all the leaves.

One thing that I always did was check on mommy and daddy to make sure they were okay. When they got out of the shower I was there waiting. When they were in the other room I would always show up. No matter where they were or what they were doing I would be there just to make sure that they were okay. I would then find my favorite spot to lay down and rest.

On your mark, get set, go! I really didn't like those words. The high school track was next door and they started each race with a starter gun. The gun was loud and loud noises bothered me. I would go all right, in the other direction.

On Saturdays we often went to the pet center to get supplies and toys. One day they surprised me and bought me the most beautiful basket bed. It was very cozy since it had a thick comfortable pillow inside and it was big enough for two of me.

My darn teeth anyway. I went to get my teeth cleaned and woke up after the cleaning and I was missing seven of them. I guess they were loose and not doing well. How am I going to eat my favorite snacks? I managed by chewing with the teeth on the other side. Bummer though, this was just the beginning of my dental problems as I would soon find out. Other teeth were also loose at the time but they didn't want to pull any more. We tried to save them, we really did. Eventually I had more teeth pulled and ended up with only 5. I must admit that I didn't like getting my teeth brushed.

If you are going to go for a ride in a car you may as well ride in style. You should see the leather seat I had. It is strapped in the back seat and is about 18 inches high. It enables me to lay down and look out the window at the same time. It had a storage compartment underneath that pulled out. That is where my treats and portable water dish was stored. I never left home without them.

One year for Christmas we all got matching scarfs. They were made of fleece and mommy's and daddy's were about 5 feet long. Mine was 2 feet long. Those scarves must have wrapped around them three times. It was the funniest thing to see but I bet they were warm.

Oh brother or should I say oh sister. Yes I should because here comes my baby sister Rudi. Things were never the same after that. I pouted for the next 3 days but I eventually came around. She slept in a play pen and I would watch over her at night. I guess you could say that I loved her even though she was a pest. She took my toys and always wanted to be first in everything. She also squeezed into my basket bed with me and I didn't even mind. It kept us both warm and cozy. We even looked like a two headed dog. She eventually chewed it up so it had to be thrown out. Our next bed was a big sleeping bag folded in two with a huge fleece blanket on top. We liked this even better. It was the softest thing you could ever sleep on.

It's raining again. How I didn't like the rain. When going for a walk after a good downpour I really didn't like walking in puddles or streams of water running across the parking lot. My human companions would laugh and be amazed how I always managed to find the narrowest part of the stream to cross. Matter of fact I did not like the sun that much either. I would always find the shade created by the garage, carport, and trees to walk in. I guess you can call me an indoor dog. Wow, I don't ever remember sitting down outside on the grass or pavement in the eleven years on this earth. I must have been really spoiled because I loved my pillows.

Oh brother, we are packing again and that could only mean one thing. But wait, this is different. Strangers are showing up and taking things with them. What is going on? This does not look like an ordinary move. Where are you going with our bed? Bring it back! Oh no, not the green leather recliners. Those are my favorites.

Yet another apartment to move into. The apartment is really nice but the 34 stairs to get to the door is ridiculous. I can no longer walk up stairs like I use to. It was okay at first but it eventually wore me out. I was going up one step at a time, 2 legs at a time.

I really enjoy living by the wetlands and a couple of fields. Even though I couldn't catch them, I sure loved to chase rabbits and there were plenty of them to chase.

I was correct, this isn't an ordinary move. I am hearing talk about moving to Ohio. Well it turned out that moving to Ohio was not going to happen, something about no jobs there. But on the positive side we drove across country to Pennsylvania to see grandma and grandpa. We spent 8 days on the road getting there. We stopped at many roadside stops and went for short walks. It was good to get out and stretch and eat a snack or two.

Sure were lots of people in Pennsylvania to meet but they didn't play with me much. I did run down the steps every morning to say hi to grandma. We went to Buhl Park several times a week. I sure would love to have that as a back yard. One of the things I remember the most is how quiet it was. With only 8,000 people living there it was a far cry from the 600,000 people I am use to here in the Seattle area.

 

 

Time to make the trip back to Seattle. 8 more days on the road but I didn't mind. I didn't know it at the time that I would never be able to live in Ohio but at least I was there for a visit.

I turned 11 years old today and what a sad day it was. I found out that I have the fastest growing form of cancer and only expected to live 2 more months. I can tell that mommy and daddy were sad but they tried not to show it. Over the next seven weeks I had some good days and some not so good. It was warmer weather then normal and very dry. We went to the parks and took walks every chance we had as long as I had the energy. We even played my favorite game of hide and seek. We hadn't played it for awhile. I also enjoyed lying with daddy to watch my favorite movie, Homeward Bound.

 

 

 

 

 

On the 7th week I wasn't doing very well. I tried, I really did try to hang on but I started to get really sick. I couldn't keep food down any more and walking was almost impossible. Mommy and daddy would carry me outside from tree to tree because they knew I couldn't walk anymore. Then it happened, I collapsed on the floor and I was very weak. It was though my body was shutting down. Daddy rushed home and they took me for one last ride in the car. Though I didn't return with them, I beat them back. As one life ends, another begins. For now I was in a spirit form and my life with them is starting over again.

 

Making That Final Decision To Say Good-bye

You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding earthly acts
Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years...
My partner till the end.
Please, understand just what this gift
You're giving, means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost,
And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.
And don't despair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.
I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
... a young dog once again.

~Author Unknown

The rest of my story is so interesting that I am going to let mommy and daddy tell it. I am going to just lay back, relax, and listen.

After saying goodbye to Romeo we walked to the car feeling numb with grief. It was as though a part of us has died with him, our hearts were breaking. We were in disbelief that we were without Romeo as we drove home. Though we were sad we were relieved that Romeo was in a better place and would not suffer anymore. You see, to us he was our child and brought happiness to our lives. Life as we knew it would never be the same without him.

Indeed, things were never the same after Romeo's passing. This is an account of things that happened, unexplainable, but true.

It all started while walking back to the house after saying goodbye to Romeo. I was looking at some of the hair clippings we took from Romeo and suddenly a gust of wind came along and blew some away. The gust was so strong we could not react fast enough to catch them. Though we could not see him we knew from that moment that a part of him will always be around. Not knowing how or why, I then said his spirit has already beat us home. He would not leave us, we loved him so much he just wouldn't do that. At that time we had no idea what was about to unfold next in our life.

The day after he died we felt that Romeo was still here. We didn't know if it was from missing him or sensing him. How can you tell? We were in disbelief that he was not here and our hearts felt empty without him. As I was walking Rudi that day, I noticed that she was not quite the same. She seemed to be looking for something, it was then I realized she is looking for her big brother Romeo. I then began to cry when suddenly a beautiful white and black butterfly flew right in front of us. I immediately thought it was a message from Romeo. I remembered a story I heard on TV that talked about people who saw butterflies or rainbows after their loved one had died. We then did some research and found this information. To many, it represents your loved one is in Gods Hands, and at peace. To others, an angel is watching over you. Was that a message from Romeo? I believe it was.

Why Do You Mourn

I know you are sad...
I can see you cry.
I know you miss me...
I can hear you call my name.

You look in the meadows...
to see if I'm there.
You listen to the winds...
hoping I can be heard.

Memories created...
wishing for more.
Locked in my mind...
never forgotten.

Why do you mourn,
don't you remember?
Together again,
this time forever.

~Romeo

 

Image: arkorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Does a dog have a soul? Do they go to Heaven? I couldn't believe that God would allow us to never see Romeo again because he gave us so much unconditional love and happiness. He was special and a gift from God. My main focus then became to answer some questions. Where did Romeo go? I started to research on the Internet to answer my questions. Not to my surprise there were people that said yes, no, and I don't know. The answers depend on who you ask the questions to. Do dogs, cats, and other animals go to heaven? Was he sad to leave us, is he okay, and does he miss us? Maybe you should read on and then decide for yourself.

Friends from the condo surprised us with 3 dozen miniature multicolor roses. Our first thought was about a rainbow which reminded us about the poem The Rainbow Bridge. We arranged the roses in a vase and set up a small memorial which included the flowers, his ashes, pictures, and a few of his favorite toys. We took about 13 pictures of the memorial.

 

 

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Ten weeks after Romeo's passing we walked Rudi past the fields by the apartments and she began to act a little bit strange. She would stare at some of Romeo's favorite spots as though she was looking for him or saw something. She did this off and on for about a week.

 

On a warm clear night as I was walking Rudi in the field I suddenly saw a bright flash in front of my eyes. It was no more than 32 feet from me and appeared in the field like a fireworks display. The sparkles were silver in color and took the shape of a face. Not just any face but the face of a dog. Of course I thought it was Romeo but I couldn't tell for sure. I stood there frozen for over a minute and could not figure out what I had just seen. I then believed that it was an image of Romeo. But the image itself was not all that I experienced. I also heard a voice, a message in the form of a thought in my head from Romeo. A promise to keep, a project to do, that was the message of things I must do. Not being able to explain what just happened, I kept it a secret until the next day.

May 15th was the day that I experienced the unexplainable. After talking to an animal communicator on the phone, I walked back into the living room and something on the floor caught my eye. There on the floor, the exact spot that Romeo collapsed, I found the most beautiful silver heart. My first thought was that Romeo has just given me a silver heart. I didn't even question how I knew or how it got there. I immediately felt comforted. I then phoned my husband and said “You won't believe this but I think that Romeo just gave me a silver heart.”. He asked me several times what the color was. He then had goosebumps, because he had not shared his experience the night before. As he mentioned the lights were also silver.

I then called the jewelry store to inquire about getting a chain for my heart. Dante, the person that helped me, listened as I told him the story of finding the heart and about Romeo. He then said that Romeo is telling you that he is okay, he misses you, but he is not sad. I could not believe what I was hearing because those words were what I needed to hear. I immediately felt comfort and peace knowing this and that Romeo was indeed in heaven. I was so excited that I had to share it with several neighbors. As I was coming home a few hours later I heard a single bark that sounded just like Romeo. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I then realized he was telling me that he was here and that he brought me the heart.

While laying in bed the night I got the heart I heard a thump. The noise itself sounded like something bumped the inside of the box that was on the floor. Strange as it may sound I felt Romeo's presence. It was as though he was letting me know he was there by making a sound. I then began to feel this strange healing energy building up in the room. I was amazed at how good it felt. I then asked Romeo if he can help with this pain I have been experiencing for the last five months, even when he was alive. Ten minutes later the pain was totally gone. I knew then that we were only at the beginning of what would be a wonderful journey.

I awoke at 11:30 that night to use the bathroom. As I walked past the living room I glanced at Romeo's memorial vase and saw an image of Romeo. I squealed loudly and rushed quickly to the bathroom. On my way back I looked over again at the vase and his image was gone. While lying in bed I realized what just happened. I saw an image of Romeo and he appeared to be much younger, as young as two or three.

The next day we took Rudi to the park continuing our normal routine knowing Rudi enjoyed the park just as much as Romeo. While driving to the park we felt a strong presence of Romeo as if he was in his car seat in the back. As we were getting out of the car it was as if he was walking next to Rudi. We then looked up and saw a rainbow that circled the sun. As we continued to walk his presence left. We felt at that time that he left to go do something and he would be back.

The next day, while driving home from the store, all of a sudden we felt goosebumps all over our body. We looked off to the side and noticed we just passed the entrance to another one of Romeo's favorite parks and sensed the presence of Romeo and knew at that moment he must be there. He loved that park. There were trails that led into the wetlands and he use to like looking at all the turtles, birds, ducks, frog, blue heron, and the biggest beaver dam we have ever seen. Though he could hear the frogs he couldn't see where they were but enjoyed looking for them. Our favorite part were the eagles overhead and an occasional dive into the water to catch a fish.

 

 

 

 

One day I decided to walk to the store. As I was walking home I sensed someone following me so I turned around. There was nobody there. I began to walk and I sensed someone following me again. But again there was nobody there when I turned around. As I continued to walk I sensed something again but this time it was much different. I sensed a small group of dogs following me. I couldn't see them but I knew they were there. It was like a parade and I was leading the way. There was about eight in all and they followed me almost all the way home. They disappeared at the same field that I experienced the bright flash. Too much of a coincidence for me. Why is everything happening in this field? What did it all mean? Maybe I will find out some day.

A few days later I took Rudi out to the field and I sensed Romeo running around playing. Rudi just sat there as though she was looking at something. She was moving her head back and forth as though she was watching him run around. We came back two more times during the day and Romeo's presence was still there and was very strong. Annette began to have shortness of breath and realized she was surrounded by peace and pure love. It was as if Romeo had never left. I believe he was giving us a glimpse of Heaven.

On a Sunday afternoon I was walking Rudi by Romeo's favorite tree and all of a sudden I saw a shadow run right in front of me. A second later there was a another shadow as though it was chasing the first. They ran across the street and then circled back right in front of me. It was Romeo chasing a rabbit. I knew this because I received a second message. Remember the first message was that I had to keep a promise and complete a project. This message was to confirm the promise and that it would happen.

After the passing of Romeo, our other dog Rudi became very depressed. She became very withdrawn and no longer greeted other dogs or people. One day while she was missing Romeo I saw her lying down with a stuffed rabbit which she never had any interest in before. She looked so sad and lonely. She would stand behind me when I was talking to others. Everyone enjoyed saying hi to Rudi. They started to notice how Rudi was changing and they felt so bad for her. We have decided to get a younger brother for her. So we began to research breeders on the Internet. We were going to wait until October but we needed to get another puppy sooner for her. We began calling and interviewing 30 breeders of Miniature Schnauzers. We asked Romeo to help guide us to the right dog. We narrowed our search to two breeders but the timing was just not on our side. We then got lucky and saw an ad placed by a women who has six puppies for sale. She has a female Miniature Schnauzer and they wanted to get a puppy. She hired a Sire and she had seven puppies. She kept one and was selling the others just to recover the cost for shots and taking care of their needs. It was a rainy morning when we went to pick up our new puppy. A terrible day for driving. It was in a city 200 miles away and we were not sure how to get to the house. We were headed in the direction we thought we needed to go and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the brightest beam of sunshine broke through the clouds. That is where we are going I said. I just knew it. I turned and went towards the beam. As we got closer the rain began to slow down. And sure enough the beam of light was shining right on the block where we were going. We looked at the puppies and there was one that caught our attention. We couldn't help it because he was all over us. He wanted to play. He wanted to come home with us. We asked when he was born and she said April 22nd. We couldn't believe what we were hearing , it was the same birthday as Rudi. So we left with our new puppy naming him Remington. It took a couple of days but Rudi started coming around. They are now best of friends. It wasn't long before our friends noticed Rudi coming around again.

 

On the morning we picked up Remington I went to Target and Fred Meyers to get puppy supplies. From the moment I got up I sensed that Romeo was with me. He followed me to the car and jumped into his car seat. I said good morning to him and off we went. I think this was a special day for him because he is guiding us to the dog he chose for us. Yes, I do believe that Remington was chosen by Romeo. Romeo followed me that morning in both stores and I then said "I know you are still here". I remember it well and even thinking how wonderful it was that he could be with me and not told to leave the store. It was just the beginning of what would turn out to be a wonderful weekend.

Remember that I said that Romeo chose Remington for us, well he did. Remington knew him alright and could recognize his picture. We have several pictures of Romeo on the wall and Remington sat starring at one of them. He then began to howl as though he was talking to him. We believe that Remington was telling Romeo that he is here and that he will take care of us for him. He then howled at him one more time and said goodbye to Romeo. He did this three different times. He never looked at that picture again.

It all started a couple of months after we took pictures of the memorial for Romeo. One day I was looking at the pictures on the computer and low and behold, I saw an image in the vase. We did not notice the image when I took the picture. The image was of Romeo and we can't explain how it happened. Leave it to Romeo to show up for his own memorial.

One day Annette noticed that Rudi was acting very strange. She kept going over to sit in front of the fireplace and starred inside. She finally decided to take pictures of the fireplace. Look in the the lower left area of the image. What do you see? Do you see it? Do you have goosebumps? There in plain site was our first experience with ghost puppies. You can see the puppy now, can't you? At that time it really didn't surprise us because the strangest things continue to happen to us.

Over the next several months we have experienced many things such as hearing things in the room and feeling something bumping the bed. The experience that gave me chills up my back happened while watching TV. I was lying on the floor and Annette was on the couch and all of a sudden we heard a dog shaking behind me. I even felt the shaking and we heard the jingle of the collar. I turned around to say hi to Rudi but she wasn't there. She was in the bedroom sleeping. I didn't think it was possible but it was Romeo. I knew it was him by the sound and rhythm of the shake. Our dogs have distinctive shaking patterns and I could tell that it was his. Two other incidents that happened was hearing a dog drink from the water fountain and the sound of a dog scratching the rug. Rudi and Remington were both lying down when they occurred. We also heard a collar rattle while lying down late at night. One of my favorite things that Romeo did was licking my toes. I even sensed that happen on two different occasions.

On Romeo's most feared day of the year, July 4th, he came to visit me again. I was walking Rudi that night and the fireworks were starting to build. It was getting louder, shot after shot. Romeo would normally be afraid and start shaking. I would pick him up often to reassure that he is okay. But now, it didn't bother him. He walked next to me with his head held high. Now it is he that reassures me that he is now okay and we enjoyed the rest of the walk. At the end of my walk I sensed that he followed us in and laid in his favorite spot.

On Memorial Day 2011 I walked into the bedroom and saw an unexplainable paw print on the bed.

I was walking Rudi around the big block this early evening and all of a sudden I sensed it. This power all around me. It was very light but yet everywhere. As we walked the power seemed to gradually increase in strength. It was a very strange feeling. I stopped walking several times and just looked around to see what was happening. The power grew and grew creating a small dome, a power dome. Before I knew it, the dome had covered the entire block which is probably a square mile. I didn't know what to make of it until it was known to me when getting back in the house. There was my wife laying in severe pain. She couldn't even move. I told her not to worry and began to tell her my story. She also mentioned that she felt the same energy. It is Romeo and he is here to help you. The pain started to decrease as did the dome. Both the pain and dome disappeared at the same time. I don't know what happened nor can I even try to explain. I do know one thing for sure, Romeo had something to do with it.

There are two fields by our place, Romeo's favorite field next door and the one across the street. Rudi and I went in the field across the street and we both turned around as though someone called for us. And there he was, Romeo, not physically but the sense that he was there. I said come on Romeo and he rushed over to us. He went on the walk with us. As we walked along I had another message. “Pack light, you are going sooner than you think.”

It was a nice sunny day and I was taking Rudi on one of our longer walks around the neighborhood. As we walked past the field where we sensed Romeo several times I sensed some dogs playing. Maybe a dozen or so. Then all of a sudden I sensed hundreds of dogs playing everywhere, even in the field across the street. I had never sensed such a happy bunch of animals before. We continued our walk and they kept following us. They came out of nowhere, hundreds and hundreds of them. The numbers grew as we walked. As we approached one of our favorite spots in the wetlands there were literally thousands of dogs running around. I tried to sense if Romeo was there but I couldn't. Rudi and I just stood there and watched for several minutes. You can see Rudi just looking from side to side as to watch all of the action. She wanted to run into the wetlands but I wouldn't let her go. I just smiled and we continued our walk. What did this all mean. It wasn't until the end of the walk until it was clear to me. We believe that these dogs were not wanted by their masters or were forgotten. Romeo was sending them to give us a message. That message was to help unwanted dogs and animals in need. That is when we got the idea of Romeo's Ranch, a place to take care of unwanted animals. To help support our efforts we decided to sell items on our site and to accept donations. All proceeds will go to help Romeo's Ranch.

Do dogs and animals have souls? Do they go to Heaven? So have you decided, we have. Without a doubt they do. How can we question it when we have seen the Paw Prints from Heaven.

 

 

 

Paw Prints from Heaven

 

Though you can't see me, I am always around...
Though you can't hear me, I am speaking to you...
Though you can't touch me, I am reaching for you...

The images you see, but cannot explain...
The energy you feel, but cannot see...
The love that you feel, when thinking of me...

My presence you feel, when walking outside...
My hugs remembered, never let go...
My heart that I gave you, that you now wear...

The things you are seeing, that no one can explain...
And the things that you hear, with no one around...
These gifts that I give you, are my Paw Prints from Heaven.

 

- Romeo