Romeo, Romeo, Where Art Thou Romeo?

Romeo belongs to four wonderful humans who live in Red Deer Alberta Canada. Although they love their dog, they do get a little annoyed when he breaks into the pantry and steals boxes of crackers.

Six years ago, we answered an email classified about a three year old Chocolate Lab that needed a new home. His original family, had split apart and he had spent a year bouncing between relatives and friends. No body wanted such a big dog apparently. We on the other hand had just lost first lab to cancer a year before.
I convinced my wife that we should go take a look at this dog. She was not convinced the timing was right, we had a very young family with a new baby, etc.
When we met him, he barked at us. I had never heard a bark like that before. It was powerful, deep and scary. But as soon as we walked in, his rough facade melted and he gave us all a few licks then he laid down. It was quite a first impression. After a week of deliberation, we decided to take him and the rest is history.

Romeo is the perfect companion dog. First of all, as a 120 pound dog you would think that he would be rough with our little ones but he wasn't. When my youngest daughter was a baby, he was a gentle giant. He would let her climb all over him, pull his ears and even shove her fingers up his nose and all he would do is lay there. If he ever had had enough of the kids he would simply move to another room. He also made the kids feel safe by sleeping in their rooms.

Romeo also has a knack of knowing when you weren't feeling good or feeling a little down. He will always pay close attention to you. Comforting you and giving you a few extra licks.

Most of all though, I really enjoy how he lays at my feet when I am reading or watching TV. For some reason it just makes me feel good.

I must end this story with some sad news. On Valentine's Day this year, we came home to a dog that was suffering and paralyzed with pain. We quickly got him to the Vet Hospital in town ( I had to carry him). We were worried about the our dog but we were hoping for the best. The prognosis was not good. He had a tumor in his abdomen that had ruptured. Seeing our family pet like this was hard. Explaining to our daughters what was happening was harder. After a long tearful discussion as a family and with our vet we decided to put Romeo down as it did not look like he would survive the night. The emptiness in our home and in our hearts was almost too much for us to bare but as time has gone on over the last few months we are starting to cherish our good memories of Romeo and not the painful ones at the end. We all feel that this dog that came into our lives enriched us and made our lives better.

That's the real purpose of this page. It is my tribute to our friend Romeo. He deserves to be remembered. He had a special gift, the same gift all pets have, they touch our hearts. Therefore, it is my hope that you give your pet and extra treat tonight, a belly rub or an extra long walk in memory of our dog Romeo or in memory of a special pet in your life.

Please feel free to pass this story on to anyone who loves their dog, cat, lizard, etc.