Vintage Pet Rescue, based in Rhode Island, is known as a nonprofit organization that is helping unwanted seniors find love in their final years through an adoption program, and increasing public awareness in saving senior pets.
Early in the summer, the sanctuary received the adorably cute couple Romeo and Juliet, who had a very special bond for almost two decades. Unfortunately, one of the dogs passed away, yet the team came up with a brilliant idea to help with such an unbearable loss.
Romeo and Juliet ended up at Vintage Pet Rescue when their owner passed away. Kristen Peralta, the rescue’s founder, immediately saw that there was a very special connection between the two dogs.
“They were constantly snuggling up together and sharing beds,” Kristen shared. “Romeo would fall asleep first, and Juliet would often walk on top of Romeo to get the most comfortable position. They were always sniffing each other’s ears, and it was very sweet to watch them interact,” she added.
The dogs were together for 17 years; therefore, they were truly inseparable.
Romeo and Juliet were about to settle into their new life when Romeo’s health took an unexpected turn. He started to be no longer interested in food and his kidney failure started to progress.
“When we took him to our vet, his kidney values were so high that they were not able to be read on the machine,” Kristen explained. “We were heartbroken, but we knew the kindest thing for him was to say goodbye. We brought Juliet with us so she could be there,” the woman added.
When Juliet returned home to the sanctuary that day, it was full of senior dogs, but none of them seemed to help with the aching wound Romeo’s loss left in her heart.
It was really hard to see her in so much sadness and suffering. Therefore, Kristen came up with a brilliant idea.
The volunteers working at Vintage Pet Rescue weren’t sure how Juliet would respond to this new fluffy friend, yet it seemed to work.
“I know it’s not a Romeo replacement, but it seems to bring her some comfort,” Kristen said.
“A few days after Romeo passed, I just thought it might be helpful if Juliet had something to cuddle with that reminded her of Romeo,” the woman said. “I actually just searched online for a stuffed dachshund, and one of the first ones that came up looked very much like Romeo, so it was kind of perfect,” she added.
