Sergeant John J. Rambo was not originally intended to be my dog, as I was always a cat person and had never owned a dog, but through tragic, unfortunate circumstances in the Fall of 2008, a tiny, white, three-month-old boxer became the only family I had. I can remember nervously cradling him like a baby, talking to him out loud like a young child, and teaching him the rules of our coexistence like a parent. No one told my lonely heart not to go all in, so as the years went by, I grew to love him like a child.
We spent every day in our home together as I worked through my issues of trauma, loss, and other hardships that had even started affecting my ability to leave my own house. If it weren’t for Rambo’s kind, staring eyes anxiously waiting for me, I’m not sure that I would have forced myself to leave my comfort zone. Each trip to the dog park made conversations with others more comfortable, and I was able to remember the happiness that nature and love can bring into a person’s life.
Rambo kept his responsibilities as my service dog like a true soldier, and the thought of being without him devastated me, so when I read an article about genetic preservation, I was relieved. The end of his journey was extremely difficult, but I’m forever grateful for ViaGen Pets’ genetic preservation services, because now there is hope of there being a Sergeant John J. Rambo II around to one day live in his honor. That, to me, is an unbelievable gift.