Adoption information
I've been adopted!
This pet is no longer available
On Hold
About Romeo
*ON TRIAL* This is one of the hardest profiles I’ve ever had to write. Dear, soul-capturing Romeo, at first when you presented with your teeth gnashing and eyes wide I thought your name ironic. Now, as I offer you up to the public, with your sweet, trusting heart and warm, intelligent eyes, your name makes so much sense and it feels nothing short of betrayal.
Will they love you like I do? Will they understand you in the same way? Can they protect you from the creeping, terrible mindset that had you so fearful of people?
Romeo is one precious, precious soul. He is the most sensitive, intelligent and complicated character I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and the imminent devastation of losing.
When I first met Romeo he was very distrustful of people. I could see that, but i told myself that I like a challenge. Then I journeyed to pick up his history from the vet and on arrival they told me that he was one of the worst cases of aggression they’d seen. He had to be sedated at home then gassed at he clinic just to be touched. I wondered if I’d made a mistake.
Indeed everyone who tried to touch Romeo was met with a snap so I placed a bandana on him and told people to stay away. It wasn’t long though, before he started to thaw. To my surprise the thawing process was quicker than I had anticipated. Under that steely, icy exterior was this gorgeous, loving boy who wanted to connect with people. His aggression melted away in front of my eyes to reveal the most loving, knowing soul.
If he felt unsure he would look at me for reassurance. He was always looking to me for guidance. In fact, while the other dogs danced around in excitement at an imminent walk or upcoming meal, there Romeo would be, just looking at me. Waiting for a quiet signal.
But Romeo isn’t always serious. In fact, he’s revealed himself to be quite the quirky comedian. One of his favourite activities is to roll around in bed or on a rug and scratch and mould the bed into submission. He also likes to kick around under the covers for reasons unknown.
Further, Romeo will randomly take off from a relaxed position to chase birds in the sky with hilarious little woofs and proudly strut back to his resting place with an accomplished air.
I’ve recently discovered that Romeo will retrieve a tennis ball!
Romeo likes to make friends with other dogs, but can be a bit cliquey. He’s never really aggressive to other dogs, unless cornered by a large dog who doesn’t understand boundaries (he’ll deliver a swift snap of unmistakable disapproval), but he prefers some dogs over others and becomes firm friends with them. Funnily enough he’s enjoyed the company of the other scruffies at Onyx Rescue.
If you were to ask me what breed Romeo was I wouldn’t know. All I know is that he’s part tutor, part poet, part philosopher and part scholar. Like most of us, Romeo is learning about the world and how to best navigate it. It used to be a scary place, best dealt with with snaps and avoidance. Now it’s a welcoming space requiring outreach and love. Perhaps his journey is a kind of representation of one many of us still need to make.
Indeed, Romeo is all about lessons and has taught me some valuable ones about love and the ability to do so after loss.
Do you believe you are the chosen one for this boy’s next step in the journey of life? Perhaps, just as you will continue to be his mentor throughout life, he also has something to impart to you. We’re all stumbling through this space together to reach an unknown destination. The journey can be hard but it’s made so much easier by those who understand. Romeo has so much unspoken knowledge and strength tucked away inside and he’s waiting to work his magic with his forever life companion. If you believe that you’re meant to be together, please see the application instructions below.
Medical notes
Romeo has had a dental scale and polish to renew his smile and is otherwise healthy
Watch videos of Romeo
Adoption details
Please email us a little bit about yourself. We do not operate on a first-in-best-dressed basis. Instead, our aim is to find the most suitable forever home for the animals in our care.
Your email should include details about who lives at your home, both humans and animals and what their daily schedules and living arrangements are like. It should include details about your previous dogs and a thorough break down of the house rules you will have for this pet as well as what their typical day will look like.
It may take a couple of weeks to process the applications. Please try to be patient. All applicants will receive a response - but it may not be an immediate one.
If your application seems promising you will be contacted for a telephone interview. Should this be successful you will be invited to a meet and greet and asked to send photos of your property.
Should the meet and greet end favourably, you may pay the adoption fee, sign some paperwork and take the pet on a two week trial during which time you will be asked to provide regular updates.
During this trial period the pet remains the property of Onyx Rescue and adoption will only be finalised following a successful trial.
See some of my previous rescues and keep up with the status of our current rescues by joining here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748478285317783/
AN OPEN LETTER TO APPLICANTS:
We hate to disappoint people. It’s something that really upsets us, but unfortunately it comes with the territory of what we do. So we want to take the time to explain something.
When we take on a dog, we make a commitment both to that dog and the former owners of that dog to find this fur-kid their perfect forever home. Our primary criterion in order to achieve this is whether that home is a good match for that dog. Each dog can have vastly different needs from the next and every home is different.
Sometimes well-intentioned people put their friends in touch with us, sometimes we are approached by friends or even family in relation to a particular dog. However, we have made a promise not to compromise on our commitment and we have to turn them down.
This isn’t a reflection of their dog ownership skills, nor how we feel about them personally. Our decision will always come down to whether we believe that they are a match. Not just any match - the best match.
Sometimes we are lucky to have several interested parties who would be a good match and it can be difficult to choose between them. Our ultimate decision will, however, not be influenced by our relationship with this potential adopter, be it secondary or primary, nor the number of times they have applied and missed out previously, nor whether they applied first, nor the number of times or methods used to contact us about a particular pet, but whether or not they are the BEST match available.
So if you know someone who is interested in any of the dogs at Onyx Rescue, or you are interested in one yourself, please go through the proper channels and send your application through Petrescue. Please do not take offence if you or your friends are not chosen - this only means that there was someone who was a better match. Not a better person, not a better dog owner, but a better match.
We believe there is a home for every dog and a dog for every home, so if you’ve not been chosen previously please do not give up applying - the next one may be your perfect dog.
Thank-you to everyone who supports what we do here - it means the world to us and the beautiful fur-kids seeking homes.
This pet has been adopted and found love with its new family.
The rescue group has removed this pet and it is no longer available for adoption.
The rescue group is no longer taking adoption applications for this pet.