In June, 2004, my boyfriend at the time and I rescued a white German Shepherd. His name was Gunner and he was about four years old, pure white, light brown eyes, and weighed about 90 pounds. This was far and away the best dog I have ever had; he was protective but loving, and people were drawn to him like a magnet.
One day a year and a half after we adopted him, he developed a golf ball-sized lump on his throat. We soon found out it was inoperable cancer. It happened so fast we had to put him down within a week of finding out. It was definitely the worst day of my life seeing him take his last breath. The last week we had him I was a sobbing mess. I asked Gunner over and over to please stay with me and watch over me after he was gone.
A year and a half after he passed, he sent me a sign that he was still with me. We had taken him hiking in Sedona, Arizona a few times before. He really enjoyed the red rocks and walking in the creek. A year after he passed, we rescued another German Shepherd, Asta. We decided to take her on the same trails in Sedona that we took Gunner. The whole drive up there I kept thinking of Gunner and how this would be our first time back to the trail since we had him. I asked my boyfriend as we parked if he thought Gunner was with us in spirit. Naturally, he just said, "Uh, yeah, sure."
We walked for awhile, and I felt more and more sad that Gunner wasn't there to enjoy it, too. We were walking back to the car across a huge open space, maybe a couple of acres, of flat red rock. I was lost in my thoughts when my boyfriend yelled, "Holy S#$!!" I ran over to him and he was staring at the ground.
Right below his feet was a huge heart carved into the rock with the name "Gunner" carved into the middle! I was sooo happy. Out of all the acres of rock we walked across, he just happened to look down and see that. It could be a coincidence, but I know it was my dog sending me love. I have a picture of it framed with his old collar.
