Meet the Romeros, a Texas couple who celebrates every wedding anniversary by adopting a dog.
Neydi and Carlos Romero are on their third year of marriage. Every time they ring in a new year as a couple, they’ve celebrated their love by expanding it and adopting a new dog.
The couple, who lives in Bedford, Texas, didn’t set out to make this their yearly tradition. It just happened.
While she was growing up, Neydi wasn’t permitted to have dogs. But she always knew that when she got out on her own, she wanted a house full of lovable pups.
How It All Began
So when she became serious with Carlos, she knew she eventually wanted to adopt a dog with him. But the first one was a total surprise for her.
Carlos got Captain, an Australian shepherd and blue heeler mix, and presented him to Neydi on their one-year anniversary.
For anniversary number 2, Teddy came into their lives. Teddy is a Lab/Beagle mix who was severely underweight due to tapeworm infection when they first got him. He was being given away for free on Craigslist.
One year later, the couple reports Teddy is vibrant and lively.
On anniversary number 3, Chewy came into the mix. Chewy is a shepherd/husky mix. While Chewy wasn’t Neydi’s choice, she saw the shelter he was in and immediately knew they had to rescue him.
Life With Dogs
Chewy is still a puppy, so he has a long and happy life ahead of him. While adding a puppy to the growing household was initially stressful, the dynamic is settling in now.
The Romeros report that the general workflow goes like this: Teddy starts all the trouble, Captain tries to stay out of trouble, and Chewy likes to play interference. (Does this sound like anyone else’s childhood experience with their human siblings? Sounds like mine!)
While the dogs all have distinct and different personalities, they all get along and are happy together.
A Loving Inspiration
Neydi’s sister was inspired by the couple’s loving motivation, and started sharing the custom on Twitter. Thanks to her posts, people are now being inspired to think about their own #relationshipgoals.
Her sister, Odalis Herrera, says the dogs are like her nephews, and have taught her sister and brother-in-law a lot about love and patience.
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She hopes that others become inspired enough to adopt and foster dogs from shelters, or any dog in need of a loving home.
Neydi wants to make it clear that she realizes that pets are not just gifts or items – they are family members for life.
She dislikes that a lot of people regard dogs as presents instead of responsibilities. She wishes people would realize that dogs are living creatures, capable of living a long life.
How Long Can This Go On?
So, are these guys going to keep adopting an infinite number of dogs?
Nah – they said they’ll cap out around their fifth anniversary and then stop there.
Their long-term goal? Foster dogs out of their home and turn it into a rescue operation.
Having pets is a great way to take the next step in your relationship and determine if you are able to work as a team and maybe eventually raise children together.
If you think your relationship is ready for the next step, try fostering. It’s a great way to care for a pet in need!
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