The Promise I Made to Victoria

Dogportant-Victoria-Couchwalk-1

“My darling Victoria, I will figure out why this happened. And I will tell the world one day—I promise you—so no other dog parent loses their baby like we did.” — The promise I made as she took her last breath in my husband’s arms.

Several years ago, our soul dog Victoria crossed the rainbow bridge at 14+ years old.

Not from the cancer that had been diagnosed years earlier. The surgery had removed the tumor successfully—clean margins, no cancer left in her body.

But we trusted the medical system. We didn’t know any better.

The oncologist recommended chemotherapy: “With chemo, there will be no return of cancer. You can enjoy 1.5 to 2 years of life with Victoria.”

We agreed. Little did we know we were signing up for Victoria’s downfall.

The Decline

Despite every supplement, every holistic protocol, every prayer whispered into her fur—our once strong alpha was declining.

Protein in urine. Muscle wasting. Lung congestion. Respiratory issues.

She lived 3+ years post-cancer—more than 2x the oncologist’s prediction. But she was never the same. She had the best holistic treatment and our unconditional love but,

One spring day, struggling to catch her breath, she gave up.

The Breaking

My husband Vincent was shattered. Victoria was his soul dog. Our alpha.

Vincent always wanted a dog, and Victoria rescued him. He worked from home with her. They’d bonded in a way I can’t even describe—soulmates in different species.

We were broken beyond measure. The grief was heavy.

For the next two years, I couldn’t fulfill that promise. The regret crushed me.

That question haunted me every single day.

The Rescue That Backfired

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Bella, Victoria’s lookalike. So loving with people. The video call showed us kisses, warmth, pure joy. We thought we’d found her again.

Ten days after Victoria passed, Vincent found Bella online. She looked so much like Victoria.

We drove a thousand miles with grieving Rose to meet her. An expert approved. We adopted.

But Bella wasn’t socialized as a puppy or adult. She claimed Vincent instantly. She guarded him from everyone.

Rose had never lived without another dog. Now she had Bella, but they weren’t companions. Just housemates, not a pack.

We’d made it worse.

Bella and Rose, first meeting. Rose was ready to love. Bella wasn’t ready to trust. Rose came with love. Bella came with walls. We didn’t see it then.

The Layers of Pain

For two years, I carried:

The grief was suffocating. Sometimes unbearable. All-consuming.

The Catalyst

In the third year after Victoria’s passing, everything changed. Rose showed first signs of decline. Tension at home became the catalyst I didn’t know I needed. I turned toward spirituality—the practice of understanding the soul and that we are living a human experience on earth.

Spirituality

Daily Affirmations

Gratitude Practices

Breathwork

Rose’s Spirit

Eyes brightened

Nervousness eased

She seemed hopeful

But her body?

Muscle tone fading

Stopped climbing stairs

Lost ability to walk

The Confusion

Rose’s spirit stayed bright. But her body continued declining.

By the beginning of the following year, Rose lost her ability to walk independently.

That’s when I hit rock bottom. And that’s when everything changed forever.

The Discovery

Late one night, exhausted and desperate, a video about fascia appeared.

Fascia. I’d never heard the term.

The video explained: fascia stores trauma. Not just physical—emotional trauma.

Then the person said something that stopped me cold:

The Pieces Fell Into Place

VICTORIABELLAROSE
The chemo decisionThe rescue that backfiredStanding beside me 24/7
The guilt I carriedThe shame I feltAbsorbing all of my trauma

The affirmations helped her spirit. But my fascia was still holding the trauma. Still broadcasting chaos. And Rose’s body was mirroring it.

The Real Work Begins

I started foam rolling that very night. I cried. My body had stored decades of trauma.

I cried for Victoria. I cried for the decision I couldn’t take back.

I cried for Rose. I cried for Bella. I cried for the life we used to have.

And as I cried, something released.

Within days, Rose started responding.

Not her spirit this time. Her body.

Rose started Healing

BEFORE: Unable to walk, Panting, Not interested, Not playful

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AFTER: Walking beside me with leash support, sparkle in the eyes

Rose is healing and I am the witness

Her eyes sparkled from affirmations.
Now her body is catching up.

Muscle tone returning.
Nervousness dissolved.
Separation anxiety gone.

She’s not running yet. But she’s improving.

And I know—with absolute certainty—she will run again.

Because I changed the field she’s living in.

The Promise Kept

Victoria, I kept my promise.

It took losing Rose’s ability to walk before I finally understood.

But I figured it out.

The secret wasn’t in supplements. Not in diet. Not in treatments.

The secret was in me.

My unhealed trauma. My fascia holding it all, broadcasting it all.

And you—standing in that field—absorbing it all.

Why Victoria’s Face Is Our Logo

Dogportant-Logo

Victoria isn’t just a logo. She’s the reason this breakthrough exists.

Her joyful face—the one you see in our logo—represents everything she was: our alpha, our protector, our heart.

The promise I made to her as she took her last breath became this book.

The heartbeat and paw symbol below her image represents the bond between human and dog—the electromagnetic connection that can either harm or heal.

Every time you see our logo, you’re seeing Victoria watching over this mission.

She didn’t get the healing she deserved. But because of her, thousands of dogs will.

Your Dog Got Sick Because They Love You Too Much

They’ve been absorbing your unprocessed trauma, your unresolved grief, your chronic stress.

This isn’t your fault. You didn’t know.

When you heal yourself, you don’t just save your dog. You save yourself too.

This is your answer for every tear you’ve cried in silence, every sleepless night, every moment you’ve tried to stay strong while your dog was suffering. You are not alone. And your dog’s healing starts here.


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