Shanti bounded into my life on December 27th, 2008 as an eight-week old puppy. I had told my husband that I was going to get a dog by Christmas, much to his disapproval. But, being the mystic that I am, I wasn't surprised to see her, even if she was two days late. Our life together was a joy, full of ups and downs, especially when my now "wasbund" and I divorced. She was there with her unconditional love to help me heal my heart and get me through countless stresses. The biggest one unfortunately being her eventual diagnosis in 2024 - a splenic mass, likely cancer.

I looked for any and all alternative to surgery solutions that I could afford because the doctor's didn't recommend surgery at her age of 15. I was lead to an amazing product (now called Shanti Solution after her) that gave us an extra year, which I am still grateful for. After her passing, she sent me a message one day via oracle deck that she would be back. A little white dog that looked exactly like her as a puppy coming through a big blue door with the message "Return" on it.

In 2026, that card came through again just days before a new puppy - this time a boy - wagged his tail into my life. He looked so much like her and I knew on a soul level he was her. That's what I felt intuitively and so did others. His name became Halo the Hug Puppy, and he's continuing Shanti's story through a new body, but the same heart and soul.

He talks like she did, he loves to chase balls more than anything like she did, and other subtle clues she's guiding his journey. I'm honored to share them both via @SoulDogDiaries, and I'm grateful it has created a space for others to share their beliefs about the afterlife, their soul pets, and how we grieve their loss by finding them again.