A Mystic in the Barnyard

“Please don’t laugh,” the caller on the other end of the line pleaded, “but I’m sincerely afraid there might be something wrong with my bull. He’s been acting mopey and strange and it worries me,” described Iris (not her real name) from her ranch in central California, on which she raises horses and collects unwanted creatures the local SPCA cannot handle. The Watusi bull she had named Jack, would have been homeless were it not for Iris.

“I really didn’t think I could handle a bull, but he adds some color to the place and I admit I’ve grown exceptionally fond of him,” she told Linda ext. 4497 a Clairvoyant who names pet readings among her specialties. “Watusi bulls are quite gentle,” Iris went on,” they just look intimidating.”

At that point, Linda, was looking at the spirit of a silver grey German Sheppard. “I think your bull is in mourning, “she suggested, and described the dog who had recently passed to the other side.

“Yes, that’s Bullet,” Iris said in amazement. “I would never have put the two situations together, but they were barnyard buddies. Bullet was always by his side, none of the other dogs went near him,” she continued beginning to think that Linda may have pinpointed the problem. “After his nightly rounds he usually slept in the barn with Jack,” Iris related.

When Iris called again, it was to ask Linda what to do, as Jack the bull was so depressed he had stopped eating and drinking. She had tried using steroids to stimulate his appetite, but it wasn’t working.

“Bullet is telling me to get another dog,” Linda relayed. “Jack needs a friend. You will have to find a very special dog who takes to him and enjoys the pasture.”

Iris called back again with a list of dogs she had seen at the pound wondering if any of them would work out. Linda got a vibe on all of the dogs and believed that the Aussie was the only one that would work out. “The only problem is that it will take some time for her to trust you, let alone Jack,” Linda suggested as she heard the bull bellowing mournfully in the background.

“I really hope you’re right,” Iris responded, as she explained that Jack’s health was deteriorating.

“Yes, Bullet is here and says to adopt the Aussie mix for Jack.”

Linda admitted that because the dog had been free roaming before she was picked up by the pound, and because of her breed (a mix of herding breeds) she would be a natural in the pasture. “She does remind me of Bullet in some ways,” she said in agreement.

Months later, Iris called Linda to say that Jack the bull was on the mend. She had been walking Sadie (the new Aussie mix) to the fence by the pasture daily since she brought her home from the pound, and encouraged Jack to come up to greet them. Sadie wasn’t afraid of him, and eventually she began to sit out in the pasture, yards away from the bull, but it was close enough for Jack. “It’s odd,” Iris told Linda, “she’s much like Bullet. She’s becoming the watchdog that Bullet was. Last night, she even visited Jack in the barn for a few moments. Do you see Sadie eventually spending her evenings in the barn?”

The Clairvoyant who says she gets her messages, as if she were watching them on television told Iris honestly, that she did not. “But, don’t worry, Bullet is still there watching over Jack… and he says he’s not leaving anytime soon.”

“I really loved working with Iris,” says Linda, “because she cared so much about every animal she took into her home. It’s a lesson to all of us – to only take in animals that you plan to bond with and care for through their good and bad times.”