Sheryl in Olmstead Falls writes:
My beautiful golden retriever, Joe, died suddenly in our arms on Saturday morning, February 23, 2008. He was only 10 and was still acting like a puppy that morning, prancing around with a shoe in his mouth. I forgot to give him his epilepsy pill the night before, so I feel terribly guilty. He hasn’t had a seizure in years and was just at the vet a few weeks ago and they said he was fine except for his liver enzymes, which we got medication for. It didn’t seem like a normal seizure though, he was not shaking and seemed to be able to focus on me, so I don’t know if it was his heart or what. He was my best buddy, my furry baby, my friend who ran up to me every time I got home and gave me a kiss with his big slurpy tongue. The love and joy he gave to me and my family was constant and comforting and cannot die even though he has left us. I will never forget his mischievous ways, his beautiful brown eyes, his amazing intelligence and the warmth of him sleeping on my feet. My heart is broken and there is a space that can never be filled. Can you tell me if pets cross over like people do? Will I ever see him again to tell him I am sorry?
Dear Sheryl,
My heart goes out to you. While I can’t ease your pain, (no one can) hopefully I can give you enough information to put your mind to rest.
Pets, like people, do transition to another plane. Call it heaven, or whatever you like, but it is another level of existence. It has been my experience that all living creatures that possess a conscious mind, and the ability to experience emotion, all cross into another plane of existence. For them, life doesn’t stop, it just changes.
Animals have wisdom and knowledge that we humans do not possess. Most of us fear death and fear the transition, because we don’t know what comes next. Animals don’t have that resistance or fear. For them, it is the natural order of things, and they have a level of acceptance and understanding that is admirable… and a bit baffling. Joe was focusing on you, not because he was afraid, or had any lack of understanding about what was going on, but more because he wanted your permission. He knew he would be fine, but his concern was for you. He wanted you to be okay, and he didn’t understand why you didn’t understand. There’s a whole lot of love there, Sheryl. And, it goes both ways.
Don’t be too surprised if he comes back to visit, just to check on you and say hi. Animals can transcend planes just as well as people. While it may sound freaky, it can also be comforting – provided you figure out your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. (My husband is still adjusting to the ghost cat who frequents our home.) You will see him again, in this life and the next. Well, in this life you may not “see” him, but you will feel or sense him. You can apologize if you want to, but he’s not going to understand why you are apologizing – for you have nothing to be sorry about!
I’m not a doctor or a vet, so I really can’t tell you what happened to Joe from a medical point of view. While you may never know for sure, from a psychic perspective, it seems as though he experienced complications from a blood clot. It is very important for you to understand that his missed dose of medication, or the medication for his liver enzymes, didn’t cause his death. Joe lived a lot longer because of you and your family – much longer than he would have without you – you have to know that. Some people have pets, while many others have furry family members. You, falling into the latter category, did more for that dog than some people would do for a human relative. Be proud of that.
Sometimes, dogs, just like people, are fine one minute and gone the next. There is nothing anyone could have done to change the outcome. It was simply his time.
The pain of losing a pet is something that cannot be described, but is something that those of us who have loved and lost a fur baby can immediately understand and relate to. I am so sorry for your loss. If you need someone to talk to (or cry with!) don’t hesitate to give me a call.
Brightest Blessings!
Red
Ext. 9226
