God Saves Humans And Animals
Illustration
Stories
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. (vv. 5-6)
It happened twenty years ago a few days after the death of Eli, our beloved West Highland Terrier. We were missing him fiercely as we were putting away dog toys and discovering hidden chewy bones. My wife, Jo, remembers:
“I was at the kitchen sink, and when I turned to the side to place something on the counter, I saw white behind me out of the corner of my eye. But when I turned around there was nothing there, so I turned back to the sink. Then I felt a little nudge on the back of my leg, and I knew Eli had come back to visit. There were several more times that I got just that small glimpse of white and knew he was there. He loved his Mama!”
Was this just wishful thinking; the imagination of a grieving doggie mama? Or is it something that is common with other bereaved dog lovers? I decided to ask.
I posted these two questions in several Facebook groups recently under the heading, “Seeking Mystical Dog Stories:”
1) Have you had a mystical experience that involved a beloved dog?
2) Did it occur while your dog was alive, or after death?
I was amazed at the number of impassioned responses. Karen Polzin, of Chippewa Falls, WI wrote, “Yup, our Golden Retriever, Lance, came and barked at me at 3:00AM for three days in a row, I would sleepily get up to let him out and then remember he was gone.”
Sara Hyde Blum, Lancaster, WI: "I currently have a dog that from time to time sits in front my couch and looks up and wags her tail and moves her head like she's watching someone. This started a month after my brother died."
Laura Johnson, Oshkosh, WI: "A few nights after my husband died, I was sitting at home with our dog and cat. The dog suddenly sat up, stuck his nose straight up and began to lick the air over and over. He kept this up, off and on, for about fifteen minutes. He never did this before or since. I believe his “dad” stopped in to say goodbye."
Amy Bailey, Kenosha, WI: “Mackenzie, my first Husky, was a rescue who I only had for ten months, due to cancer. I got very depressed when she passed. I came home from work one day and looked out the backyard and saw her running across the yard… I was sitting on the sofa one day (again, after she passed) and I felt her paws on the sofa, on my legs and then I could feel her curl into a ball onto my lap. I started crying I was so happy.”
Kay Laundrie, Green Bay, WI: “Had to have our Airedale put down due to cancer. On going to bed, I heard a sound from where her bed was still in the room. Then later I felt a nose pushing my arm around on the bed.”
Molly Rice Cross, Auburn AL: "I found my precious dog, Brody, collapsed outside late one night. I called the vet and rushed Brody to the clinic. Brody needed a cardiac specialist, but it was very late. The vet sent me home and agreed to stay with him through the night. During the night, Brody’s smell woke me up, as if I had my nose in his fur. I received a call the next morning that Brody had died, and it was at the same time I smelled him. Did God give me that moment? Did Brody pass by me? I do not know. It was quite real, though.”
Edward Kodaj, Marinette, WI: "After I had to put my Border Collie down I was pretty upset. She came to me in a dream that was so real. I was in a prairie-type town with dust blowing and I was walking. Then I saw her walking ahead of me by fifty yards or so. I called to her and she turned around to look at me. Suddenly my late dad's voice broke in to tell me that she wanted to let me know she was ok and that she would be fine and not to worry. So I stopped walking and watched her go until I couldn't see her anymore.”
Jane Mussey, Holiday, FL: "As a kid, after my family’s second Springer Spaniel died, we got a Standard Poodle puppy, Josephine. I basically grew up with her. We connected deeply. She was wicked intelligent, learned many of our words, and then learned the spellings when we attempted to conceal things like “out”, “walk”, “car”, “treat”. She and I connected deeply. She knew when I was about to wake up and laid by my door. We played intricate games involving planning and strategy. This shy kid could not have asked for a better companion. I got older and so did she. I moved away, and left her in my mother’s loving and capable hands. One night, after having no contact with my family for weeks and no news of my beloved Josie, she came to me in a dream and said in plain English, “It’s time for me to die”. Next day, I called home to see what might be happening with her. She had a respiratory infection, but was expected to recover. In two days she was dead. Perforated esophagus diagnosed too late to save her from a massive internal infection. I’m a huge skeptic (and a veterinarian) and not given to wild theories. But, I have no other explanation for this dream than that Josie deliberately communicated with me, somehow. ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.’ ”
Dot Hasler wrote, "Good dogs never leave you. They just get harder to see."
It happened twenty years ago a few days after the death of Eli, our beloved West Highland Terrier. We were missing him fiercely as we were putting away dog toys and discovering hidden chewy bones. My wife, Jo, remembers:
“I was at the kitchen sink, and when I turned to the side to place something on the counter, I saw white behind me out of the corner of my eye. But when I turned around there was nothing there, so I turned back to the sink. Then I felt a little nudge on the back of my leg, and I knew Eli had come back to visit. There were several more times that I got just that small glimpse of white and knew he was there. He loved his Mama!”
Was this just wishful thinking; the imagination of a grieving doggie mama? Or is it something that is common with other bereaved dog lovers? I decided to ask.
I posted these two questions in several Facebook groups recently under the heading, “Seeking Mystical Dog Stories:”
1) Have you had a mystical experience that involved a beloved dog?
2) Did it occur while your dog was alive, or after death?
I was amazed at the number of impassioned responses. Karen Polzin, of Chippewa Falls, WI wrote, “Yup, our Golden Retriever, Lance, came and barked at me at 3:00AM for three days in a row, I would sleepily get up to let him out and then remember he was gone.”
Sara Hyde Blum, Lancaster, WI: "I currently have a dog that from time to time sits in front my couch and looks up and wags her tail and moves her head like she's watching someone. This started a month after my brother died."
Laura Johnson, Oshkosh, WI: "A few nights after my husband died, I was sitting at home with our dog and cat. The dog suddenly sat up, stuck his nose straight up and began to lick the air over and over. He kept this up, off and on, for about fifteen minutes. He never did this before or since. I believe his “dad” stopped in to say goodbye."
Amy Bailey, Kenosha, WI: “Mackenzie, my first Husky, was a rescue who I only had for ten months, due to cancer. I got very depressed when she passed. I came home from work one day and looked out the backyard and saw her running across the yard… I was sitting on the sofa one day (again, after she passed) and I felt her paws on the sofa, on my legs and then I could feel her curl into a ball onto my lap. I started crying I was so happy.”
Kay Laundrie, Green Bay, WI: “Had to have our Airedale put down due to cancer. On going to bed, I heard a sound from where her bed was still in the room. Then later I felt a nose pushing my arm around on the bed.”
Molly Rice Cross, Auburn AL: "I found my precious dog, Brody, collapsed outside late one night. I called the vet and rushed Brody to the clinic. Brody needed a cardiac specialist, but it was very late. The vet sent me home and agreed to stay with him through the night. During the night, Brody’s smell woke me up, as if I had my nose in his fur. I received a call the next morning that Brody had died, and it was at the same time I smelled him. Did God give me that moment? Did Brody pass by me? I do not know. It was quite real, though.”
Edward Kodaj, Marinette, WI: "After I had to put my Border Collie down I was pretty upset. She came to me in a dream that was so real. I was in a prairie-type town with dust blowing and I was walking. Then I saw her walking ahead of me by fifty yards or so. I called to her and she turned around to look at me. Suddenly my late dad's voice broke in to tell me that she wanted to let me know she was ok and that she would be fine and not to worry. So I stopped walking and watched her go until I couldn't see her anymore.”
Jane Mussey, Holiday, FL: "As a kid, after my family’s second Springer Spaniel died, we got a Standard Poodle puppy, Josephine. I basically grew up with her. We connected deeply. She was wicked intelligent, learned many of our words, and then learned the spellings when we attempted to conceal things like “out”, “walk”, “car”, “treat”. She and I connected deeply. She knew when I was about to wake up and laid by my door. We played intricate games involving planning and strategy. This shy kid could not have asked for a better companion. I got older and so did she. I moved away, and left her in my mother’s loving and capable hands. One night, after having no contact with my family for weeks and no news of my beloved Josie, she came to me in a dream and said in plain English, “It’s time for me to die”. Next day, I called home to see what might be happening with her. She had a respiratory infection, but was expected to recover. In two days she was dead. Perforated esophagus diagnosed too late to save her from a massive internal infection. I’m a huge skeptic (and a veterinarian) and not given to wild theories. But, I have no other explanation for this dream than that Josie deliberately communicated with me, somehow. ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.’ ”
Dot Hasler wrote, "Good dogs never leave you. They just get harder to see."
