Dear Nan,
I had to put my dog Sheba down last week. She was eleven years old and seemed to be in pain. Did I do the right thing? Is she mad at me? Do dogs ever come back to visit like people do?
Thank you,
Barbara
Dear Barbara,
Sheba was your companion for more than twelve years, so it makes sense that you would have questions about how she felt about being put down. I can assure you that Sheba is not mad at you. Like people, animals who pass into Spirit do not have anger toward those of us still in physical form.
I can also tell you that there is a great appreciation for your unselfishly letting Sheba cross over. As you correctly assessed, she was in great pain and your choosing to end her suffering was done lovingly and respectfully. She knew you were there and she felt safe knowing you were with her at the end.
Yes! Animals do come to "visit" in Spirit! Sheba feels quite active in your home, particularly in the evening time when you are preparing for bed. You feel her so strongly, you almost forget she has crossed over. To affirm this for you, no you are not "losing it" (your phrase) when you feel she is still galloping around the dining room table.
When you get a sense of her, do speak out loud to her! Even animal spirits like to know that they have successfully connected!
Nan
√ ∙ Checkpoint:
I am frequently asked about pets who have died or are put down. Our pets are important parts of our families, oftentimes bearing witness to our struggles, our pain, and our success, so it is natural to ask this question.Sheba's love and loyalty to Barbara was so great, it overwhelmed everything else, including Sheba's soul contract to cross over, a common occurrence with our pets. By definition, they are loyal to us and sensitive to our pain, our needs. It is difficult for our pets to relinquish that role. Assisting our pets with crossing into Spirit is humane, it is not an action that would invoke the pet's anger.
How do pets come to us? You may find that you feel him or her jump on the bed just as you start to drift off to sleep. You may hear light footsteps running up and down the stairs. You may swear that your dog or cat shot past the bathroom door as you prepare for the night. If you have other animals in the house, it is common for them to respond to the Spirit of a departed pet by staring into space or happily reacting to something, while you don't see a thing.
Pets are an important part of our lives and our families. They remain vibrant in Spirit, and they happily wait for us. I have often heard from loved ones who have crossed that their pet greeted them at the door to Spirit the same way their pet greeted them at the door in this physical world. And that seems like a very nice way to start things off, indeed!
Until tomorrow, I am
Intuitively Yours,
Nan O'Brien
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Hello. I think the article is really interesting. I am even interested in reading more. How soon will you update your blog?
Hello, This article really hit home, for me this week I also had to have my pet(Cleo)put down. I asked the same question. Did I do the right thing? I'm glad that Nan stated that they do come back, becasue I belive that she is around my house in spirit.
Thank you.