I bet you learned to use greater situational awareness though, right?
UNEX Tales from the rainbow bridge – evidence of our pets in the afterlife
- Thread starter Raggedyman
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- death pets rainbow bridge
My ex backed over the best kitty we ever had. Moochie followed my oldest son home three times. He knew who the owners were, so the first two times I made him take her back. The third time we kept her. Beautifully gray tabby. So loving. And she killed it because she was in a hurry. I never really forgave her for that.
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
anyone out here with the experience of sitting with some as they passed and had a pet return?
anyone out here with an NDE experience - INVOLVING PETS - either their own or that of a family member or close friend that they feel comfortable sharing?
anyone out here with an NDE experience - INVOLVING PETS - either their own or that of a family member or close friend that they feel comfortable sharing?
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Yes, we've lost a couple of dogs in similar fashion -- one of the best dogs we ever had, she was either English Shepherd or a Border Collie mix, was with my ex in front of our garage in NH, shortly after we moved there. It was dark out and she was mostly black, standing just a few feet from him, and just in the edge of the road. If anyone ever does any genetic engineering on dogs, one thing I would ask for is to have some 'road sense' added in.
Kathleen
West
Senior
Some dogs do, my Chow did, but...
West
Senior
If your addressing me, that's a huge YES!
Turret Buster
Gruntpa
West
Senior
I can't watch it again, seen it several times. But now with my memories dug up....nope I'm not going to make water today.
I'm so sorry, Kathleen... something like that just breaks your heart. Because we have herding dogs, I spend a LOT of time training them to stay away from wheels... their herding instinct is just so strong.
A few weeks ago, a buyer of one of Red's pups from her first litter drive in, wanting to know if we were going to have pups soon. It turned out he'd run over his dog the day before... same Border Collie tire chasing trait. Since weve retired Red from breeding, i had to tell him we wouldn't have a pup for him. Then he spotted Jack, who is a full brother to the dog he lost, but a year younger. After some discussion between hubby and I, we agreed to sell him. He's getting a lot more attention in his new home than he had with us (he was the fourth member of our pack, and never got the attention or advanced training I'd gave liked to have given him.
I've got one "heart dog" waiting for me, and at least two horses. Probably a couple of cows, too!
Summerthyme
A few weeks ago, a buyer of one of Red's pups from her first litter drive in, wanting to know if we were going to have pups soon. It turned out he'd run over his dog the day before... same Border Collie tire chasing trait. Since weve retired Red from breeding, i had to tell him we wouldn't have a pup for him. Then he spotted Jack, who is a full brother to the dog he lost, but a year younger. After some discussion between hubby and I, we agreed to sell him. He's getting a lot more attention in his new home than he had with us (he was the fourth member of our pack, and never got the attention or advanced training I'd gave liked to have given him.
I've got one "heart dog" waiting for me, and at least two horses. Probably a couple of cows, too!
Summerthyme
Chance
Veteran Member
HI All - I am working on my story about Phantom....will post it soon.
In the mean time...here's the short story my vet, Linda, told me the day she came out to put my K9 GSD Banshee to sleep. This is the day I told her I had a story about my dead dog Phantom and that she probably wouldn't believe me.
This is her story she shared with me.
Recently one of her two dogs dogs had been diagnosed with cancer...she knew it was a fatal cancer - against her better judgment as a vet she let the kids talk her into getting chemo for the dog...but the dog died soon after. She said the kids were really broken up and she felt bad about doing the chemo - she said she knew better. She was taking it all pretty hard about this dog.
This particular dog would always come and sit by her when she'd be in her rocking chair; she'd come home from work and sit down to rock and relax. She said this dog always came over and in a very uncomfortable and awkward way (since he was a rather big dog), he'd twist and squirm and after a few moments would finally get his head around to place it on the arm of her chair.
She said it was the most awkward looking dog position! And how could he ever possibly be comfortable! And she'd rock away with him all awkward. And he'd stay this way until she got up. She said her and the kids use to laugh at the dog as he worked himself around to her armrest.
When they came home without this particular dog that sad day, she said her and the kids sat down to contemplate and grieve over all that had happened. As she was sitting there in her rocking chair, the OTHER dog came over - they watched this dog twist himself all around - squirming and fussing to get himself into that exact same awkward position to rest his head on the arm of her chair - exactly like the other dog did!
She said this was such a HUGE comfort to her and the kids that day! They knew something extraordinary had happened and they felt peace about the dog that passed. (When she was with me, she said she still felt bad about the chemo part.)
She told me her dog continues to do this to this day every time she sits down in her rocking chair.
In the mean time...here's the short story my vet, Linda, told me the day she came out to put my K9 GSD Banshee to sleep. This is the day I told her I had a story about my dead dog Phantom and that she probably wouldn't believe me.
This is her story she shared with me.
Recently one of her two dogs dogs had been diagnosed with cancer...she knew it was a fatal cancer - against her better judgment as a vet she let the kids talk her into getting chemo for the dog...but the dog died soon after. She said the kids were really broken up and she felt bad about doing the chemo - she said she knew better. She was taking it all pretty hard about this dog.
This particular dog would always come and sit by her when she'd be in her rocking chair; she'd come home from work and sit down to rock and relax. She said this dog always came over and in a very uncomfortable and awkward way (since he was a rather big dog), he'd twist and squirm and after a few moments would finally get his head around to place it on the arm of her chair.
She said it was the most awkward looking dog position! And how could he ever possibly be comfortable! And she'd rock away with him all awkward. And he'd stay this way until she got up. She said her and the kids use to laugh at the dog as he worked himself around to her armrest.
When they came home without this particular dog that sad day, she said her and the kids sat down to contemplate and grieve over all that had happened. As she was sitting there in her rocking chair, the OTHER dog came over - they watched this dog twist himself all around - squirming and fussing to get himself into that exact same awkward position to rest his head on the arm of her chair - exactly like the other dog did!
She said this was such a HUGE comfort to her and the kids that day! They knew something extraordinary had happened and they felt peace about the dog that passed. (When she was with me, she said she still felt bad about the chemo part.)
She told me her dog continues to do this to this day every time she sits down in her rocking chair.
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brokenwings
Veteran Member
That's amazing Chance. Dog's are so neat. I guess being a Vet she knew Chemo was no good for helping dogs?
Chance
Veteran Member
Hi brokenwings,
My vet said there was no known treatment for the particular cancer her dog had - it was always fatal. She regretted giving in to the kids about the chemo.
She told me I wasn't her only client with a story of a dead pet - she'd been told many over the years.
adgal
Veteran Member
It's interesting that you started this thread. I write a weekly blog called Freaky Friday - and it's about ghost stories. True ghost stories. When I put together the blog for Friday - I decided to write it on Ghost Pets. Here's the link - http://terrireid.com/archives/1660
And here's the post:
Over the Christmas holiday we had quite a few visitors in our home. My daughter, Sarah, and her husband and son stayed for several days. My son, David, spent the night on Christmas Eve. And then we had people in and out of the house all weekend long. But, the most surprising visitor we had was a cat. A ghost cat.
I have to admit that I’d seen a cat out of the corner of my eye several times before and when I’d turn, none of the cats would be around. (We have two very alive cats in our house, along with our very alive dogs.) One night, I’d gone to bed early, and I’d felt something jump on the back of my bed and settle in. (We always close our bedroom door because we really don’t like sharing our bed.) (Okay, let me alter that – when my husband is home, we always close our bedroom door. �� ) Anyway, I was sure, and a little saddened, that our seventeen-year-old cat had finally crossed over and that I would find him the next morning curled up in his favorite spot, but gone. And, he’d just dropped by on his way over the Rainbow Bridge to say good-bye. I got out of bed to check, but our old cat, McDuff, was hale and hearty and sleeping on the couch near the wood-burning stove. He looked at me in annoyance when I touched him to see if he was still breathing.
So, I just figured someone else was visiting and I went back to bed.
But over the Christmas weekend, Sarah came downstairs with a perplexed look on her face. “Last night,” she explained. “I came downstairs to wash up and when I looked at the kitchen island, there was a cat sitting on the lower shelf. He looked right into my eyes for a moment, then I looked away for just a second and when I looked back, he was gone.”
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“I thought at first it was Hemingway (our younger cat), but it was a darker cat,” she said.
We don’t have any dark cats “living” in our house. But living on a farm with seven kids we have had a plethora of cats and kittens throughout the years. And some, of course, were dark cats.
The next morning, I came downstairs early, before anyone else was awake. I walked into the bathroom and, as is their habit, I was followed in by one of the cats. I was still a little bleary-eyed, so I didn’t really pay attention to who it was, I was only careful not to shut the door on anyone’s tail. But after I closed the door, I looked around and no one was in the bathroom with me. I distinctly remember seeing a cat’s tail coming alongside me in the corner of my eye. I know that I thought one of the cats was with me. And, I wasn’t thinking about anything supernatural. I don’t know if I was thinking about anything that early in the morning.
There is a tradition – a Christmas tradition – that animals are all given the gift of speech at midnight on Christmas Eve. (I always go to bed before that because I just don’t want to hear their complaints.) But, I wonder if Christmastime, which I always feel is a thin time anyway, is also a time for pets to visit their old stomping ground and their families they had to leave behind. I wonder if they get to wrap themselves around our legs for old times sake, or bark at the UPS man one more time, or just settle between legs and blankets on their master’s bed.
I have heard barks outside, when I know the dogs are all inside. I heard someone running across the wooden floors upstairs when I can see all the animals are sleeping at my feet. And there has been more than one time when I was outside in our acreage when I’ve seen one of our dogs (who is no longer with us) dash through the woods, spooking the pheasants.
I love knowing that they can visit. I love knowing that the Rainbow Bridge is a two-way street. And I love knowing that some of my best friends will be waiting for me when I have to make that journey someday.
Happy Friday!
And here's the post:
Over the Christmas holiday we had quite a few visitors in our home. My daughter, Sarah, and her husband and son stayed for several days. My son, David, spent the night on Christmas Eve. And then we had people in and out of the house all weekend long. But, the most surprising visitor we had was a cat. A ghost cat.
I have to admit that I’d seen a cat out of the corner of my eye several times before and when I’d turn, none of the cats would be around. (We have two very alive cats in our house, along with our very alive dogs.) One night, I’d gone to bed early, and I’d felt something jump on the back of my bed and settle in. (We always close our bedroom door because we really don’t like sharing our bed.) (Okay, let me alter that – when my husband is home, we always close our bedroom door. �� ) Anyway, I was sure, and a little saddened, that our seventeen-year-old cat had finally crossed over and that I would find him the next morning curled up in his favorite spot, but gone. And, he’d just dropped by on his way over the Rainbow Bridge to say good-bye. I got out of bed to check, but our old cat, McDuff, was hale and hearty and sleeping on the couch near the wood-burning stove. He looked at me in annoyance when I touched him to see if he was still breathing.
So, I just figured someone else was visiting and I went back to bed.
But over the Christmas weekend, Sarah came downstairs with a perplexed look on her face. “Last night,” she explained. “I came downstairs to wash up and when I looked at the kitchen island, there was a cat sitting on the lower shelf. He looked right into my eyes for a moment, then I looked away for just a second and when I looked back, he was gone.”
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“I thought at first it was Hemingway (our younger cat), but it was a darker cat,” she said.
We don’t have any dark cats “living” in our house. But living on a farm with seven kids we have had a plethora of cats and kittens throughout the years. And some, of course, were dark cats.
The next morning, I came downstairs early, before anyone else was awake. I walked into the bathroom and, as is their habit, I was followed in by one of the cats. I was still a little bleary-eyed, so I didn’t really pay attention to who it was, I was only careful not to shut the door on anyone’s tail. But after I closed the door, I looked around and no one was in the bathroom with me. I distinctly remember seeing a cat’s tail coming alongside me in the corner of my eye. I know that I thought one of the cats was with me. And, I wasn’t thinking about anything supernatural. I don’t know if I was thinking about anything that early in the morning.
There is a tradition – a Christmas tradition – that animals are all given the gift of speech at midnight on Christmas Eve. (I always go to bed before that because I just don’t want to hear their complaints.) But, I wonder if Christmastime, which I always feel is a thin time anyway, is also a time for pets to visit their old stomping ground and their families they had to leave behind. I wonder if they get to wrap themselves around our legs for old times sake, or bark at the UPS man one more time, or just settle between legs and blankets on their master’s bed.
I have heard barks outside, when I know the dogs are all inside. I heard someone running across the wooden floors upstairs when I can see all the animals are sleeping at my feet. And there has been more than one time when I was outside in our acreage when I’ve seen one of our dogs (who is no longer with us) dash through the woods, spooking the pheasants.
I love knowing that they can visit. I love knowing that the Rainbow Bridge is a two-way street. And I love knowing that some of my best friends will be waiting for me when I have to make that journey someday.
Happy Friday!
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Who knows this scripture?
There is an old testament verse referencing your "beast" giving testimony about its master at the throne judgment. Animals in our care will tell all about how we did or did not nurture them. So if they appear for the judgement they have made it "to the other side." I believe we shall be rejoined with them!
There is an old testament verse referencing your "beast" giving testimony about its master at the throne judgment. Animals in our care will tell all about how we did or did not nurture them. So if they appear for the judgement they have made it "to the other side." I believe we shall be rejoined with them!
Chance
Veteran Member
There is that tunnel - and with dogs and cats!
Vessie - wow - thank you for sharing the story of your mom and Pishi.
At such a hard time, what a wonderful story of love, family and friends - of all kinds.
I too have wondered about those who are dying do they ever have their pets show up or see them waiting for them. This is one of those stories! Really makes my heart glad.
I hope I have a bunch that show up to take me Home.
Raggedyman - thanks for sharing about Kay Cee - yes, it is obvious he 'adopted' you! Sounds like he had a sense of humor - and he knew you'd 'get the message'. Note: it was YOU he chose for that last 'sighting'.
Thanks and blessings to all for sharing and adding your thoughts - whether these are miracles, blessings, ??, and the animals are messengers of hope, angels, ?? - or all of these and more - these stories are amazing!
I find them comforting and inspiring and they bring me tears of joy and hope and wonder. And well, just wow!
And these let us know, we really aren't that far away from THEM.
At least that's how I see it.
I felt that Emma’s sudden death a year before Timbo was because she knew he was going to be called home, and wanted to be there for him. I felt that the very day she passed. As Tim’s health deteriorated, it just became stronger. I know my beloved will be waiting for me, along with the rest of the gang; Annie, Odin and (if I live long enough) Aja.
Mzkitty
I give up.
I haven't had any real "far out" after death experiences with my cats over the years, although sometimes I might see them in a dream or think I catch a glimpse of somebody in their favorite chair. My son gets more dramatic examples. At times.
What I want to address is the heart-stabbing pain when your pet kid dies. I have been through that way too much. It hurts so bad. It's real and it's literal. It takes a long time to go away. Sometimes even now, if I'm overtired or restless, I'll lie in bed and think of certain kitties and can't take it, and have to get up out of bed and go do something. PEOPLE DYING DOESN'T AFFECT ME LIKE THAT. It's strange how they can mean so much to you, isn't it? But then they're not "human," so how can we expect to understand their passing as well as a human passing, which doesn't hurt as much?
I've never been to the point or even close of wanting to kill myself over a dead pet. I've never gotten real depressed over it to where I couldn't function day to day. But, you know it's going to HURT REAL BAD. And somehow you just have to deal with it and put one foot in front of the other.
I hope this makes sense, and that's all I'll say about it.
What I want to address is the heart-stabbing pain when your pet kid dies. I have been through that way too much. It hurts so bad. It's real and it's literal. It takes a long time to go away. Sometimes even now, if I'm overtired or restless, I'll lie in bed and think of certain kitties and can't take it, and have to get up out of bed and go do something. PEOPLE DYING DOESN'T AFFECT ME LIKE THAT. It's strange how they can mean so much to you, isn't it? But then they're not "human," so how can we expect to understand their passing as well as a human passing, which doesn't hurt as much?
I've never been to the point or even close of wanting to kill myself over a dead pet. I've never gotten real depressed over it to where I couldn't function day to day. But, you know it's going to HURT REAL BAD. And somehow you just have to deal with it and put one foot in front of the other.
I hope this makes sense, and that's all I'll say about it.
Pets will never cheat you (or cheat ON you), rob you, hurt you, or lie to you. They want one thing, our love and care, and in return they love back and care for us. They are far more deserving of our emotions than 99% of people.
Turret Buster
Gruntpa
Man....ain't that The Truth.
dawnbringr
Veteran Member
Back in the early 1980's, a stray black cat showed up at our family's door. Not real big and obviously young, he wormed his way into our hearts pretty quickly and was soon granted
"access" to the house. A popular movie back then was Steve Martin's "The Jerk",, and my sister and I christened the cat "shithead" after the dog in the movie.
For whatever reason, the cat attached himself to my father, an old shipyard worker who would rather watch a prizefight than pet a cat. But, soon they became best buddies, the
cat would sit in his chair and wait for him to come home, would playfully bite my Dad's wrist while he was weeding the garden, and would "fetch" little rolled up balls of paper that
my father would toss to him. But, my father would never call him by his "given" name, only calling him "the black cat".
Sadly, shithead was hit by a car after living with us for less than a year. Fast forward to early 2001.
My father was in hospice dying from mesothelioma. In his last days, he was hard to communicate with, and had the "thousand yard stare". One afternoon while I was sitting
with him,, he smiled broadly,, looked at a couple of us and said "black cat"... we just looked at each other and shrugged. Afew days later, after he had passed, my sister and I
caught on to the meaning of what he said. We feel he had seen that "black cat", who had come to make the crossing easier....
I have NO proof to back this up. But, I have NO doubt, either.
willowlady
Veteran Member
HA! Our cats lie on us all the time. Acting like they are starving when there is perfectly good food still in the dish. And they rob us every chance they get, stealing little things and hiding them here and there about the house. And we've even had a cat or two "cheat" on us, going to stay at someone else's place for a week or so and then turning up again well-fed and healthy. Who knows what aberrant things they might have been up to. [The foregoing was intended to be humorous] Still, I get what you mean. They are just doing what they do and not causing any of the human-type pains through evil behavior. But they certainly cause pains when they get sick or leave us forever.
One of the semi-religious viewpoints is that animals cannot sin, cannot fall from grace, etc. I'm not so certain about that (dog-shaming posts abound, not so much with cats -- they are never ashamed). I'm of the notion that they are all "safe" and will be in heaven, not because they cannot sin but because they have never disobeyed God. Often, if you look at a shamed dog, sure, they know they've done wrong, but most of the time they have that look of combined shame and dumbfounded puzzlement as to why exactly it (whatever) was wrong. Which means they know you didn't like whatever they did, but they just don't know why. Maybe pets are another lesson of how our maker loves us. Sometimes we knowingly disobey and he still loves and forgives; sometimes we disobey because we just don't understand why it's wrong.
Loving all the stories of the two-way rainbow bridge. Sure explains a few things that I thought I had imagined over the years.
I don't have any rainbow bridge stories involving animals (mine was human) but I am LOVING reading about them. I think that God made pets to make sure we were never alone on Earth. Our cats and dogs offer completely unconditional love. Out of every single person in the world-your pet will love you regardless. To me the love of a pet is a personification of God's love. He loves you when your'e good; He still loves you when you are bad.
We've had Astor, our ShiTzu since 2005-he's 13 now. We couldn't have kids. What we do have is a dog that is far more human than one might expect. When I come home in the afternoons that dog goes nuclear until I'm in the house and have petted him. When we eat his face becomes so expressive-His "Hey, aren't you going to share"? stare is classic. And "his" spot on my chair-we have 3 cats but NONE of them sit in Astor's spot on my chair.
He's getting older now-he sleeps a lot more, and he doesn't jump down off the bed in the mornings anymore-he barks until one of us pick him up and take him off (I always carry him to bed with us-our ritual for many years now). When he does eventually go it will be a very sad time in our home. But also a glad one in a way-because I KNOW in my heart he will be there to meet me. Of course, he's going to hang out with my father in law until I get there. They were best buddies, they watched TV together in the evenings and my FIL would play "toss the stuffed animal and I'll fetch it) for literally HOURS.
It's funny how a 12 pound ShiTzu can be such a big part of one's life. God made pets that way.
We've had Astor, our ShiTzu since 2005-he's 13 now. We couldn't have kids. What we do have is a dog that is far more human than one might expect. When I come home in the afternoons that dog goes nuclear until I'm in the house and have petted him. When we eat his face becomes so expressive-His "Hey, aren't you going to share"? stare is classic. And "his" spot on my chair-we have 3 cats but NONE of them sit in Astor's spot on my chair.
He's getting older now-he sleeps a lot more, and he doesn't jump down off the bed in the mornings anymore-he barks until one of us pick him up and take him off (I always carry him to bed with us-our ritual for many years now). When he does eventually go it will be a very sad time in our home. But also a glad one in a way-because I KNOW in my heart he will be there to meet me. Of course, he's going to hang out with my father in law until I get there. They were best buddies, they watched TV together in the evenings and my FIL would play "toss the stuffed animal and I'll fetch it) for literally HOURS.
It's funny how a 12 pound ShiTzu can be such a big part of one's life. God made pets that way.
Chance
Veteran Member
Hi All,
This is the story of my Phantom - my dead dog that came back.
Back in June 2004 Phantom died, my black K9 GSD. He was my boy.
A month later, my K9 instructor said his drug dog was pregnant - bred to a black K9. I told him I'd take a black male if Pups had one. I really didn't think she would have any all black puppies, let alone a black male - I felt pretty confident a puppy was not in my future. And besides, I was still missing Phantom and I wasn't sure I was ready for a puppy yet, and I had 3 GSDs at home, but, as fate would have it, I took Darkota home in September. My 2nd black GSD. (When he grew up he became a cadaver dog).
Back in 2006 we were having a dry summer - I'd put out seeds in the fields and was praying and hoping Mother Nature would cooperate and water my fields.
It was June 2006 (the same month that Phantom died back in 2004) my usual schedule was - get home from work at midnight. Feed the horses. Go inside the house, check on the dogs and check my emails, the news, maybe a little TV and then head off to bed. My usual bedtime was 2-2:30AM.
That night started off no different than any other night - I was 'expecting' rain so I kept checking the sky - not a cloud in sight, just a beautiful starlit night. I arrived home after work about midnight. Fed the horses. Then inside to check on the dogs - I had 4 GSDs then - Banshee, my old retired K9 of about 14, Xander my old farm dog of about 15, Aphrodite (affectionately known as Dite) my trouble maker, and Darkota - he was two.
All the dogs were fine - 3 of them were soon in their beds in my bedroom. Darkota was the only one 'up and about'. I checked my emails, the news, the TV, was bored and decided I'd call it an early night and so headed off to bed. It was about half past midnight - pretty early for me.
I walked down the hallway with Darkota at my heels, I entered the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Darkota in the hall way - that's where he preferred to sleep. He had access to the patio/backyard through the family room doggie door. Dite was lying just inside the bedroom door, Xander was sleeping in his bed by my bed and Banshee was in her bed in the connecting bathroom.
Off I went to take a shower and get ready for bed and then I heard scratching at the patio door that was off the bedroom - I glanced out the window, saw my black GSD on the step waiting at the door and I looked again for that 'promised' rain. The sky was still clear and the patio was dry. Dang.
I opened the door and let my dog in. It was dimly lit in the room (there was the patio light and moon light through the curtain) and not wanting to trip on Darkota I put my hand on his back (He's a big dog of 100 pounds); he was damp - drizzled on! Oh joy! I went back to the window to see the rain I hadn't seen a moment before - nothing - clear sky, dry patio. Now that was odd. I went back to Darkota and started running my hand up and down his back as we walked across the room. I especially noted the dampness of his fur. Just odd.
For some reason (I can't remember why) I needed to exit the bedroom, so as we walked towards Dite at the doorway, I suddenly put my palm down against Darkota's chest and pushed him back (I was surprised Dite hadn't growled at him already! Remember, Dite was my trouble maker - especially with Darkota) - we were only about 3.5 feet from Dite and I knew she would not let Darkota out through the doorway without some whoopla, so that's why I suddenly pushed Darkota back and proceeded to leave the room myself.
In two - three steps I was beside Dite, she was sleeping against the shut door, so I had to really pull on the door to try and slide her on the floor so I could squeeze through (good thing I'm thin) and then literally step over the top of her to get out. I closed the door behind me.
Once out in the hallway again - the hall night light was on - I looked up and there coming from the entry way down the hallway towards me was DARKOTA! I'm sure my mouth was open staring in disbelief at the dog in front of me as I was trying to comprehend WHO was the dog in the bedroom. I was dumbfounded; shocked! First thought: 'What the heck. If you're here, who's in there?" I was in total disbelief that I could be so confused as to not know where my dog was.
Darkota walked up to me wagging his tail. The next thing I thought was 'feel him - he should be damp' - my brain said he had to be damp! Darkota was dry - I felt everywhere trying to find somewhere that was damp to reconcile this 'problem'. I couldn't - this wasn't the same dog. This wasn't the same dog - and it began to sink in.
Realistically there could not be another dog in the bedroom - not possible. I only had 4 dogs.
I faced the bedroom door, not sure what I'd just experienced...I pushed the door open (Dite was still in the way of the door) stepping over Dite - I was back inside the bedroom - right at that moment I knew that mystery dog was gone. I rechecked Dite, then Xander, then Banshee - they were all OK. It took several minutes for my brain to try and reconcile all of this.
I went through all the steps again - I left Darkota in the hallway - the dog scratching at the door was definitely a black GSD - this meant Darkota used the dog door to get outside. OK. But once inside how did he get around me and get out in the hallway if I pushed him back and had to pull Dite out of the way to open the door and step over her, closing the door after me - how could a 100 pound dog sneak in front of me and get out the door with Dite in the way - she would have growled at him. Then he must have followed me out the door - but Dite was against the door and I had to squeeze out and Darkota is no small dog, and., and....
And none of this explains that I saw Darkota coming from the entry way, rounding the corner of the hallway walking towards me when I stepped out into the hallway. That meant he was in the entry way probably lying down.
I was desperately trying to work it all out - there had to be a logical explanation for this! By then I was mentally exhausted and I thought it was just easier to tell myself 'I was tired and confused' - that's it... and then I remembered the clincher for the whole thing. Dang it! The mystery dog was DAMP, Darkota was dry. No way could I explain that away as 'tired and confused'. The mystery dog was damp!
That's when it came to me that it was Phantom! My OTHER black GSD - that would explain why Dite didn't growl at him when I was walking with him in the bedroom - she never growled at Phantom. All the dogs knew Phantom except Darkota - he came after Phantom died. Then it hit me that he must have come back for the old dogs! I quickly checked Xander and Banshee again. Nope they were fine.
If he didn't come back for them..then what?
He came back for ME.
I think Phantom wanted me to know what he and all the others were like after they died. I already believed he was in Heaven, but I had no idea really....
Three weeks after Phantom came for a 'visit', the vet came out and put Xander to sleep. Four months after that, the vet came out for Banshee.
Well... I can say with all certainty in my mind and my heart, Phantom, even though he is dead in this world, has a real, physical body. I touched him and patted him; I talked to him; he was as alive as any of my other dogs. And he remembers the farm, the dogs and he remembers me.
What I know: Phantom is still a dog, he's still a black GSD and he's still my boy.
P.S. Darkota died at the age of 7 in 2011; Dite died four months later.
This is the story of my Phantom - my dead dog that came back.
Back in June 2004 Phantom died, my black K9 GSD. He was my boy.
A month later, my K9 instructor said his drug dog was pregnant - bred to a black K9. I told him I'd take a black male if Pups had one. I really didn't think she would have any all black puppies, let alone a black male - I felt pretty confident a puppy was not in my future. And besides, I was still missing Phantom and I wasn't sure I was ready for a puppy yet, and I had 3 GSDs at home, but, as fate would have it
, I took Darkota home in September. My 2nd black GSD. (When he grew up he became a cadaver dog).Back in 2006 we were having a dry summer - I'd put out seeds in the fields and was praying and hoping Mother Nature would cooperate and water my fields.
It was June 2006 (the same month that Phantom died back in 2004) my usual schedule was - get home from work at midnight. Feed the horses. Go inside the house, check on the dogs and check my emails, the news, maybe a little TV and then head off to bed. My usual bedtime was 2-2:30AM.
That night started off no different than any other night - I was 'expecting' rain so I kept checking the sky - not a cloud in sight, just a beautiful starlit night. I arrived home after work about midnight. Fed the horses. Then inside to check on the dogs - I had 4 GSDs then - Banshee, my old retired K9 of about 14, Xander my old farm dog of about 15, Aphrodite (affectionately known as Dite) my trouble maker, and Darkota - he was two.
All the dogs were fine - 3 of them were soon in their beds in my bedroom. Darkota was the only one 'up and about'. I checked my emails, the news, the TV, was bored and decided I'd call it an early night and so headed off to bed. It was about half past midnight - pretty early for me.
I walked down the hallway with Darkota at my heels, I entered the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Darkota in the hall way - that's where he preferred to sleep. He had access to the patio/backyard through the family room doggie door. Dite was lying just inside the bedroom door, Xander was sleeping in his bed by my bed and Banshee was in her bed in the connecting bathroom.
Off I went to take a shower and get ready for bed and then I heard scratching at the patio door that was off the bedroom - I glanced out the window, saw my black GSD on the step waiting at the door and I looked again for that 'promised' rain. The sky was still clear and the patio was dry. Dang.
I opened the door and let my dog in. It was dimly lit in the room (there was the patio light and moon light through the curtain) and not wanting to trip on Darkota I put my hand on his back (He's a big dog of 100 pounds); he was damp - drizzled on! Oh joy! I went back to the window to see the rain I hadn't seen a moment before - nothing - clear sky, dry patio. Now that was odd. I went back to Darkota and started running my hand up and down his back as we walked across the room. I especially noted the dampness of his fur. Just odd.
For some reason (I can't remember why) I needed to exit the bedroom, so as we walked towards Dite at the doorway, I suddenly put my palm down against Darkota's chest and pushed him back (I was surprised Dite hadn't growled at him already! Remember, Dite was my trouble maker - especially with Darkota) - we were only about 3.5 feet from Dite and I knew she would not let Darkota out through the doorway without some whoopla, so that's why I suddenly pushed Darkota back and proceeded to leave the room myself.
In two - three steps I was beside Dite, she was sleeping against the shut door, so I had to really pull on the door to try and slide her on the floor so I could squeeze through (good thing I'm thin) and then literally step over the top of her to get out. I closed the door behind me.
Once out in the hallway again - the hall night light was on - I looked up and there coming from the entry way down the hallway towards me was DARKOTA! I'm sure my mouth was open staring in disbelief at the dog in front of me as I was trying to comprehend WHO was the dog in the bedroom. I was dumbfounded; shocked! First thought: 'What the heck. If you're here, who's in there?" I was in total disbelief that I could be so confused as to not know where my dog was.
Darkota walked up to me wagging his tail. The next thing I thought was 'feel him - he should be damp' - my brain said he had to be damp! Darkota was dry - I felt everywhere trying to find somewhere that was damp to reconcile this 'problem'. I couldn't - this wasn't the same dog. This wasn't the same dog - and it began to sink in.
Realistically there could not be another dog in the bedroom - not possible. I only had 4 dogs.
I faced the bedroom door, not sure what I'd just experienced...I pushed the door open (Dite was still in the way of the door) stepping over Dite - I was back inside the bedroom - right at that moment I knew that mystery dog was gone. I rechecked Dite, then Xander, then Banshee - they were all OK. It took several minutes for my brain to try and reconcile all of this.
I went through all the steps again - I left Darkota in the hallway - the dog scratching at the door was definitely a black GSD - this meant Darkota used the dog door to get outside. OK. But once inside how did he get around me and get out in the hallway if I pushed him back and had to pull Dite out of the way to open the door and step over her, closing the door after me - how could a 100 pound dog sneak in front of me and get out the door with Dite in the way - she would have growled at him. Then he must have followed me out the door - but Dite was against the door and I had to squeeze out and Darkota is no small dog, and., and....
And none of this explains that I saw Darkota coming from the entry way, rounding the corner of the hallway walking towards me when I stepped out into the hallway. That meant he was in the entry way probably lying down.
I was desperately trying to work it all out - there had to be a logical explanation for this! By then I was mentally exhausted and I thought it was just easier to tell myself 'I was tired and confused' - that's it... and then I remembered the clincher for the whole thing. Dang it! The mystery dog was DAMP, Darkota was dry. No way could I explain that away as 'tired and confused'. The mystery dog was damp!
That's when it came to me that it was Phantom! My OTHER black GSD - that would explain why Dite didn't growl at him when I was walking with him in the bedroom - she never growled at Phantom. All the dogs knew Phantom except Darkota - he came after Phantom died. Then it hit me that he must have come back for the old dogs! I quickly checked Xander and Banshee again. Nope they were fine.
If he didn't come back for them..then what?
He came back for ME.
I think Phantom wanted me to know what he and all the others were like after they died. I already believed he was in Heaven, but I had no idea really....
Three weeks after Phantom came for a 'visit', the vet came out and put Xander to sleep. Four months after that, the vet came out for Banshee.
Well... I can say with all certainty in my mind and my heart, Phantom, even though he is dead in this world, has a real, physical body. I touched him and patted him; I talked to him; he was as alive as any of my other dogs. And he remembers the farm, the dogs and he remembers me.
What I know: Phantom is still a dog, he's still a black GSD and he's still my boy.
P.S. Darkota died at the age of 7 in 2011; Dite died four months later.
Last edited:
Turret Buster
Gruntpa
Hi All,
This is the story of my Phantom - my dead dog that came back.
Back in June 2004 Phantom died, my black K9 GSD. He was my boy.
A month later, my K9 instructor said his drug dog was pregnant - bred to a black K9. I told him I'd take a black male if Pups had one. I really didn't think she would have any all black puppies, let alone a black male - I felt pretty confident a puppy was not in my future. And besides, I was still missing Phantom and I wasn't sure I was ready for a puppy yet, and I had 3 GSDs at home, but, as fate would have it
Back in 2006 we were having a dry summer - I'd put out seeds in the fields and was praying and hoping Mother Nature would cooperate and water my fields.
It was June 2006 (the same month that Phantom died back in 2004) my usual schedule was - get home from work at midnight. Feed the horses. Go inside the house, check on the dogs and check my emails, the news, maybe a little TV and then head off to bed. My usual bedtime was 2-2:30AM.
That night started off no different than any other night - I was 'expecting' rain so I kept checking the sky - not a cloud in sight, just a beautiful starlit night. I arrived home after work about midnight. Fed the horses. Then inside to check on the dogs - I had 4 GSDs then - Banshee, my old retired K9 of about 14, Xander my old farm dog of about 15, Aphrodite (affectionately known as Dite) my trouble maker, and Darkota - he was two.
All the dogs were fine - 3 of them were soon in their beds in my bedroom. Darkota was the only one 'up and about'. I checked my emails, the news, the TV, was bored and decided I'd call it an early night and so headed off to bed. It was about half past midnight - pretty early for me.
I walked down the hallway with Darkota at my heels, I entered the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Darkota in the hall way - that's where he preferred to sleep. He had access to the patio/backyard through the family room doggie door. Dite was lying just inside the bedroom door, Xander was sleeping in his bed by my bed and Banshee was in her bed in the connecting bathroom.
Off I went to take a shower and get ready for bed and then I heard scratching at the patio door that was off the bedroom - I glanced out the window, saw my black GSD on the step waiting at the door and I looked again for that 'promised' rain. The sky was still clear and the patio was dry. Dang.
I opened the door and let my dog in. It was dimly lit in the room (there was the patio light and moon light through the curtain) and not wanting to trip on Darkota I put my hand on his back (He's a big dog of 100 pounds); he was damp - drizzled on! Oh joy! I went back to the window to see the rain I hadn't seen a moment before - nothing - clear sky, dry patio. Now that was odd. I went back to Darkota and started running my hand up and down his back as we walked across the room. I especially noted the dampness of his fur. Just odd.
For some reason (I can't remember why) I needed to exit the bedroom, so as we walked towards Dite at the doorway, I suddenly put my palm down against Darkota's chest and pushed him back (I was surprised Dite hadn't growled at him already! Remember, Dite was my trouble maker - especially with Darkota) - we were only about 3.5 feet from Dite and I knew she would not let Darkota out through the doorway without some whoopla, so that's why I suddenly pushed Darkota back and proceeded to leave the room myself.
In two - three steps I was beside Dite, she was sleeping against the shut door, so I had to really pull on the door to try and slide her on the floor so I could squeeze through (good thing I'm thin) and then literally step over the top of her to get out. I closed the door behind me.
Once out in the hallway again - the hall night light was on - I looked up and there coming from the entry way down the hallway towards me was DARKOTA! I'm sure my mouth was open staring in disbelief at the dog in front of me as I was trying to comprehend WHO was the dog in the bedroom. I was dumbfounded; shocked! First thought: 'What the heck. If you're here, who's in there?" I was in total disbelief that I could be so confused as to not know where my dog was.
Darkota walked up to me wagging his tail. The next thing I thought was 'feel him - he should be damp' - my brain said he had to be damp! Darkota was dry - I felt everywhere trying to find somewhere that was damp to reconcile this 'problem'. I couldn't - this wasn't the same dog. This wasn't the same dog - and it began to sink in.
Realistically there could not be another dog in the bedroom - not possible. I only had 4 dogs.
I faced the bedroom door, not sure what I'd just experienced...I pushed the door open (Dite was still in the way of the door) stepping over Dite - I was back inside the bedroom - right at that moment I knew that mystery dog was gone. I rechecked Dite, then Xander, then Banshee - they were all OK. It took several minutes for my brain to try and reconcile all of this.
I went through all the steps again - I left Darkota in the hallway - the dog scratching at the door was definitely a black GSD - this meant Darkota used the dog door to get outside. OK. But once inside how did he get around me and get out in the hallway if I pushed him back and had to pull Dite out of the way to open the door and step over her, closing the door after me - how could a 100 pound dog sneak in front of me and get out the door with Dite in the way - she would have growled at him. Then he must have followed me out the door - but Dite was against the door and I had to squeeze out and Darkota is no small dog, and., and....
And none of this explains that I saw Darkota coming from the entry way, rounding the corner of the hallway walking towards me when I stepped out into the hallway. That meant he was in the entry way probably lying down.
I was desperately trying to work it all out - there had to be a logical explanation for this! By then I was mentally exhausted and I thought it was just easier to tell myself 'I was tired and confused' - that's it... and then I remembered the clincher for the whole thing. Dang it! The mystery dog was DAMP, Darkota was dry. No way could I explain that away as 'tired and confused'. The mystery dog was damp!
That's when it came to me that it was Phantom! My OTHER black GSD - that would explain why Dite didn't growl at him when I was walking with him in the bedroom - she never growled at Phantom. All the dogs knew Phantom except Darkota - he came after Phantom died. Then it hit me that he must have come back for the old dogs! I quickly checked Xander and Banshee again. Nope they were fine.
If he didn't come back for them..then what?
He came back for ME.
I think Phantom wanted me to know what he and all the others were like after he died. I already believed he was in Heaven, but I had no idea really....
Three weeks after Phantom came for a 'visit', the vet came out and put Xander to sleep. Four months after that, the vet came out for Banshee.
Well... I can say with all certainty in my mind and my heart, Phantom, even though he is dead in this world, has a real, physical body. I touched him and patted him; I talked to him; he was as alive as any of my other dogs. And he remembers the farm, the dogs and he remembers me.
What I know: Phantom is still a dog, he's still a black GSD and he's still my boy.
Freaking wow.....
Chance
Veteran Member
I have a cat story too - this one is about Sylvester.
I never found his body, but I believed he died.
Sylvester was a stray - moved into the barn one day, harassed my Mrs Kitty Kitty and my other female cats, but over time worked his way into being a member of our 'farm family'.
Sylvester was different from my other cats, although he was black and white like my Tai Pei, his hair was rather long, staticy and very fine - silky.
He was already pretty people friendly so it didn't take long for him to warm up to me. He was a very loving boy. With all his shenanigans going on and the fact that he'd 'moved in', I decided he needed some manners and took him in to get neutered and vaccinated. He lived with us for a year or so.
Anyway, Sylvester never left the vicinity of the barn - I think he felt like he was lucky to have found a nice home and he didn't want to 'get lost' again.
Every day he was right here, hanging out. He always hung around me when I was feeding the horses, stacking hay, visiting the other cats. I never saw him leave the barn yard.
Then one day he wasn't around. After a couple of days, I was worried. I searched everywhere. No Sylvester. After a couple of months, I figured he wandered too far off and a coyote or owl got him. That was the end of Sylvester.
Then one night, several years later, I was coming home at midnight from work; I turned on to my gravel road and right in the middle of the road sat a cat. A black and white cat. There was a small 8 foot tall russian olive tree on the side of the road and he was about ten feet from it. Otherwise he was just sitting there in the open, the middle of rural farm land, facing my truck.
First thought was 'what is Tai Pei doing so far from the farm!' But as I continued to look at this cat I decided it wasn't Tai - too much white on the chest. So I stepped out of the truck and into my headlights - the cat was gone! I thought 'oh, I've scared him off..'.
Just then I felt a cat wrapping himself around my legs and purring. (Obviously this cat knew me..) So I reached down and felt the staticy, silky hair. And I said 'Sylvester, you're back!'
Then a moment later a sparrow flew into the little tree and Sylvester saw it and hurried over and climbed up the trunk. My thought was - oh, good, he's back and I'll see him in the morning.
Morning came and then another day and another day and no Sylvester. So I began to contemplate what happened.
A cat sitting in the middle of a lonely gravel road, at midnight, sitting in the correct position for his face/body to be directly facing a vehicle that turns in.
A bird flies into the branches of this little tree bathed in headlights, at midnight, right at the exact moment I'm with this cat, a cat that I haven't seen for several years, in the middle rural nowhere.
I don't believe in coincidences.
I never found his body, but I believed he died.
Sylvester was a stray - moved into the barn one day, harassed my Mrs Kitty Kitty and my other female cats, but over time worked his way into being a member of our 'farm family'.
Sylvester was different from my other cats, although he was black and white like my Tai Pei, his hair was rather long, staticy and very fine - silky.
He was already pretty people friendly so it didn't take long for him to warm up to me. He was a very loving boy. With all his shenanigans going on and the fact that he'd 'moved in', I decided he needed some manners and took him in to get neutered and vaccinated. He lived with us for a year or so.
Anyway, Sylvester never left the vicinity of the barn - I think he felt like he was lucky to have found a nice home and he didn't want to 'get lost' again.
Every day he was right here, hanging out. He always hung around me when I was feeding the horses, stacking hay, visiting the other cats. I never saw him leave the barn yard.
Then one day he wasn't around. After a couple of days, I was worried. I searched everywhere. No Sylvester. After a couple of months, I figured he wandered too far off and a coyote or owl got him. That was the end of Sylvester.
Then one night, several years later, I was coming home at midnight from work; I turned on to my gravel road and right in the middle of the road sat a cat. A black and white cat. There was a small 8 foot tall russian olive tree on the side of the road and he was about ten feet from it. Otherwise he was just sitting there in the open, the middle of rural farm land, facing my truck.
First thought was 'what is Tai Pei doing so far from the farm!' But as I continued to look at this cat I decided it wasn't Tai - too much white on the chest. So I stepped out of the truck and into my headlights - the cat was gone! I thought 'oh, I've scared him off..'.
Just then I felt a cat wrapping himself around my legs and purring. (Obviously this cat knew me..) So I reached down and felt the staticy, silky hair. And I said 'Sylvester, you're back!'
Then a moment later a sparrow flew into the little tree and Sylvester saw it and hurried over and climbed up the trunk. My thought was - oh, good, he's back and I'll see him in the morning.
Morning came and then another day and another day and no Sylvester. So I began to contemplate what happened.
A cat sitting in the middle of a lonely gravel road, at midnight, sitting in the correct position for his face/body to be directly facing a vehicle that turns in.
A bird flies into the branches of this little tree bathed in headlights, at midnight, right at the exact moment I'm with this cat, a cat that I haven't seen for several years, in the middle rural nowhere.
I don't believe in coincidences.
Profit of Doom
Dismember
I have not had any experiences such as these, but we have lost several wonderful cats over the years. I have had some serious difficulty dealing with their deaths, the utter loss I felt, never to see them again.
After I learned of the Rainbow Bridge, I found a path to follow, to give me hope.
The Meadow is the embodiment of that hope.
Story;
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?529575-The-Meadow
Comments;
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?529576-The-Meadow
I’m still working on fixing the format, so be gentle.
After I learned of the Rainbow Bridge, I found a path to follow, to give me hope.
The Meadow is the embodiment of that hope.
Story;
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?529575-The-Meadow
Comments;
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?529576-The-Meadow
I’m still working on fixing the format, so be gentle.
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
Chance -
INCREDIBLE - I wanted this thread to be a source of healing, comforting hope for those who have experienced the painful loss of a beloved pet. this knocks it out of the park!!! what a wonderfully important addition to our thread!!!
leaky eyes here - but I'm also rejoicing with you because I KNOW the joy of having that very same assurance; that they are "there" and WHOLE and they REMEMBER. the tale of schweepe is still in the works - let me just say that after she visited I was happier than I had been for MONTHS . I hope to get it out later today.
INCREDIBLE - I wanted this thread to be a source of healing, comforting hope for those who have experienced the painful loss of a beloved pet. this knocks it out of the park!!! what a wonderfully important addition to our thread!!!
leaky eyes here - but I'm also rejoicing with you because I KNOW the joy of having that very same assurance; that they are "there" and WHOLE and they REMEMBER. the tale of schweepe is still in the works - let me just say that after she visited I was happier than I had been for MONTHS . I hope to get it out later today.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WITH ALL OF US HERE
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
I’m so sorry that your Dakota died so young.
I think that God made pets to make sure we were never alone on Earth.
In my case that’s certainly true. Hermione was with me when my wife left. She was there to comfort me, constantly at my side. I think of her as my guardian angel come to Earth. She wanted me to find another good human to be with, and has stayed as long as she can. But I’ve taken too long and it’s time for her to go. I know she knows, because she’s constantly coming up to me these days for pets, much more so than in times past. I also think she knows that Aja will take up the call when she’s gone. Aja is the most gentle, loving spirit I’ve ever seen in a dog, yet fiercely protective of me.
Where Hermione used to lay with me each night, that task is now Aja’s as the torch is passed. I sometimes awaken at night to find her head inches from mine, looking out for me in the dark. Aja loves to be physically touching me, as often as she can. I rescued her from the shelter after only a single night there, but I could tell her spirit had been injured by the experience. She’s so happy all the time, just to be in the same room with me.
ETA: Hermione “moos” a lot now, many times a day. She’s been doing it for months. It’s a soft groaning sound she used to only do when I was snuggling her (it’s not a sound of pain.) I would always make the same sound back to her, kind-of like a conversation. She knows from many years that i ALWAYS answer her, and I believe she does it now just to hear me answer, that I still hear her, and will always answer, even as she prepares to leave me,
In my case that’s certainly true. Hermione was with me when my wife left. She was there to comfort me, constantly at my side. I think of her as my guardian angel come to Earth. She wanted me to find another good human to be with, and has stayed as long as she can. But I’ve taken too long and it’s time for her to go. I know she knows, because she’s constantly coming up to me these days for pets, much more so than in times past. I also think she knows that Aja will take up the call when she’s gone. Aja is the most gentle, loving spirit I’ve ever seen in a dog, yet fiercely protective of me.
Where Hermione used to lay with me each night, that task is now Aja’s as the torch is passed. I sometimes awaken at night to find her head inches from mine, looking out for me in the dark. Aja loves to be physically touching me, as often as she can. I rescued her from the shelter after only a single night there, but I could tell her spirit had been injured by the experience. She’s so happy all the time, just to be in the same room with me.
ETA: Hermione “moos” a lot now, many times a day. She’s been doing it for months. It’s a soft groaning sound she used to only do when I was snuggling her (it’s not a sound of pain.) I would always make the same sound back to her, kind-of like a conversation. She knows from many years that i ALWAYS answer her, and I believe she does it now just to hear me answer, that I still hear her, and will always answer, even as she prepares to leave me,
evenso
Veteran Member
I have shared this with a few of you and it's a bit long. The day after we said goodbye to our beloved Riley (the 2nd "heart" dog of 4,) we were so comforted and blessed by what happened at the end, that we had to put our thoughts on paper.
We lost our beloved 13 year old Lab/Dobey mix, Riley on Wednesday, May 3rd. About a year earlier as he began showing his age, we started dreading the inevitable. In the last 6 weeks, he steadily declined, at the end panting hard, unable to eat or take his pain pills (for arthritis.) The following are two accounts of how the Lord spoke directly to each of us. (Sorry it’s long.)
Me:
On Easter Sunday our pastor read Rev. 5:11-13. I was overwhelmed, to the point of tears, at the majesty of those verses. “Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands angels” Wow! I couldn’t stop thinking about that and re-reading the passage:
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"
As I read it again, something jumped out at me that I’d never seen before.
“Beasts?" Could it mean??? I looked up the Greek word for “beasts” and guess what? The word is actually “a living being; an animal!” An animal?
(I realize in previous verses, there are 4 “beasts” at The Throne who seem to have specific assignments but I believe there are more than those 4 that are “animals.” If there are horses in Heaven, why can’t our beloved pets be there?)
Our Riley and our previous 3 babies might be gathered at The Throne with us, all of us singing praise to The Lamb?! I was and am overjoyed. It looks like the pets we’re saying goodbye to here on earth will be with us shortly in Glory as we all sing praise to the Lord!
From the day I discovered this until the day he left us, I would whisper to Riley that I couldn’t wait to harmonize with him!
DH:
For the previous 3 days, Riley had stopped eating and was getting progressively weaker so I reluctantly took him to the vet, suspecting the obvious. After a quick examination, the vet knew immediately that Riley’s lungs were shutting down and he was now trying to breathe through his diaphragm instead.
When the decision was made to put him to sleep, we were led into a quiet, private room where there was a huge pillow on the floor. As he and I were lying together on the pillow, I whispered to Riley, "it won’t be long and all this pain will be gone. What I want you to do is run straight to Jesus and wait for us there. We won’t be far behind you."
When he was waiting for the tech to come get him to put in the IV line, he was stressed, his eyes were glazed, he was panting hard and very weak. I told him again not to worry. "I want you to run straight to Jesus."
When I said that, his head jerked up and he looked straight up at the corner of the ceiling. I looked up, expecting to see a big spider or something but there was nothing there. I looked back at Riley and he was still staring up there. He had stopped panting for the first time in days. His eyes were clear, wide open and there was no fear in them.
I looked back up there and said out loud, “I don’t know if you’re Jesus or an angel but I’m asking you to please take him straight to the arms of Jesus." With that the tech came in to get him, put in the IV line and in a matter of minutes, as I loved on him, he was gone.
What an incredible blessing it was for me to see this because as a Christian, it was obvious to me that the Lord had answered our prayers and sent “someone" to take Riley Home.
After he was gone and as I was leaving the room, I looked back and told him, “We'll be along sooner than you think. Wait for us because we’ll see you soon.”
How gracious is our God Who not only cares for us; He cares for our pets and even notices when a sparrow falls! We are blessed!
We lost our beloved 13 year old Lab/Dobey mix, Riley on Wednesday, May 3rd. About a year earlier as he began showing his age, we started dreading the inevitable. In the last 6 weeks, he steadily declined, at the end panting hard, unable to eat or take his pain pills (for arthritis.) The following are two accounts of how the Lord spoke directly to each of us. (Sorry it’s long.)
Me:
On Easter Sunday our pastor read Rev. 5:11-13. I was overwhelmed, to the point of tears, at the majesty of those verses. “Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands angels” Wow! I couldn’t stop thinking about that and re-reading the passage:
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"
As I read it again, something jumped out at me that I’d never seen before.
“Beasts?" Could it mean??? I looked up the Greek word for “beasts” and guess what? The word is actually “a living being; an animal!” An animal?
(I realize in previous verses, there are 4 “beasts” at The Throne who seem to have specific assignments but I believe there are more than those 4 that are “animals.” If there are horses in Heaven, why can’t our beloved pets be there?)
Our Riley and our previous 3 babies might be gathered at The Throne with us, all of us singing praise to The Lamb?! I was and am overjoyed. It looks like the pets we’re saying goodbye to here on earth will be with us shortly in Glory as we all sing praise to the Lord!
From the day I discovered this until the day he left us, I would whisper to Riley that I couldn’t wait to harmonize with him!
DH:
For the previous 3 days, Riley had stopped eating and was getting progressively weaker so I reluctantly took him to the vet, suspecting the obvious. After a quick examination, the vet knew immediately that Riley’s lungs were shutting down and he was now trying to breathe through his diaphragm instead.
When the decision was made to put him to sleep, we were led into a quiet, private room where there was a huge pillow on the floor. As he and I were lying together on the pillow, I whispered to Riley, "it won’t be long and all this pain will be gone. What I want you to do is run straight to Jesus and wait for us there. We won’t be far behind you."
When he was waiting for the tech to come get him to put in the IV line, he was stressed, his eyes were glazed, he was panting hard and very weak. I told him again not to worry. "I want you to run straight to Jesus."
When I said that, his head jerked up and he looked straight up at the corner of the ceiling. I looked up, expecting to see a big spider or something but there was nothing there. I looked back at Riley and he was still staring up there. He had stopped panting for the first time in days. His eyes were clear, wide open and there was no fear in them.
I looked back up there and said out loud, “I don’t know if you’re Jesus or an angel but I’m asking you to please take him straight to the arms of Jesus." With that the tech came in to get him, put in the IV line and in a matter of minutes, as I loved on him, he was gone.
What an incredible blessing it was for me to see this because as a Christian, it was obvious to me that the Lord had answered our prayers and sent “someone" to take Riley Home.
After he was gone and as I was leaving the room, I looked back and told him, “We'll be along sooner than you think. Wait for us because we’ll see you soon.”
How gracious is our God Who not only cares for us; He cares for our pets and even notices when a sparrow falls! We are blessed!
MinnesotaSmith
Membership Revoked
Out of curiosity...
Where in the Bible is there support for the idea in the OP?
Where in the Bible is there support for the idea in the OP?
MS, stay off this thread. Seriously.
coalcracker
Veteran Member
Love conquers death.
Love is eternal.
Love abides/remains. (1 Cor. 13:13)
God is love (1 John 4:7).
To imply that God will withhold His canine gifts in Heaven is to miss the central characteristic of God.
It is really a rather basic understanding. We get ourselves into trouble when we limit the love of God.
Love is eternal.
Love abides/remains. (1 Cor. 13:13)
God is love (1 John 4:7).
To imply that God will withhold His canine gifts in Heaven is to miss the central characteristic of God.
It is really a rather basic understanding. We get ourselves into trouble when we limit the love of God.
coalcracker
Veteran Member
And God said to me, Go forth.
For I am king of time.
But to you I am only the shadowy one
Who knows with you your loneliness
And sees through your eyes.
Poetry from Ranier Rilke's "Book of Hours."
And more (We to God):
We must not portray you in king's robes
You drifting mist that brought forth the morning.
Piously we produce our images of you
Till they stand around you like a thousand walls.
For I am king of time.
But to you I am only the shadowy one
Who knows with you your loneliness
And sees through your eyes.
Poetry from Ranier Rilke's "Book of Hours."
And more (We to God):
We must not portray you in king's robes
You drifting mist that brought forth the morning.
Piously we produce our images of you
Till they stand around you like a thousand walls.
Chance
Veteran Member
Oh wow!!!
Read this to my mom and we both teared up! I could hardly get through your story - wow - I'm sure Riley saw something Heavenly!
It's like you and Riley were standing on Holy ground for that moment! (I had that feeling one time when a man was dying in ICU - I stepped in to the ICU to draw blood on someone and I was literally stopped dead in my tracks with what I saw.)
I've said the same thing to my dogs! I've always told them - 'when you die go straight to Jesus' - I start when they are puppies as I have no idea if I'll be there when they die or not. So far, I have always been with them. And that's what I tell them as they are dying 'go straight to Jesus, I'll see you soon!'.
I said that in front of a group of vet students/doctors at CSU when Darkota was dying on their table. Afterwards I wondered how many of them said a prayer with me and believed in something more for the pets they would be treating.
And thank you for sharing the scriptures - an eye-opener for me too!
I'm calling my sister today and sharing this with her.
He is so gracious and loving indeed!
Thank you both for sharing what happened with Riley!
Burt Gummer
Veteran Member
Not sure where I saw this but.........................
