Hi, everyone --

A couple weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I had an experience I wanted to share, and to see if anyone has ever had anything like this happen.

I was awake, I was not dreaming, but all of a sudden, I knew Lucy was there. Lucy was the dog I had when I was growing up, who I never really grieved properly until I just recently got another dog, Josie.

Anyway, in this night, wide awake, I knew she was there. I didn't see her, and I didn't hear her. But she was there, very calm and just watching me, and I had the feeling there was another dog with her, and that dog was wagging its tail and panting/smiling, like he was happy for her. Happy for her, that I've been thinking of her again and telling her in my heart how much I loved her, and still do. Kind of like this other dog knew how long she'd been waiting for me to come around, and was so happy that it finally has happened.

I like to write fiction, and I keep wondering if I was just imagining it. But then I keep thinking that I would not have imagined this other dog that was with her. It was a bigger dog (and again -- this is so weird!! -- I didn't actually physically see anything, I just "knew"), and he was much bigger than Lucy, but was very friendly. For some reason, I think it was a male dog, kind of a german shepherd mix.

Maybe in my subconcious I was imagining it, but it just seemed so real. And again, I just don't think I would have imagined another dog. I keep thinking if I had imagined it, it would have just been me and Lucy.

I really am such a sane, reasonable person, I hesitated to write this, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me:

Has anyone else ever had an experience like this, with animals especially (considering the forum) or people who've gone on?

-- Michelle (Lucy & Josie's mom)

p.s. -- And Lucy, if that was really you, I'm glad you've found such a wonderful friend! You'll have to introduce me to him when I see you again!

When my son was little he asked our priest when we will be resurrected will we be children or adults? The priest said what would be resurrected would be the 'essence' of a person, that is, not the body as much as a soul but that people would recognize him anyways. Sounds to me like you came in contact with the essence of Lucy and the essence of a new friend she has found. WOW.

Before Daddy Cat died I would have said you were imaging things. Since then I've been visited by him several times. Once he jumped on the bed, lay down next to me, and purred. He rubs against my legs sometimes. I teach science and am a firm believer in the scientific method and reasoning. Still, I think there are some things out there that we don't understand on a reasoning level. My guess is that if the bond between you and your furkid was strong, there is the possibility of Lucy visiting you. Whether it is an essence, spirit, or something else, I don't have a clue. I just know that they can make contact with us if they wish to do so and that something does survive death. Be thankful that Lucy came back to say hello.

Oops In my above post I had used the wrong word, 'reincarnated' instead of the now corrected 'resurrected' that I was talking about!!!

Ken Albin

You are right and Goethe would agree!

Okay, maybe I'm not nuts, then. Another thing that makes me think I wasn't imagining it was that even the words I used in my original question/post didn't quite capture what I felt or knew happened, and if I'd imagined it, I'd be able to describe it better (the seeing, but not seeing).

Thanks for your replies!!

-- Michelle

Every once in a while I hear purring coming from the couch where Simba used to lay by me. My other cat is nowhere near me so I know it isn't him. Sometimes in the kitchen I hear a loud tha-thump noise. Simba used to always jump onto the kitchen counter and then made that noise jumping back down to the floor. My other cat would also look into the kitchen like he heard something.

I do believe our lost pets come back to us to check up on us.

Well, I've had a few thing occur on loved ones who'd passed away.

Sprocket was my wife's dog at the time we got married. He moved into our new home along with us. Sprocket and my wife ,Tracey had one those wonderful relationships... she found him in a shelter as a battered dog. He sure wasn't the prettiest pooch in the pound and got used to all the cute ones being taken. In fact he hardly even raised his head when Tracey and her Mum looked into the pen. Mum,moved on, but true to Tracey's nature, she kept looking at this forlorn little dog. These two were made for each other, I tell you what.
Anyways, a little after we got married, his Cushings Disease(cancer) had finally beaten him after a long illness. We took him off to our vet and put him to sleep.
A day after or so, we were going out to get the "hunting & gathering" done for the week. Tracey was outside on the opposite side of the house and I was inside locking up. As I pulled the door closed, I heard a familiar whimper. I thought "odd".. I found Tracey coming back around the corner and we both asked each other ,if we heard the sound. Of course we immediately raced about the place looking for a valid explanation. Not a dog within coo-ee of us.
She says that it was the same as Sprocket would make if being left at home.
In the last year or maybe less, I've seen in parts of the house,usually at night when watching tv in near darkness, a small dark brown back of a dog move by. The same colour and height as Sprocket. Poor Tracey asks why she can't see him and I can... and considering he was jealous of this blow-in taking the affections of Tracey..why let me see him?
Maybe if Tracey stayed up later more often, she would! 8-)

You may have read my story about Ellie-Mae.. I'm so hoping she sticks around.
My late Dad gave me a few signs when he passed away.. so I hope I'm right in thinking I'm a little sensitive to this kinda thing.

Doggy Daddy. (Andrew)
brisbane.

Wow, Andrew, you and Tracey sound great. I loved (and cried) about how she picked out Sprocket. Did you ever hear the quote from the priest who started Boys Town, about how "There's no such thing as a bad boy?" Well, to me, there's no such thing as an ugly dog! They're wonderful, wonderful beings, and we're so lucky to have them in our lives!

Maybe one day, Sprocket will show up for Tracey. In the meantime, tell her not to be jealous, because Sprocket must have his reasons for holding out on her for now!

Love,
Michelle

Here's something they could probably lock me up for...
Until a week ago,Ellie-Mae (the mufty dog) would nudge our back screen door. It's broken and the wind would catch it and slam it open and shut..but it would be a single slam or a definite gap in-between.
Ellie would stand on the steps and give it a slight nudge nudge, "I wanna come in now".

Guess what I distinctly heard and got up to let in?? Not a slam,but the nudge nudge. Well, I set myself to get up out of my chair, then "oh,yeah..".. but I did anyway and went through the motions. Siad "c'mon El, get in". I'd always pat her back as she moved past. She'd then stop a few paces away to check I was coming too. We'd then walk into the lounge room and settle back down.
Michelle, I have to say that Sprocket was an ugly dog. ;-) But the bond between Tracey and her pooch was amazing. He was so jealous of me. I'd be home during the day and sometimes he wouldn't let me in the room. I'd go to pat him and I'd get the teeth and growl. In the end I'd throw a blanket over him. You'd see this basic dog laying down shape,and the growl... The bunnies were just a front.
I have to admit to winding him up every now and then. He got just a good as he gave..

One night when I was walking him..no, Tracey was walking him and I was behind them on a narrow footpath, he kinda tripped over his own feet and did this roll. All I saw was his body rolling over, his feet,eyes all rolling over and bingo, back on his feet and walking on.. all in seconds.. we didn't even slow down. I darned near wet myself laughing. Quite the little trooper. He was beautiful on the inside that's f' sure. I'll not forget the night we lost him. That was pretty awful. But the day after, was enlightening.



ya gotta talk to 'em and be ready for any replies.

Doggy Daddy.

I don't think anyone's crazy for what's happend to them, I think if you love a baby that strongly, they'll never leave you and they send reminders that they love you too. It's been 8 days now since by purrybaby died and last night I sat on my bed looking into her empty basket, crying, and I heard a purr. Not my other cat as he was nowhere around, but Squeaky's distinctive purr, just for a second or two. I knew she was telling me she'll always be with me. Let these experiences be a comfort that out pets love us xx

The recent death of my Duffy sparked an interest in such things so I bought and just finished the book, "The Soul of your Pet" by Scott S. Smith. After reading the accounts in that book, I do believe what you are explaining and I hope that my Duffy will visit me again. Hearing your stories help to ease my grief. I have been seeing a butterfly every day since Duffy died but that seems so far fetched. In any case, please keep telling these stories because they give me such tremendous hope. If anything happens to me, I promise to share the story as well.

No, that is not far fetched at all. Trust me, it isn't. Did you and Duffy have any special significance with butterflies? If so, then its doubly not far fetched.

I wonder why we humans have been so drilled into discounting things such as this - and yes, I've certainly done my share of discounting such things but still, it makes me wonder how we humans, the so-called civilized folk, have come so far from our hearts and interactions with all the mystery of the universe. How did we come to view such things as "not rational", "not sane", "fodder for the looney bin" and such? If such things exist and occur and we see them, isn't it far less sane to claim they don't exist and that we don't see them?

Devastated, I totally agree with this:

I once read somewhere that the dead can see us and be with us but they can't influence the outcome of our earthly affairs. Fair enough, imagine if all the dead could run things here, it's our life you know! But I think that those little signs, that cat like shadow
that is on the bed since I lost my cats, or perhaps it was always there and I never looked for it before last fall, then again if I discount that shadow, I sort of close myself to more magic don't I? So I choose to believe that certain little signs are possible, even if the dead can't get me the things I would like, and that too is fair enough.
Goethe and Rudolph Steiner both believed that there are things that are yet can not be scientifically observed-both these men were no fools, yet they were not afraid to believe in a certain magic.

My little girl, Bobo, died this February. Later that night after I was told the news by my mom while I was in the dorms, I was laying on my side with my boyfriend next to me crying my eyes out. I kept saying I would give anything, anything to have her next to me and to be able to pet again.

I don't know if it was my extreme desire or I was being looney but I had the feeling like she was lying right up next to me like we used to do and that I could pet her. I mock petted the air and cried. Although I know nothing was there and I felt like I was acting crazy, I sensed her in a way and it help me stop crying as hard and catch my breath.

I see her out of the corner of my eye all the time, and in the middle of the night I swear I here I pitter-patter on the floor and her ears flat when she used to shake her head.

I see this has happened a while back and don't know if you still visit this site, but if you do or for others to see...They ARE with us. I haven't experienced the the sensation of presence, but I have asked for "signs" and gotten them.. As a matter of fact that is how my story here began. It in Pet and Dying support forum under The Furry Love Of My Life, I Know He Hears Me..And I got pictures to prove it!. B4 Arthur died I called on my past angel pets to help send a missing neighbors cat home. Long story short, I begged them for a sign. I found a post card at work of a picture of an angel. I thought good one, but I need more. Later that night some co-workers and I was checking the holiday list of workers. They put one guy's name on there to work the a.m. shift and aft. shift. We joked saying he'd do it, being money hungry. It was a clear mistake. His name was the only one on the list twice. His name was George. Everyone called him Georgy. The missing cat's name was Georgy. When I got home, I got a msg that the cat came home safe and sound. So if you think your crazy, after reading these posts your in good company.. I wish you/and everyone many more "sensations of presence"..Ann

I still come by here every few weeks when I really get into a bad groove for missing my dog. That's a really nice story. When I'm down I always wish she's with me and I always find one of her hairs on my clothes when I need her most.

Yea we thought we were just seeing things too when Murphy passed. Our of the corner of our eyes we would see a flash of gray or hear his jump off the counter and none of the other animals were near the area. Some times we hear clicking of our dog scooters nails on the wood floors during the day when the other two are sleeping on the couch ( lazy bums!) Any ways it was kind of scary for me at first but now I know its their way of checking in on us every once and a while. I think they are just seeing how we are doing and keeping their close watchful eyes on us and our families that they loved so much.