Hi

I am new and looking for comfort with facing the passing of my loyal companion of 13years as she is going blind from cataracts, her back end going and showing sings of senility. I do not think she will be here for many more months.

My family believes in cremation (for human family members passing) so that the soul may go free. I don't know where to find out if my dog can be cremated so I can scatter her ashes so her spirit may also be free to be reborn?

I would like that she passed away at home not in vets office..so if she died at home would I phone a pet cremation service I had made prior arrangements with? or would i still need vet to come to pronounce that she had passed? would they have to take her away? or would she then be able to go to a Pet Crematorium?

Thank you in advance for your advice

Katja


p.s sorry I forgot to say also..if anyone has story that their dog did come back to them in another body? How did you know for sure it was them?

Hi katja,
I am not sure where I stand on notions of the afterlife but I believe something does happen- whether it's reincarnation or traveling to a perfect world. I'm really sorry to hear that your companion is approaching her time, in some ways it's a blessing to know as it allows you spoil her and spend as much time with her as possible but i guess it doesn't make things easier when the time comes.
I lost my 13 year old doggy Rocky two months ago and we had him put to sleep at home. Like you I didn't want his end to be in a vets office. We asked the vet to leave his body with us as we wanted to get him cremated and I couldn't bare the thought of having him sit in a freezer alone in a vets office til then. The cremation service picked him up first thing in the morning (he was put to sleep the night before). They had him cremated and had his ashes back to us within a few days.

I recommend doing your research and seeing with cremation services are available to your area. One thing we made sure of is that the service only cremated one pet at a time as some services will do a few and you end up with ashes that aren't just of yours.

Hope this answered some of your questions and again I'm so sorry to hear about your loyal companion

Hi

I'm sorry to hear about your companion also. I did not know our dogs could stay at our houses until collection. I have no freezer I guess it would depend when she passed if it was middle of summer or something. I only have my bed to lie her on where all sleep. as she's always slept on my bed so myself and my other dog could lay with her a while. Would the body not go stiff by this time if left overnight to next day?

It was a cool Autumn night when my boy passed but I guess it wouldn't be the best idea in the middle of Summer, though most cremation services will do a pick up within a couple of hours of your call- i'd definitely suggest doing research, thinking it over and having a plan to follow when the time comes, it saves you having to make those decisions when you're already enveloped by grief as it seems almost impossible to think about it then...I do hope your girl still has many happy months left in her though

Hi, Katja, please permit me to offer you my sincerest condolences in your precious companion's and your earthly journey that is transitioning to a time when your precious companion will no longer be physically with you. Please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling is very normal, and is known as Anticipatory Grief. As Rockyboy has so comfortingly shared with you, you and your precious companion are blessed with this time to comfort one another and reassure one another in knowing that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from the eternal love bond you and your precious companion share.

Rockyboy has also offered you excellent recommendations in researching the home veterinary and cremation services in your area. Knowing who to contact and when to contact them when the time comes will make the process less stressful for you at a time when your heart is burdened with deep sorrow. At some point in time your companion's body will stiffen - - which is known as rigor mortis. This is a natural process, and if you should notice it happening it is nothing to be alarmed about.

As to your question: "if anyone has story that their dog did come back to them in another body? How did you know for sure it was them?" - - I do believe that our beloved companion's sweet Living Spirit does find a way to let us know they are still with us through the behaviors of other precious companions we have in our lives - - be they companions who are already with us or new companions we embrace into our hearts and homes. When you have another companion you may find he / she does something "just like" your beloved companion used to, and you may even find yourself sometimes calling your new companion by your beloved companion's name - - for no apparent reason. All of this, and more, is very normal for your beloved companion who is with the angels continues to share your earthly journey as he / she always has and always will - - for your beloved companion is always and forever a part of your heart and memories - - your beloved companion is always and forever a heartbeat close to you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious companion kindly, Katja, and that you both will have a peaceful evening. Please know you and your precious companion are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you both are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi

Yes tonight I am going out for a birthday meal (It was Friday) which had to be postponed. I did not enjoy my birthday this year though after receiving that news at the beginning of the week.

I have seen a few stories on the internet where people have claimed their dogs have come back to them in another body. I would like to believe it was possible and would happen. I'd be interested to hear if anybody on here has experienced this?

I do have another dog, so I don't think I would get another unless I was absolutely convinced it was Inca's spirit inside, I don't feel I'd go looking to buy another but if a stray came into my life that looked like her (found at one of her fav spots or followed us home), ran to her fav spot on the sofa or toys etc or responded if I said 'Inca' I may well believe it was her and want to adopt it. I would believe it was fate especially if I had not gone out of my way to search for another dog at all and it had just seemed to appear from nowhere. I'm not sure what the odds are on something like that happening!

Hi.

So sorry for your impending loss.

When my Hunny had to leave us, I found one of our other dogs kept looking up to the corner of the ceiling. I'm not sure I believe in re-incarnation or not, but I seriously believe she comes to visit once in a while. I don't think it's as oftern as it was at first, because I don't see Izzy looking up that much anymore. She just looks into the corner like she's listening and looking at someone. And it's only for a few seconds or so. And I think she visits Izzy, cos Izzy was her best friend after we lost her sister Lily. We got Izzy about ten days after losing Lily. Hunny was sad and depressed at losing her sister whom she'd know her entire life. Izzy was the one that was there for her. And Hunny helped Izzy heal too - Izzy came from a puppy mill.

I sure hope there is something after this life, reincarnation or another dimension. Because I hope so much to see my little angels again one day.

This is a great website. I found it not too long before we let Hunny go.

Take care.

Lynette.

hi Lynette

Yes I believe in stuff like that myself and have had similar experiences after my mum died..feeling like someone sat on end of my bed when I was asleep or touched my legs. At first it would make me jump but nothing be there I'd go and look to see if Sam (our dog at the time) was on his bed at bottom of stairs as he'd sometimes come up to my room but he'd be fast asleep and there's no way he'd have run down that fast got in his bed and instantly been fast asleep.

Once at a friends house there was just myself, my friend and her child a toddler at the time around 2yrs old. I was sleeping in their spare room, the door shut cos it was winter and freezing facing the wall. it felt like someone was hugging me from behind! I turned over and the door was still shut , no-one there....no way a 2yr old could have climbed back out, open door, closed it behind her and got back in her bed (and it def wasn't my friend either!) I always thought up to then that my mum only visited at our house cos it was our home, that was my only experience of it away from 'home' where I grew up and where my mum passed away.

There has also been times when Inca has appeared to be staring at someone or something, sometimes wagging her tail, but she never knew my mum who died back in 1991, however my dad did help me train her when she was a puppy. I'd had her about a year before he passed away and she had also met Sam who was still alive and living at the family home. I'd take Inca and stay the weekend with Sam so they could go away for a few days..so not sure whether it was Sam (the dog) or my dad she was 'seeing'.

I see quite a few of Sam's traits in JJ (my young collie) as he has grown up and it's odd that we'd ALWAYS had rescue dogs but for some reason at the last minute I was drawn to this puppy I saw online..all the way through the process I was unsure but felt 'something' was telling me he was the right one when I got JJ as a puppy. I wonder know if it is Sam and he's come back in JJ to be here for me when Inca has to go. It's hard for me to see JJ as Sam as Sam was a lab X and just looked like a slim yellow lab and JJ is a black & white Border Collie.

I found myself looking at a site at cockapoo's the other day ..searching for a little black one with white blaze on chest that looked like Inca.Again it's not a breed I'd considered as could do without the professional grooming costs of a poodle (or poodle type coat!) I wonder if it's Inca's spirit is trying to tell me in what form she will come back or just me losing my marbles..lol!

Katja

Firstly, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. My pug winnie passed away just over a week ago, and even though each day is a little better, it still hurts deeply.

I was desperate for support/comfort/peace and I went and saw a spiritual adviser/intuitive. I brought a photo of Winnie and we talked for awhile about what happened. She told me that her spirit was still here and that we have pets in our life that she refers to as 'familiars'. These pets are special companions that touch us in a unique way - different than other pets we may have had.

She said that Winnie's spirit will come back to me in the form of another pet. That often a spirit of this nature can come back to us 2, 3 times in our lifetime. She gave me some advice on how to ensure that she does come back.

She suggested I hang a photo of Winnie on my fridge and touch it every day. To think of her and even softly remind myself and her that I am looking forward to seeing her again. She told me that I will have an urge at some point to find another dog and to pay attention to that intuitive feeling, because that feeling is my sign that she's ready to come back to me. Her estimate for me was that it would be in about 6 months or so.

She reminded me that I may have other pets or get other pets but that the familiar will always have something special about them.

So while I can't attest to having Winnie come back to me yet, I'm confident that she will.

We picked up her ashes yesterday, and everyone was right - it can be difficult after they pass and you start the grieving process to then go back a week or two later (after you've started to pull yourself back together) and receive a very real reminder that they have passed away. It was really difficult, but I mention it so that you may remember that moment as needing special care and attention too if you do decide to cremate. I'm so glad we did it, but it doesn't make it any less difficult.

Sending love to you and your pup.

Well, I can understand the wish of having your dog come back etc... as far as the cremation part, it is much better to have the body cremated and to make sure you get her/his ashes directly to you. As far as having or letting the vet keep the body, I have to say that I preferred my dog to stay in the freezer, I didn't want her body being attacked by maggots or worms or other bugs, I rather have her body sterile in a freezer preserved and then direct to cremation. I left a fish in the backyard in a plastic bag who died ironically a day before my dog did. I didn't have time to drop the dead fish in a nearby river and back to nature so I let the plastic bag sit in the backyard, in 70 degree weather ( my dog got sudden bloat and had to be rushed to the ER, that event distracted me from the fish, and was more important however, after one day, I saw maggots and bugs all over that one bag. I still wrapped it up and placed it in the river BUT... not to devalue the fish but my dog of ten years was more special and important to me and the thought of her body being attacked by maggots was too disrespectful, I am happy I had the vet keep her frozen and perserved.
I just wanted to add this for those who decided to leave their pets body with the vet, as it may not sound as warm, the freezer is actually a good way to perserve and keep all bugs and maggots from attacking the body would start to rot and decompose rapidly especially in warm weather. For those who have a freezer or other circumstance where a burial may be more fitting then that would work just as well...Again, I just wanted to add a word of comfort for those who left their pets at the vet overnight or even two nights. Either way, you did what suited your situation and you did the best for your pet. I just lost my beloved dog to bloat a week ago, it is still shocking and I actually cannot believe it?