A client of mine has had an enormous amount of grief to deal with in the last five years. She lost one of her beloved dogs, then she lost her husband, then she lost another one of her beloved dogs. Her remaining dog was like her lifeline. He was the thing that kept her going, her reason for getting up in the morning. So, this summer when she lost him, her final dog, she was consumed with grief.

The emails she sent me and phone conversations we had in the weeks that followed made my heart heavy. She spoke of her deep despair, and her fear that she had nothing left to live for. She worried that she would be consumed by the grief she was experiencing. She was unable to stop crying, unable to eat or sleep or even get herself in the shower. I kept encouraging her to give it time, to just feel what she was feeling and give herself the space to honor and process all the things she was feeling. I honored her feelings and did my best to just be there for her, so she knew she wasn't alone.

In one conversation we had, she asked me how I managed to still function without Lucky and I told her of the dream I had after Lucky died. In the dream, she told me she was going to come back to me as a german shepherd named Chance. I explained that it gave me something to look forward to, knowing my life would one day be filled with the love of a special companion again. It didn't immediately make her feel better, but it gave her something to think about.

Several weeks after that particular conversation, I got an email from her telling me of the exciting events that had been unfolding in her life. She ran into a gal she hadn't seen in years, who encouraged her to check out a rottweiler rescue site she knew about. She felt compelled to check out the website, even though she wasn't sure she was ready for another dog and when she got on the site, there was a rottweiler on the front page named Chance. She took it a sign and immediately filled out an adoption application.

The next weekend, her friend drove with her to the woman's house that had the rescue dogs and much to her surprise, she and Chance didn't connect at all . . . but there was another dog there, a dog named Chuck and it was love at first sight. The rescue gal knew immediately that they were a perfect fit. Chuck couldn't take his eyes off my client as they walked around the yard in perfect harmony. She said she felt a major connection to him.

You could feel the excitement bubbling out of her email . . . the words sprang off the page as she wrote about the contentment she felt as she drove home with him in her car . . . how she knew they belonged together and how much joy she felt in her heart. She felt she had a purpose again, a reason to be happy to wake up each morning. She sensed that Chuck was exactly what she needed in her life.

Since then, I have received many heart warming emails from her, keeping me up to date on the adventures she and Chuck have been having. It is so wonderful to see her happy again, to feel her joy. While she still feels the loss of her husband and three dogs, she has embraced this new chapter in her life and is enjoying it as it unfolds.

It has reminded me of the fact that for each of us, there is a 'right' time to get another animal after we have lost one. For some of us, we may need to wait months or years before we are 'ready' again and for others, the 'right' time is much sooner. No one can tell you what is right, you just need to follow your own heart and trust your own instincts. I do believe we are guided to the 'right next step' on our paths . . . we just need to stay opened and pay attention.

Available kitties!

Do you ever wonder about the feral cats in your neighborhood? Do you ever wonder what happens to the litters of kittens they have each year? Fortunately, there are kind-hearted people out there who do what they can to help the feral cat population and I have had the pleasure of knowing one of these wonderful people. She is making a real difference with the cats in her neighborhood and I am dedicating this weeks blog to her and the wonderful work she does.

She goes out of her way to spay and neuter the feral cats in her neighborhood, to try to help ease the over population problem. When a feral cat does have a litter of kittens, she takes care of the kittens, helps them to feel safe and to become comfortable with people. Then she finds them new loving homes so they can learn what it is like to live in a house full of kindness. Most importantly, she treats every one of these feral cats with dignity and respect. She does everything she can to help them . . . she is a wonderful guardian to all the cats whose path cross hers.

I don't think it is any accident that all the feral cats in her neighborhood started showing up in her yard month after month, year after year. After all, animals are smart. They know who is kind and they know where to go when they need help. They are savvy enough to know that Christa's house is a good place to go if they need food, medical treatment or if they just need to feel safe.

Christa has been looking for homes for the latest groups of "fosters." She put together a wonderful blog with pictures of the kitties currently looking for homes, and a description about each one of them. I am including the link to her blog, so that you can look at the precious kitties who are in need of new homes. Maybe you know someone who is looking for a new cat. Maybe you are looking for one yourself, or just maybe you'll meet someone in the next day or the next week who is looking for a cat and you can direct them to Christa's website.

These kittens have all been well taken care of and they are ready to find their forever homes. Can you help them find their new forever home? Take a look at Christa's website and see what you may be able to do to help. http://tabbyornottabby.blogspot.com/

Animals roles in our lives evolve

My neighbor invited me into her house the other day to look at the home improvement projects they had recently completed. We were busy looking at bathroom fixtures and light fixtures and I had been in the house at least 5-10 minutes when their dog Cricket finally realized I was there. (He had been sound asleep and his hearing doesn't work too well anymore, as he is over 15 years old, so he didn't know someone had come in). Once he saw me though, it was all wags and kisses and I spent some time giving him love and attention.

As I was petting him, my neighbor said, "He isn't much of a guard dog anymore, is he?" She went on to describe how someone could break into the house and he'd never know, etc. I felt bad for Cricket and didn't want him to feel that he was being criticized, so with a smile on my face I gently said, "Maybe that's not his job anymore . . . maybe he has another job."

I wasn't sure how my neighbor was going to respond . . . she was quiet for a minute or two . . . and then she said, "You know, I think you are right. His job is to take care of my daughter and he does a wonderful job."

It made me smile in a deep, from the toes sort of way. Her daughter is five years old and I love seeing she and Cricket together. They are the best of friends. There are times where I am in my backyard and she and Cricket are in their backyard and I find myself fighting back giggles when I hear her conversations with him.

She talks to him constantly, plays with him, lays with him, sneaks him extra treats when no one is looking, etc. Cricket gives her constant companionship, he makes her laugh, lets her do just about anything to him and he is happy to play along.

It made me happy to know that Cricket's mom was seeing that he does have another job to do now and it's probably more important than being a guard dog. I believe that the impact he is having on her daughters life right now, will stay with her and remain a positive for the rest of her life.

It got me thinking about the fact that the role our animals play in our lives can change and evolve over time . . . based on our needs. They may come into our lives to teach us something and once we've learned what they came to teach us, they may teach us something else, or they may play a role in another family members life or non-family members lives.

Several years ago, I met a woman whose dog had gone blind at a very early age. I remember her telling me that he still loved to play fetch in the water with sticks. She told me stories about the people they met who were astounded that he could find a stick in the water, even without being able to see. She told me that she thought part of his job was to help people see that it was possible to still life a full life, even with a disability. When they first adopted him, they had other expectations for the role he would play in their lives, but she fully embraced the new role he began to play after he lost his sight.

The one thing that I always trust is that animals know . . . they know why they are here, and they know what is needed most, even if we don't see it at the time. What magical creatures they are and what a blessing it is for us to have them in our lives.