In January 2004 Paul and I moved to Whidbey Island, in the state of Washington, to start a permaculture and survival farm on two and a half acres. Permaculture is organic farming plus growing food like nature does—including many different species growing together, which makes the whole more resilient and stronger than its parts. The farm had been pastureland for 25 years. We planted fruit and nut trees, 12 kinds of berries, currants, herbs, wild flowers, and a 3,000-square-foot vegetable garden from scratch.

The first week we were there I went out into the field and prayed out loud. I asked for help from the spirits of the land, soil, insects, birds, reptiles, animals, and plants to help me, guide me, and teach me the way of nature. Then I asked that the whole area (including neighbors and a nearby gun club) to be brought into one harmonious family. I blithely thanked everyone and went back into the house. I had no idea what would emerge from my asking.

Thyme Farm

Whenever we needed manure or compost, materials, or help, I asked. Whatever we needed showed up, sometimes within hours.

Truckloads of composting material showed up, but after six months we noticed that the rodent population had exploded. We could see mice and voles running all over. I commented to Paul that maybe we should visit the nearest animal shelter and get some barn cats. The fairies must have overheard us because the next day three feral cats showed up, a hefty tabby I named Mr. Kitty, his wife Diamond, and his son Slick. We fed them, got them fixed, and they stayed with us for eight years. The three of them quickly reduced the rodents to manageable numbers. Over time, whenever I noticed the mice and vole numbers climbing, I talked to Mr. Kitty and showed him mental images of catching the critters. Within a day our porch was littered with half-eaten rodent carcasses.

I asked the fairies to bring in helpful snakes and created rockeries for the slithery reptiles to live in. Soon after I began to see snakes among the tall grass.
Many people who came to our farm (to buy eggs and produce, help out, or just visit) told us that our farm reminded them of Findhorn. I had read about that miraculous Scottish farm, visited there in 1996 for a day, and felt flattered at the association. I decided to call upon the nature spirits (devas), as had the founders of Findhorn. The first thing I did was go into the field and call upon the main deva. He showed up immediately, with a booming voice and an immense presence, the size of two football fields put together. This deva was in charge of overseeing many acres all around us. When I prayed that first week I had apparently contacted this deva, who subsequently invited the fairies. I thanked him for all his work on our behalf. He seemed pleased.
Later that day I decided I would also talk to the devas for each of the individual crops. I began with the tomato plants I had started from seed indoors. I spoke out loud and asked the tomato deva what, if anything, the tomato plants required. The reply was amazing.

“Silly woman,” the deva replied, “you have been communicating with all of us for years.”

I responded with surprise. “How did I do that?”

“You talk to us with your feeling-voice,” it told me.

I assumed the feeling-voice meant my intuition.

“You can talk if you want to or you can go back to your usual style.”

From that moment on, I made sure to say hello to all the plants and devas any time I went outside. I also practiced saying, “Please may I pick some” whenever I wanted to harvest anything, and “Thank you” after I had done so.

I also practiced thanking the chicken deva for the eggs our hens laid. Because of my close and daily interaction with our free-range chickens, visitors admired how healthy, friendly and loving our hens were. I delighted everyone when I called the chickens to me: “Darlings!” The hens knew my voice (I discovered that most birds are sound oriented) and would come running to me. Our visitors told us that our eggs were the best organic, free-range they had ever tasted. Apparently I had also used my feeling-voice with the chicken deva.

Our next-door neighbor obtained a steer to raise on her pasture. I went down to meet the steer and brought him some greens. While he munched I noticed his left eye was red, swollen, full of pus, and leaking some nasty-looking fluid. I asked the main deva to help the steer. The next day I brought him some more greens and was amazed to find that his eye was completely healed. Our neighbor Shelley came over to greet me.

“We were going to call the vet but we found that the eye was healed. Lauren, did you have anything to do with the cow’s eye healing? I told my dad I was sure you did something.”

I giggled. “Yes, I asked the deva to help the cow’s eye yesterday. Let’s thank the deva right now.” I closed my eyes and quickly thanked the deva for his help. Awesome!
It worked with humans, too. At one point we had some difficulties with the gun club and I asked the deva to help with the problems. Within a week all had been easily smoothed over without my even needing to talk to anyone from the gun club.

The last experiences we had on our farm were twofold. We weren’t able to keep up the farm anymore, because I was ill and Paul was getting too old. I asked for help in selling the farm. Within one day, and without a realtor, we had sold the farm for our asking price to a family who had been looking for a farm for five years!

Shortly before we moved Mr. Kitty got very sick, lost so much weight that his ribs stuck out, wheezed constantly, and could hardly walk. I thought he was dying. I asked the main deva to help. (I thought he would help Mr. Kitty pass easily.) I didn’t see the cat for a few days. Then Mr. Kitty showed up, looking much better. Within two weeks he was back to his healthy self. Of course, I thanked the deva for all his work.
Working with fairies and devas brought many miracles to our farm and helped me to appreciate the wonders of the unseen world of nature spirits. We live in an amazing universe!

Back in December, in Franklin County, Alabama — approximately 693 miles into a 1,285-mile journey from Wisconsin to Florida — the flight of the nine endangered birds was halted and they were put in a pen until further notice.
The issue at hand was a Federal Aviation Administration regulation that forbids paying pilots who fly the small ultralight aircraft used to guide the birds. Specifically, “sport pilot aircraft” cannot be used for commercial purposes, and when the pilots are compensated that makes it commercial, according to FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford.

Joe Duff, co-founder and CEO of Operation Migration, the group leading the crane effort, says its pilots are full-time employees who get compensated for working with the birds seven days a week — working on many different job responsibilities — and that the flying is done on a volunteer basis.
The FAA first accepted the explanation, but after further review decided that the organization was not meeting the requirements. Operation Migration decided to voluntarily ground the rare birds at that time, in the middle of their journey, until they were able to legally continue the flight.

Operation Migration is an organization that assists whooping cranes hatched in captivity, from their first steps through their first migratory trip south. To help the whooping cranes become true wild animals when they start to live on their own, the organization practices “isolation rearing,” in which all people who come into contact with the birds must wear a costume that looks like a whooping crane. In this case, both the pilot and the plane are outfitted to look like the endangered bird.

Noting that the flock was stuck in an incorrect location for the past month, the FAA Tuesday green-lighted Operation Migration to continue the journey to the St. Marks and Chassahowitzka national wildlife refuges in Florida.
According to an FAA statement, “Because the operation is in ‘mid-migration,’ the FAA is granting a one-time exemption so the migration can be completed. The FAA will work with Operation Migration to develop a more comprehensive, long-term solution.”

Duff said the FAA has two criteria for issuing a waiver of this regulation: first, that it does not impede safety; and second, that it is a benefit to the American people. Duff believes Operation Migration’s flights meet both criteria, noting their three pilots practice all safety measures and the organization is assisting with the eco-tourism business and reintroducing an endangered species, which he believes does benefit the American people.
The FAA and Operation Migration will work to resolve the situation in the near future, but for now, this year’s new flock continues the journey south for the winter.

Many children’s books revolve around animals personified as humans who have a problem and set out to solve said problem. Children like animals and, through the magic of writing, can relate to them because they speak and have feelings just like the reader. However, breaking down the barrier between true animal and human behavior is accomplished seamlessly in the 1976 young adult novel, The Dog Days of Arthur Cane. It is a necessary read for anyone over the age of 13 (there are a few “adult” themes, such as references to alcohol and drinking).

Arthur Cane is a typical upper-middle class teenage boy. When he gets into an argument with an African exchange student, James, about “witch doctors” and the existence of devils, James uses traditional African shamanistic chants to turn the arrogant and ignorant Arthur into a mutt for the summer. Arthur wakes up to find his life completely changed, starting with physical changes, then luxuries of everyday life as a human, to the inability to communicate with others, causing him to be very cautious and able to trust. However, as a dog, he still has human thoughts and feelings, which allows him to be a “special” and unusual dog,and the reader truly understands the life of a canine, especially a mutt who is homeless and trying to adapt.

Arthur encounters the best of people, like a musician who treats him as a friend, as well as the worst, including a man who purposely gave him poisoned meat and left him to die. It is not only a beneficial coming of age story for animal lovers, but for everyone. It teaches equality and tolerance, as well as shares the truth about cruelties of the world. Like many timeless stories, the philosophies shared in this text are still relevant today. It seems the author hoped that not only Arthur would walk away with a new outlook on life.

Lynda offers Worldwide consultations in English and French by phone/Skype, email.
Elle offre en français ses services de Communicatrice Animale, de Consultante Holistique, Traductrice pour travailleurs de Lumière. Consultations, ateliers, conférences, voyages initiatiques.

As an Animal Communicator she offers understanding and insights for you and your animal to resolve behavior, relationship, situational issues as well as emotional, health, transitions and grief counseling.

As a Holistic Consultant, she accompanies conscious beings on their spiritual journey; she facilitates the transition of unborn children into this world.

It’s never easy when a beloved pet doesn’t feel well, especially when it’s chronic or life-threatening. It can be an anxious and upsetting time for both the caregiver and animal. Worst of all, it can bring up feelings of hopelessness, fear and stress as we want to make sure our friends receive every opportunity to feel their best. Hearing your pet’s “voice” through animal communication and offering Reiki (pronounced “ray-key”) allows you to work in partnership with your companion animal as well as bringing hope despite the prognosis.

Lilly

Kathleen Prasad, President of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association and an Animal Reiki Teacher, explains that, “Reiki helps us to connect more deeply with the animals we love. Within this energetic connection, we often understand more fully what they are going through or how they are feeling. This can be a great support in communication.”

Animal Communication is an intuitive, two-way telepathic connection. Telepathy comes from the Latin words, “tele,” which means far or distance; and “pathy,” which means feeling. Translated, it means “feeling another soul or being over a distance through non-verbal communication.” All spiritual beings, including people and animals, are born with the ability to communicate using this universal language. As an Animal Communicator, I interpret animals’ thoughts, feelings and viewpoints as well as question them about any and all aspects of their lives. In other words, I give animals a voice so you gain a better understanding of your animal from a holistic perspective.

Your animal family is always tuned into you since they naturally receive what you are transmitting telepathically, whether it’s a happy feeling or a message of fear or concern. They communicate with you using telepathic messages as well. Animals love it when you receive their messages at this spiritual level because it allows for the creation of a deeper, more meaningful relationship to develop. There are many benefits to communicating telepathically with your pets, especially when are chronically ill. One of the biggest benefits is being able to work in partnership with your pet instead of second guessing what their wishes and desires are.

Animals intuitively recognize and understand the energy healing system of Reiki, know it has the ability to heal them, and love receiving it whether it’s offered with or without the use of hands. Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui in the early 20^th century to help people heal and as a spiritual practice. Reiki comes from the Japanese words, “rei” which means spirit and “ki” which means vital energy. Reiki is loosely translated to mean “universal life energy.” By definition, Reiki is holistic in nature as it effects a pet’s entire being: mind, body, emotions and spirit. Reiki treatments can be offered in-person, with or without the use of hands, depending on the comfort level of the animal. Reiki’s benefits are also felt by the pet even its when offered from distance. Animal communication works holistically and uses spiritual energy as well.

Reiki works by bringing about a deep relaxation response, allowing the body to release stress. When energy is unblocked and balanced, it leads to increased wellness and happiness. Besides bringing in more relaxation, Reiki can increase healing after surgery, decrease stress, pain, and anxiety for both you and your animal.  When physical healing is not possible, Reiki helps your beloved companion to transition with peace and dignity. One of the wonderful aspects of Reiki is it can do no harm and safely complements all holistic and Western healing modalities you may be using under your veterinarian’s supervision.

Dr. Dale Olm, DVM, of Southampton Animal Hospital in Benicia, California explains, “We use Reiki in our veterinary practice to help animals with the many stresses that they might encounter during a visit.  As energy beings, we feel that energy is a part of life, and anything that can positively impact a being’s energy is a good thing.  While it might be hard to scientifically document the success or failure of Reiki on a patient, we are confident that it will never harm a pet, and can help in many ways, even if we are unable to appreciate that for ourselves.”

One example of how animal communication and animal Reiki can help was when my sister, Stefani, received the devastating news that her eleven-and-a-half-year-old Keeshond, Mugsy, was terminally ill. Ever since Mugsy bounced into our lives with a rubber basketball in his mouth, I frequently communicated telepathically with him from California, since they lived in New York. After becoming a Reiki practitioner, I began offering Mugsy Reiki treatments for a variety of reasons. After receiving the diagnosis that he was suffering from irreversible gallbladder disease, Stefani depended on regular telepathic communication with Mugsy to validate what she was sensing and feeling from him.  Frequent Reiki treatments became a valuable part of Mugsy overall care plan.

When Mugsy’s vet suggested Stefani consult with a surgeon about surgically removing Mugsy’s gallbladder, Stefani didn’t know what to think or feel. Her initial sense was surgery wasn’t an option for Mugsy due to his age. Plus she couldn’t shake the vision of Mugsy dying in surgery. Stefani felt it was important to know how Mugsy felt about gallbladder surgery. When I tuned in telepathically with Mugsy, I asked him what he’d like do, and he sweetly replied, “While I’m not afraid of dying, I am scared I will die while in surgery. I want my beloved Stefani by my side when I transition. Therefore, I’m willing to forgo surgery and wait it out until my gallbladder fails, if Stefani is on board with me.”

When I conveyed to Stefani what Mugsy said, she instantly felt a huge sense of relief. Mugsy’s words validated her strong intuition that surgery wasn’t an option for them.  Once Stefani felt she was on the same page as her dog about his treatment options and subsequent hospice care, a wave of calm washed over her. “Communication with Mugsy was paramount in helping me feel less anxious and stressed about his deteriorating health. This in turn helped Mugsy to feel safe and supported so he could enjoy whatever time he had with us,” Stefani explained.

For the next few months, I offered Mugsy Reiki on an as needed basis. After each treatment, Mugsy became more calm and relaxed. He’d perk up and become more animated. He even walked with a spring in his step that was noticeably absent before receiving Reiki. He approached his daily walks with more enthusiasm and seemingly less pain. Mugsy, a true “chow hound,” consistently exhibited an increased appetite after each treatment which contributed to him feeling better overall.  Stefani commented that, “Reiki gave me hope and something positive I could offer Mugsy when I felt anxious and hopeless about his future. This was especially true when he was having a bad day.”

One of the hardest aspects of Mugsy’s illness was the fact that no one knew when his gallbladder would fail, which produced a lot of anxiety for my sister. The vet’s diagnosis made it clear he was living with a ticking time bomb, since it was only a matter of time before his gallbladder would rupture and end his life. Mugsy’s regular Reiki treatments, while not a cure, did bring more balance and peace to Stefani and Mugsy during his eight month journey receiving hospice care. My sister credits both the animal communication and animal Reiki for bringing more peace and understanding throughout Mugsy’s illness and dying process.

Lilly

Lori and Lilly

Lilly’s story is another example of how the combination of animal communication and Reiki can be invaluable when your pet is chronically ill. Lilly, a beautiful silver and black fluffy Keeshond, came into Lori’s life when Lilly was six years old. Lori rescued her sight unseen after she read about Lilly on an internet Keeshond rescue site. Without a picture and only a description, Lori drove several hours to adopt this adorable puff ball.  From the moment they met, Lori and Lilly fell in love with one another and became instant best friends. Over the next six years, Lori and Lilly lived an idyllic life together.

A few years later, Lilly was diagnosed with disc disease in her low back and neck.  Lilly also suffered with ataxia, which made it seem like she was drunk because she would lose coordination in her extremities and fall easily. If that wasn’t bad enough, she had severe arthritis in both her hips and knees. Lilly’s mobility issues made it difficult for her to move without assistance, especially when it came to walking and going to the bathroom. Thankfully, Lori was more than happy to support Lilly in whatever way she could.

Lori faced a lot of misunderstanding from those who didn’t understand the nature of Lilly’s special needs, especially in Lilly’s last few months. When those closest to Lori felt Lori was holding on too tightly to Lilly, they urged Lori to put Lilly down. Despite their good intentions, it was difficult for Lori and Lilly to hear.

To the outsider, Lilly’s ataxia made it seem like it was inhumane to let Lilly live a normal life. Despite Lilly’s obvious physical challenges, her heart and mind were strong, clear and lucid. Lilly felt grateful to such a compassionate and loving person who didn’t care that she was different from other dogs and needed extra support. Many times we forget we are not our illness, but a loving spiritual being who happens to have physical challenges.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, I received an urgent call from Lori. Lilly’s daycare providers had just called her saying that they were worried that it might be Lilly’s time to transition because she was listless and not eating plus didn’t have the energy to get up to go to the bathroom. Even lifting her head up was difficult to the point where she couldn’t get a drink of water.  At this point, the clinical picture was very dire for Lilly.

When I tuned into Lilly telepathically, Lilly clearly stated that she was not ready to die nor was she ready to be assisted through euthanasia. When I told Lori what Lilly was feeling, I suggested we offer Lilly Reiki to support her. After explaining what Reiki is and how it works, Lori and Lilly were on board and I began giving Lilly weekly Reiki treatments.

Lori noticed an immediate difference in Lilly after her initial Reiki treatment. Where Lilly could not walk and was having difficulty defecating before being offered Reiki, afterwards she was able to move around more freely. Where she was struggling to keep her balance when voiding stool, she no longer struggled. Lori also noticed that Lilly’s appetite increased after her treatments as well. The best part was Lilly was able to resume her weekly routine of going to daycare while Lori was at work. Needless to say, Lori was thrilled as Lilly seemed more animated, with a new lease on life. More importantly, the Reiki treatments gave Lori and Lilly the gift of time.

Lilly shared with me what she wanted most: “I want to spend my last Christmas with my beloved Lori,” Lilly exclaimed, “I know it’s going to be the best Christmas of all!” So Lori postponed her holiday trip to France and shared the next few weeks and Christmas with Lilly. Lori finally gave herself permission to buy Christmas gifts for Lilly.

Over the next few weeks, Lilly received regular Reiki treatments coupled with communication. She responded so well that Lori rescheduled her European trip in early January. During her flight home, she had a stopover in Atlanta, where Lori received an urgent message from Lilly’s daycare providers:  Lilly suffered a seizure or stroke and was at the animal hospital. They proceeded to beg Lori for permission to euthanize her since they felt Lilly was in such terrible shape.

Lori immediately called me to find out what Lilly needed and wanted. I could hear the fear and worry in Lori’s voice. Lori was determined to be with Lilly, especially if it was truly time to say goodbye. When I tuned into Lilly and asked her what was going on, she calmly replied, “I’m okay for now. Please reassure Lori that I will wait for her to arrive. Ask her to try not to worry. And let her know that I am happy she went to France and that I love her with all my heart and soul.”

When Lori finally arrived at the animal hospital a couple of hours later, she said it looked like Lilly’s spirit had already left her body. It was crystal clear that the only humane choice was to give Lilly a kind and loving death. Before Lori made the final decision, she asked me to check with Lilly one more time to make sure Lilly was okay with euthanasia. Lilly was clear that she was ready to transition out of her physical body now that Lori was by her side.  Despite her intense sadness, Lori knew in her heart that it was Lilly’s time and assisted her beloved companion into the light.

Lori later wrote, “I wanted to do Reiki as an alternative instead of surgery for Lilly’s many problems because surgery could have left her paralyzed and in even worse shape than she was. I’m so happy we did Reiki and that we were able to communicate telepathically so I could understand Lilly’s wishes and her thoughts. It meant so much!”

When animal communication is combined with Reiki, it creates a formidable blend that empowers both animal and caregiver. Animal communication allows your beloved companion to fully participate in all aspects of life, including end of life choices, by understanding the animal’s specific needs and wishes at this deep level. By doing so, allows you to work in partnership with your pet. The addition of Reiki creates a strong ally by helping your pet to feel more balanced with less stress creating more peace and harmony for all involved despite the prognosis.

Ms. Prasad sums it best by saying, “In working with animals and Reiki, we open a window to this relationship; by connecting to animals energetically and being a part of their healing process, we are able to deepen our connection to the universe and our understanding of our place within it.”

Cathy Currea

Animal Muse Communication and Reiki

925.671.9208 (Pacific time)

info@animalmuse.com

www.animalmuse.com

Upcoming Classes and Events with Cathy:

September 3: Animal Communication Basic Workshop in Santa Rosa, California

October 4: Conversations with Cathy Currea—a teletalk fundriaser benefiting Shelter Animal Reiki Association;

October 15: Advance 1 Animal Communication Seminar in Santa Rosa, California;

November 19: Animal Communication with Wolf Dog Fundraiser in Martinez, California.

What is it like to be a dog? Well, you see everything from less than two feet from the ground in most cases, and your eyesight isn’t so great for objects right in front of you. Your primary way of sensing the world around you is smell. Odors undetectable by human beings form a rich and fascinating tapestry of data, interest, and delight to a dog. We gaze at a sunset; a dog smells a rock that other dogs have visited.

Dogs are extremely perceptive and can tell from the twitch of a finger that you are about to feed them or take them on a walk. They can smell your moods and ailments; dogs are sometimes used to detect cancer.

This is a remarkable book filled with good advice. For example, do not rush your dog through a walk; allow ample time for sniffing and smelling, because, for a dog, that is what going for a walk is all about: a fascinating olfactory tour of the neighborhood. Not allowing a dog time to smell is like making you go through the walk blindfolded.

If the book has any fault, it is that Horowitz relies too much on “scientific” experiments that are sometimes poorly designed or that do not take important factors into account. She discounts the idea that dogs will respond with helpful actions in case of an emergency because an experiment showed that dogs were unconcerned when emergency situations were simulated (a heart attack, falling shelves). But, after spending many pages explaining how perceptive and tuned in dogs are, it never occurs to her that a dog can tell quite easily that the experimenters are faking. Other than that, Inside of a Dog is a fascinating and informative read.

I’d just given my miniature horses their hay when Misty’s ears swiveled back and then she turned her whole body, facing away from me, looking off to the rear of the fence line 100 feet away. I looked too. And then I saw it—a huge coyote, just coming out of the underbrush on the far side of the fence. Considering there used to be timber wolves in this area, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to see that he was a mixture of wolf and coyote…huge, cunning, and highly intelligent. His eyes went from the mini horses and then met mine. He sat down in the grass and stared at me.

I’d seen coyotes in with the horses before, stalking them. They’d attacked my dogs three times in my yard in broad daylight and I’d had to run them off, scared to death…but I did it. So the fact that this particular coyote had absolutely no fear of me made me very nervous. I’d taken to carrying a baseball bat with me whenever I went out in the yard or up to feed the horses. Not that it would make much difference if a coyote decided to attack me—I’d seen how fast they can run…like the wind itself.

So I brandished my bat in what I hoped was a convincingly menacing manner and yelled at the coyote. He just sat there, staring at me. I took my bat and smacked it against the wood fence post. Whap! Whap! All the while I was yelling at the coyote, trying to scare it off. It responded with a langorously sensual stretch, and then lay down. Still staring at me.

I looked at the mini horses. They looked at me, then back at the coyote, and then began munching their hay. They obviously figured I had the situation under control.

After at least five minutes of making loud noises and yelling at it to leave, it got up, had a huge yawn, and began moving through the underbrush. I realized that it could in a few minutes cut me off from my only path back to the house. I picked up my bat and ran back to the yard, grabbing the dogs and towing them inside the house, slamming the door as fast as I could in case the coyote was on my heels.

That night I sat on my couch and decided to try to contact Coyote and work out a deal. I connected right away, and asked Coyote to agree to leave me, and all of my animals alone, to stay out of my yard and the horse pasture. In return, I promised to keep all the coyotes safe and not let anyone on my land to trap or kill them. It took awhile, but Coyote agreed. This was two years ago, and I’ve only seen one coyote, a dusty black one, lurking on the edges of my lawn trying to tempt my dog to come to him. I chased him off with the bat, too. In the winter there would be tons of tracks through my yard; after the agreement, there were seldom any. And when the packs howl at night, they are no longer right next to my house, or close to the horses.

I’m still not sure what that coyote was trying to communicate to me that day it stared across the pasture at me. I was too scared at the time to try to connect with him to ask. As long as Coyote continues honoring his agreement with me, I’m willing to co-exist in peace with all the coyotes.

When Geoffrey Bain had to say goodbye to his best canine friend, he was devastated.

He wondered at what point, when you have to put your animal down, should you choose to let go. He researched the matter and found varying viewpoints. Just One More Day is full of first-hand accounts from animal lovers who had to go through the heart-wrenching act of putting their animal out of his or her misery.

Keith L. tells of his horrible pet experiences—most tragically died, leading him to feel cursed and hesitant about adopting a new furry family member. Six years later, his dog is still around and spreading love. It is not just animal guardians who share their opinions, but doctors and children as well.

More importantly, there are several tools provided to help someone who has lost a dear animal companion, including tips for coping and a “Quality of Life Scale” with explanation and chart. Poetry, clever quotes, and funny anecdotes fill the remaining pages. Of the many books about loss, this one is definitely worthwhile.

(Just Plain Love Books, 2010, Softcover, 36 pages, $12.95)

Everyone who has lost an animal companion would likely share the same sentiments Brent Atwater expresses in her book, The Dog with a “B” on His Bottom!!! The author shares her story of the loss of her dog and the renewal of happiness in the journey to find a new dog. She finds a new and wonderful companion in a puppy who has a “B” on its backside, “written” the same way Brent writes the “B” in her name. Though in this brief tale there are a few moments where the reader will “aww” and perhaps shed a tear, one might be better off reading I’m Home!, another book by Brent Atwater which not only has this story, but several other love stories from around the world involving dog reincarnation.