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Wisdom

In their eyes, we are more than physical form.  We are intention, emotion, energy, and spirit. They see who we are. They gaze into our very soul. Unkown. Found on Distant Reiki Animal Healing on facebook (unfortunately, no author attribution available). 

Love is a four legged word. Kandy Shepherd  

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. Albert Camus 

Sometimes you don't need words to feel better; you just need the nearness of your dog. Natalie Lloyd

Good people, a good view and a half obedient mutt are about all you could ever ask for.  John Stortz, Photographer 

To me dogs are not the students, not the ones that need training. To me a dog is a teacher of life, who teaches us the principles of the most important moral values; honesty, integrity, loyalty, trust, respect and love. Cesar Millan

The dog's most important job is still around. Like the legendary Cerberus, the dog still keeps many of us from the Hell of Loneliness.  Tara and Kathy Darling

The wind and rain whipping through the branches outside seem to sing in their own language. "Stay on the sofa," they say. "Finish your nap." Henri, le Chat Noir (voiced by Will Braden)

To travel in the company of animals is to walk with angels, guides, guardians, jesters, and mirrors.  I cannont imagine how it is to travel bereft of such excellent companions. Suzanne Clothier  

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. Gilda Radner

A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not. Ernest Hemingway

I would like to see anyone, prophet, king or God, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time. Neil Gaiman

If you don't believe animals have souls, you have not looked long enough into their eyes. Anthony Douglas Williams

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace. Milan Kundera 

Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog. It merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big. Erica Jong

Animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. George Eliot

If a fish is the movement of water embodied, given shape, then cat is a diagram and pattern of subtle air. Doris Lessing

LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE SOME HURT FEELINGS ABOUT THE BOOKCASE but I think we need to get past this WHAT'S CLAWED IS CLAWED. Tweet from Sockington the Cat

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. Winnie the Pooh (A. A. Milne)

All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it. Samuel Butler

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic. Harriet Ward Beecher

The smallest feline is a masterpiece. Leonardo da Vinci

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That's almost $7.00 in dog money. Joe Weinstein

Any household with at least one feline member has no need for an alarm clock. Louise A. Belcher

I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs.... James Herriot

Dog rehabilitation – This is what I do: help a dog with issues to return to a balanced state of calm submission. Sometimes it may appear that I can "fix" a dog instantly, but as I've said, "a dog is not an appliance that can be sent out for repairs." Permanent dog rehabilitation can occur only with a calm, assertive, stable, and consistent owner. -Cesar Millan

Yes, I’m talking to you. I believe you’re the only Sparky in the house. Charles Barsotti, The New Yorker cartoon, December 25, 1989

Every cat has its own secret life separate from humans. And yes, we have meetings and talk about you. Henri, Le Chat Noir (voiced by Will Braden).

I don't know if my dogs consider me their leader and I don't care. They're greedy, and I have their stuff.  Patty Ruzzo 

I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance - a sharp, vindictive glance. James Thurber

If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much. Mark Twain

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg. Abraham Lincoln

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Ghandi

Dogs can teach us to become more conscious about the energy that we project. World transformation comes with self transformation. Once you transform the way you think, everything around you changes and that's the beauty of having a dog. We always talk about the unconditional love dogs give us, but it's also the sense of awareness that dogs bring to us that help transform our lives.  Cesar Millan

An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language. Martin Buber

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace. Milan Kundera

My dog is an honor roll student at the Curtis Obedience School. Edward Koren, The New Yorker cartoon, August 2, 1999

A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down. Robert Benchley

Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

On the internet, no one knows you're a dog.
Peter Steiner, The New Yorker cartoon, July 5, 1993

Dog Philosophy: Bark as if no one can hear you. Catch the ball on the fly. Lick like there's no end to kissing. Sleep on a sofa nearby. Jump like the sky is the limit. Sit by the fire with friends. Stay with the ones who love you. Run like the road never ends. Author Unknown

It's funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks better than other folks do, isn't it? Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Chinese Proverb

When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head! William Blake

For me a house or an apartment becomes a home when you add one set of four legs, a happy tail, and that indescribable measure of love that we call a dog. Roger Caras

There are some simple truths inside the world's complexity, and the dogs know what they are. Joseph Duemer

When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he's doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911. Erma Bombeck

There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. Albert Schweitzer 

I love cats because I enjoy my home, and little by little they become its visible soul.  Jean Cocteau

No animal should ever jump up on the dining-room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation. Fran Liebowitz

Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. Albert Einstein  

Blessings and Words of Small Comfort

Please note: These words of bereavement are non-denominational and can and should be altered to accommodate your beliefs.

What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose. For all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. Helen Keller

Source: goodreads.com

Question: My dog just recently passed away and we moved right after how do I know if he’s with me? John Edward: Whether we move down the block out of state or countries away, love knows no physical bounds. Our address is our soul. 


Question: Do our pets forgive us when we have them euthanized for health reasons? John Edward: No forgiveness is necessary. That is our last gift of love to them!

Source: John Edward on facebook 2.27.13

I have loved you from the day you came into my life,
and now it is time for me to let you go.
I could not watch you suffer,
I could not see you in pain.
Now you are free.
Your body is no longer sick,
or weak, or hurting.
Now you can run with the others,
playing and hunting as wild things do.
Because I loved you,
I had to let you go.
You will live forever in my heart.


Source: Patti Wigington 

We have a secret, you and I
that no one else shall know,
for who but I can see you lie
each night in fire glow?
And who but I can reach my hand
before we go to bed
and feel the living warmth of you
and touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths
and see ahead of me,
your small form racing with the wind
so young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim
in every brook I pass
and when I call, no one but I
can see the bending grass.

Source: memorialprayercards.com

Dear God, you have given us care over all living things; protect and bless the animals who give us companionship and delight, make us their true friends and worthy companions. Amen.  Albert Schweitzer

Source: beliefnet.com

Eternal Spirit, we bring you our grief in the loss of [name of your pet] and ask for the courage to bear it. We bring you our thanks for [name of your pet] who lived among us and gave us freely of his/her love. We commit our friend and companion [name of your pet] into your loving hands. Give us eyes to see how your love embraces all creatures and every living thing speaks to us of your love. Amen.

Source: belovedcommunitypetministry.com

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Mary Elizabeth Frye

Source: poemhunter.com 


When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always."  Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book  

Thanks to Tieroana Low Dog on facebook

You Can Close Your Eyes

Well, the sun is surely sinking down
But the moon is slowly rising
So this old world must still be spinning 'round
And I still love you
So close your eyes
You can close your eyes
It's alright
I don't know no love songs
And I can't sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song
When I'm gone
It won't be long before another day
We're gonna have a good time
And no one's going to take that time away
You can stay as long as you like
So close your eyes
You can close your eyes
It's alright
I don't know no love songs
And I can't sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song
When I'm gone

James Taylor Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, 1971 


There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals.  It is a cycle unlike any other.  To those who have never lived through its turnings or walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given. Suzanne Clothier, from the book Bones Would Rain From the Sky.

Source: thecognitivecanine.wordpress.com 

To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Oliver, poet

Source: wisdomquotes.com


The animals we let into our lives help us grow in many special and beautiful ways. They not only teach us about unconditional love, happiness, joy, and companionship, they teach us about loss, grieving, and letting go. When their brief lives end, and our hearts are breaking, we remember all the wondrous times we’ve have shared with them and that ultimately the sadness was worth it. What an invaluable lesson - understanding that we can enter into a relationship we know will end one day and yet be unafraid. I believe that our lives, our health, and our human experiences are infinitely richer because of the special bond we share with the animals we love. Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.

Source: Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. on facebook


Dogs celebrate life, and they’re okay with death. In fact, they are much better with death than we are. We need to look at them as our teachers in this department. Their natural wisdom can help us find comfort when we are facing our own human frailty and death. Cesar Millan, Cesar's Way

Don't mourn my passing, dearest ones. Stand beneath the trees you've chosen for me. Close your eyes and hear the sigh of the wind through the leaves. Know that I am here, close to you and content. Hands gently caressing me, I left that frail body with dignity and grace. Surrounded by loving family. Don't mourn my passing, my friends. Rejoice for I am truly free". "For Barbara" Laura Linklater.

Source: The Elephant Sanctuary. 

So this is where we part, My Friend,
and you'll run on, around the bend,
gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you'll surely find.

I will go on, I'll find the strength,
life measures quality, not its length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren't you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
will remember well all you've taught.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take with you this...I loved you best.

I Loved You Best
Jim Willis

Source: Gander: Service Dog on facebook