KS&L 339 The Power of Saying Good-by to Our Pets

Fortunate are the people who have loved a pet. Yet with that love for a faithful companion, comes the ultimate karmic requirement to say good-by when the time comes for the creature’s life to end. How do you begin to say good-by? How can you rise to a higher level and help that precious animal to say good-by to you?

Karma never wastes a moment in the task of assisting all of us to evolve as souls and the death of a beloved pet is a powerful opportunity to grow as a spiritual being. Saying good-by to that cat or dog, horse or bird is part of our spiritual path. However, how we choose to approach the fair well process can make a significant difference in our spiritual growth and emotional healing after a pet dies.

Sometimes we hold on to the creature for dear life. I did that with my beloved Siamese cat, Charlie. Then one day he simply vanished. I never got to say good-by and there wasn’t even a body to bury. Since that sad day in 1998, I have learned a great deal about how to let go and help a pet to move to the heaven world. Perhaps some of the steps below will be of service to anyone who must face this difficult, tear-filled day.

• When the animal lets you know, that he or she is ready to go, listen and acknowledge that together you can assist your pet in the dying process because you have the internal courage to do so.

• Let the vet know when you will be coming in to put the animal to sleep.

• If you can, ask a close friend or family member to go with you. Sometimes you are so filled with grief that you probably shouldn’t be driving.

• Tell your pet what day this event will be happening. We fully expect our creatures to understand us on many levels and communicating this, will let your pet know that you have come to terms with letting he or she move on to the heaven world.

• On the day of transition for your pet, wrap the animal gently in a piece of your clothing which has a comforting, familiar smell.

• As you hold your pet, walk around your home and together help the animal to say good-by to the bedroom, cat or dog bed, the kitchen where he or she ate and even the cat box. Have him say good-by to other pets in the house. Let her touch noses as a way of saying good-by. This alone allows the remaining creatures to have closure when one pet leaves. Anecdotal stories of surviving pets, indicate that this simple process precludes a great deal of grief or searching for the animal who has passed away.

•Ask that angels fill your car to help you and your pet through this process.

• When you arrive at the vet, tell your pet that the vet is going to install an IV so that when you are both ready, the vet can return to put the animal to sleep.

• Go ahead and cry with your pet. Tell this beloved creature how much you have loved him or her, how much he or she will be missed.

• Thank this creature for its service to you, for loving you unconditionally and for always being there for you for all of the years of your relationship.

• Say a prayer over your pet and request that angels of transition come and guide your precious creature to the heaven world.

• As the vet performs the final act, you will feel the life force gently slip away from the animal’s body. Most animals are delighted to be out of that pain-wracked body. They do not want you to cry yet they know you are grieving. This is all part of a normal process.

• This final act may engender the most tears as the pain of the finality really comes home to you: you are going to leave the vet’s office without your beloved pet.

• Bury your pet or consider cremation. Then spread the ashes at sea, in your yard or in a forest.

Going through this process provides you with an opportunity to feel that you had courage, you were really there for your pet and you truly said good-by. You will grieve, but it may not be quite as painful. You will remember that you provided your pet with the utmost dignity, comfort and care until the very last breath.

Remember that you will continue to grieve in waves, as the days go by because grief comes to us in echoes of emotion. Be patient with yourself. Share the sad news with friends and family and allow them to comfort you.

. . . . And as you go to sleep at night, say a prayer of gratitude for the sheer pleasure of having had that wonderful creature in your life.