ARE THERE DOGS IN HEAVEN?

If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die
I want to go where they went. 
                                                          Will Rogers

Proof of Heaven written by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander answers the question in his fascinating book. A New York Times Best Seller, it tells of Dr. Alexander’s miraculous recovery after a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. His physicians gave him a 10% chance of recovery and living in a vegetative state if he managed to survive.   Dr. Alexander writes of a near death experience (NDE) in extraordinary detail.

One thing that he wrote in his description of flying over a brilliant heavenly landscape took my breath away. He wrote about seeing a dog running and jumping among people and like the people, it was full of joy.

In my book Life with McDuff: Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog, I write about an incident after the death of my Scottish terrier therapy dog that I was hesitant to include. I held McDuff in my arms and watched the life ebb out of his eyes on Halloween morning, 2003. He returned to me a few months after I put him down to shake me out of my prolonged and overwhelming grief as I cried for him in the mid-night hours.

Therapy dogs and their owners are extremely close, but there was more between us. McDuff was a Spirit Dog, and we shared an unusual bond. Many time I witnessed his uncanny effect on people and other animals during our nine years together.

One thing I know without a doubt. McDuff’s spirit went somewhere and it came back from somewhere. It doesn't concern me whether whether anyone else shares my belief. There is life after death — even for our beloved pets.

Here is my poem, "Never Again," from Life with McDuff:

Never again will I see those wise mystical eyes,
Eyes I loved so well burn into mine,
Eyes that created joy and comfort, healing and calmness
Amusement and laughter, and tears of frustration;

Never again will I witness your tender tongue convey
Love and unconditional acceptance,
The tongue that brought smiles
To the face of the sick and disabled;

Never again will you be there to lick the tears away from my face,
If ever life beats me down to the ground;
Never again will I feel the comfort and protection of your furry back
Against my leg as we lie sleeping in bed;

Forever more will I hold in my heart the life lessons you taught,
How to forgive, love unconditionally,
Look beyond outer appearances,
Enjoy life instead of fighting and resisting it,
And to help myself by being of service to others;

Farewell, my teacher, my friend, my companion
The joy and blessing of having you in my life
Far outweighed the pain of losing you;
Farewell my McDuff,
Until we meet again, and I gaze into those eyes once more.

College Students Are Going to the Dogs

Colleges all across the America are going to the dogs.  Tufts, UNC, Oberlin, Harvard and Yale are just a few institutions of higher learning where students have discovered that therapy dogs can relieve the stress and strain of college life.  After trying massage, yoga, pizza parties, and other activities we won’t mention to reduce pressure, they hit the jackpot with furry, four-legged stress relievers.

 Scholars at Harvard and Yale libraries can check out resident therapy dogs instead of books.  Many students miss the pets left behind and the comforts of home.  More and more colleges and universities have pet-friendly dorms now.  Therapy dogs and other pets provide a connection to home.  Stressed out, especially when studying for final exams, college students can unwind and forget their studies and problems when petting and interacting with the dogs.

The calming and therapeutic effect of therapy dogs is no secret.  They visit hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, schools, and libraries.   Therapy dogs have been called upon after crisis situations like 911, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and recently after the tragedy at Sandy Hook School at Newtown, Connecticut. 

A chapter in my book, Life with McDuff: LessonsLearned from a Therapy Dog, tells how I became a therapy dog volunteer.  If you own a dog who likes people and other animals, loves to be petted, and has basic obedience training, why not consider becoming a therapy dog volunteer?  See my web site for links containing information about Therapy Dogs International, Therapy Dogs, Inc., Reading with Rover, and AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.
 
Pass the word!  Today’s college students are going to the dogs.

DOGS JUST KNOW!

The dog in this video interacting with a Down’s syndrome baby just knows. She knows how to offer love and acceptance. She knows that this baby is special. Even though not a trained therapy dog, she just knows. How many times have you sat mired deep in despair because of some real or imagined problem and a furry head comes to rest on your knee, eyes borrowing deep into yours, and a tail furiously wagging “it’s going to be alright?” Or, what happens when some unbelievably good fortune comes your way. You shout and jump for joy, and guess who jumps with you barking and spinning around in excitement? Dogs just know when you are happy, and they know when you are sad. My Scottish terrier therapy dog comforted me many times. He instinctively knew how to reach out and ease me through the storms of our life together. I write about it in my book, Life with McDuff: Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog. The baby in the video experienced what we dog lovers have witnessed time after time. Dogs just know!

Sandy Hook Comfort Dogs

I know first-hand about comfort dogs, or therapy dogs as they are more commonly known. As the author of Life with McDuff: Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog,a book about my Scottish terrier therapy dog, I’ve seen the comfort and joy they bring to hospital patients, nursing home and assisted living residents, and school children struggling with reading problems. McDuff provided his special brand of therapy to me during the most stressful times of my life and to many others as well. Traumatized children at Newtown smiled at the sight of the therapy dogs and ran to them to give hugs and pats. Grief-stricken parents’ countenance changed and softened seeing the children able to forget the nightmare at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, if only for a short while. The effect of therapy dogs is nothing short of a miraculous. After 911 and Hurricane Katrina, therapy dogs spread comfort and relief from stress and tension to rescuers and families under unimaginable pressure. You don’t have to be a certified volunteer with a registered therapy dog to offer comfort. Retired special educational teacher Michael Cragin knows that. He and his English bulldog, Truman, offered comfort at Newtown the only way they knew how. Michael and a sign that said, “My Bulldog Gives Hugs,” sat at the back of his SUV. People gathered around to pet Truman and ask his name. Teenage girls began to stop crying and started smiling while they petted him. He provided a brief respite from the heartbreak and sorrow. There’s an outcry for stricter gun control laws after this latest incident of mass killing. The controls in effect now didn’t work on Adam Lanza. He wasn’t patient enough to endure the waiting period when he attempted to purchase a gun. It’s moot anyway because Lanza already had access to plenty of guns in his own home. Guns are found not only in his home. There are hundreds of millions of firearms in the homes of Americans across the country. Even the ATV and Department of Justice hands them out. Anyone familiar with “Fast & Furious?” Instead of treating the symptom, why not treat one of the problems? That is the lack of insurance coverage and public aid for the mentally ill in America. You only have to look at the photos of the perpetrators of recent mass murders to see that they are not of sound mind. Unfortunately, basic health care is not affordable for many in this country. That includes treatment for the mentally ill. Good can come out of evil. Perhaps something will be done about the accessibility of weapons, especially semi-automatic guns, and providing treatment for mentally ill people to prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School. If not, we can only expect more heartache and horror.

WILL ONION DIE?

The nation is divided over the fate of a baby killer. Onion, a 120 lbs mastiff-Rhodesian ridgeback mix, killed a baby on the baby’s first birthday celebration. He had been a much loved gentle giant until that tragic day. Something in Onion snapped. As a mother, my heart breaks just trying to imagine the grief and pain endured by this family. The baby’s grandmother credits having Onion constantly by her side as she battled cancer as a major reason for her recovery. She never dreamed of the heartbreak she would experience caused by the animal that played such a positive role in her life. I know the importance of animal assisted therapy first hand. I wrote a book, Life with McDuff: Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog, about the miraculous effect of a Scottish terrier therapy dog on my life and the lives of the sick, elderly, and disabled. Until the baby came along, Onion was the pride and joy of the family. He was especially loved and cherished by the grandmother. The baby’s father said Onion had never shown any signs of aggression toward the baby or anyone in the six years he owned him. I believe Onion felt puzzled and confused after the baby arrived. He was no longer the center of attention. We can only imagine how the grandmother doted on her grandson. I believe Onion reacted out of resentment and jealousy of the baby. I don’t believe it was out of viciousness. Should Onion be euthanized? That is the subject of divisive and bitter debate. Personally, I don’t think Onion should be killed. He’s not a vicious animal and with proper supervision unlikely to be in the same circumstances. If one of Michael Vick’s pit bulls was rehabilitated and turned into a therapy dog, there is hope for Onion. Many people disagree. A move to save his life has been taken to court. The nation will have to wait and see the outcome.

Have You Ever Wondered?

Have you ever wondered what plants the desire in someone to want to write a book? I have, and I believe I know the answer. For me it was my background and love of animals, especially dogs.

I’m a coal miner’s daughter raised in a wooden, weather-beaten company house in southwest Pennsylvania. We were all poor in Beeson Works, but everyone helped and supported each other in that tight-knit coal mining community. Diverse nationalities blended together in harmony: Italians, Russians, Greeks, Poles, Swiss, Czechoslovakians, and a few African-American families.

During a coal mine strike, or other bouts of unemployment, neighbors shared food, clothing and words of encouragement. If a mother became seriously ill or disabled, my mother and her neighbors cleaned house, cooked meals and washed clothes for the family without being asked or expecting anything in return. I grew up watching neighbor helping neighbor.

Ever since I can remember I have loved all kinds of animals. I roamed the hills around Beeson Works with an every present dog; assisted my cats when they gave birth; rescued and returned baby birds to their nests; splashed water on the fish my dad caught to keep them alive; and tamed and rode a half wild mine horse bareback. When I became an adult, I found a unique way to combine a desire to help others and my love of animals. I became a Therapy Dogs International volunteer.

I wrote a book about my Scottish terrier therapy dog and the valuable life lessons he taught me on his mission to bring comfort and joy to the disabled, elderly, sick, and school children struggling with reading difficulties. The life lesson he taught that impacted my life the most was being of service to others.

So you see, my background as a coal miner’s daughter and love of animals led me to write a book about my life, experiences as a TDI volunteer, and McDuff. What about you? You have something interesting to share with the world. Pick up your pen or sit down at your computer and let the creative juices flow. You have a story to tell!

McDuff & The Kids

The book I wrote about McDuff did not contain all the stories about him. I could probably write another book because he was so unique. The kids in the neighborhood loved McDuff. I’d hear the doorbell ring in the summer. “Can McDuff come out and play?” one of them would ask when I came to the door. Several others waited in the yard.

I’d let McDuff outside. Someone would retrieve the stick from its designated place, give it to McDuff, and the game would begin. The kids would try to catch him and take the stick away. It never happened. When they became tired, he would slow down, let them almost touch him, and then take off again. They fell on the ground laughing. Big kids, little kids; they all had fun.

Another thing had them ringing my doorbell. I told one of them that McDuff had photo ID. “No way. Dogs can’t get an ID.” I showed him McDuff’s Therapy Dogs International badge with his photo on it. Evidently he told his buddies who didn’t believe him. One by one they came to find out for themselves.

A chapter in Life with McDuff entitled “McDuff Loved Them All” sums it up. He loved everyone and everything. Well, everything except monkeys, birds, and the UPS truck. Cats and ducks were favorites. He loved going to his veterinarians and didn’t want to come home after boarding with them.

I will always miss him and be thankful for the time he was in my life.