Tucker and Cosmo are the September 8, 2019 Pets of the Week

There has long been a division between dogs and cats on both sides of the Bridge. They can, if need be, live together peacefully.  To dogs, cats are like drug dealers. We yell when we see them, we want them to be away from our houses; we don’t trust them, but, if they live with us, then they are our drug dealer, and they are okay. 
I understand cats feel the same about us but think of us as undocumented housekeepers, who are only welcome if we are work in their homes. 

My dear friends Pippin, Tucker, who are both dogs, and Cosmo, a cat lived peacefully together with other pack members at their home.  They not only tolerated one another, but they were friends. They had grown old together. Sadly, when you grow old with a pet sibling, the Bridge comes calling at the same time for both. 

Tucker was very sick last week.  His mom knew he did not have much time left.  But, Tucker was determined to stay with his mom.  He did not give her the sign that it was time for him to go.  His mom kept awake with him, holding a vigil for days. If he was going to fight to be with her, then she was not going to miss a moment with him. 

Cosmo also was not feeling well but hid the symptoms.  Their Mom was rightfully doting on Tucker. Cosmo did not want to steal the spotlight.  Secretly they had a deal. When Tucker gave the sign that he was ready to go, Cosmo would provide a signal too.  They’d cross the Bridge side by side just as they had lived their lives
.   
On Saturday Tucker gave his mom the secret signal that is was time.  Seeing this, Cosmo gave the sign too. It broke their mom’s heart to send them to the Bridge on the same day, but when a pet provides the signal with it is the parent’s duty to fulfill their request.  Then she made the most difficult decision, two times. 

There are two different entry points for dogs and cats at the Bridge.  Their souls wash up on the shores of the River of Life a quarter-mile apart. I  administer the oath to dogs at the foot of Doggyspace Village and in a separate ceremony at Kittyland Cotton does the same for cats.  But, Tucker and Cosmo were not interested in crossing apart. They ran towards one another, met in the middle, then crossed together, on the dog side.

There was a great deal of bustle at the Bridge when they crossed over paw in paw.  “It is a cat!” one of my friends said. “On the dog side! This is blasphemy.” 

I was more open-minded.  After six years on the immortal side, I had grown closer to the kitties.  I welcomed Tucker with a hug and then Cosmo. I ignored the gasps for my less than understanding peers. 

I saw my friends’ tails go up.  The cats we're coming over the hill.  “It’s an invasion!” a dog said.  

The cats’ hair on their backs went up when they got closer to the dogs. I was worried there was going to be a rumble.  Tucker got between the two groups and held up his paws. “Stop!” he commanded, showing a lot of fortitude for a new angel.  “We should not be fighting! We just came from a very divided place. We should not be like that. This should be a better place!” 

I smiled.  I felt the same way but was not brave enough to say it.  

“What unites our parents is a love of pets,” Cosmo said, “but they still concentrate on what divides them.  What unites us is our love of our parents. That should be enough to surpass our differences.”

The dogs and cats paused, then slowly walked towards one another and began to play  Cotton, and I scheduled a massive picnic just like the Indian and Pilgrims had. It will be a fantastic time. 

We are sorry that Cosmo and Tucker are no longer with their mom, but she should know that her two little angels have helped to heal the centuries-old rift between dogs and cats. 


Blessed are Tucker and Cosmo for they are the peacemakers.

Little Dog Found by Foley Monster

All angels love their families, and all angels want to serve their families. But sometimes our families make us say "God, these people!" 
Just days after I had to guide a group of kitties to their new home like some low rent, Moses I was called back to my parents' house for another crisis. They had a lost dog in their shed.


I popped in to check on the fellow. His name was Dexter. I asked him how he ended up in a strangers' shed.


"I came to this neighborhood with my parents," he said. "They were at my Nana's house. They brought me in a room so I could sleep. But then someone left the bedroom door open, and I slipped out, and then I caught a whiff of something on the air, I found the screen door unlatched, and I pushed through it and began to run.' 
"Do you know which house it was?" I asked.

"Not really. As I said, I'm not from around here, and all these houses look the same." 
I asked him if he could pick up a scent on the breeze.  "There are so many new scents here I can't make sense of them."  

I told him not to worry if you were going to be lost its best being in a shed belonging to crazy folks who would care for him like he was their own. I told him I would go find his parents. 

Of course, I had no idea how I was going to find them. But I've always had a high opinion of my abilities. I flew back to the Bridge and found lots of prayers for a lost dog in my parents' neighborhood. I flew back to where they originated, but a worried lady only occupied the house. I deduced the parents were already searching for their baby. 

I went back to the Bridge and found out that people were praying and moving at my parents' site.   Praying and walking is what we call a "Sorkin." They are difficult to pinpoint. I went back to fly around the neighborhood, hoping to find the parents who were hoping to find their dog. Both tasks were like trying to find you a weasel in the next in a haystack. 


The people who own the dog had been visiting the husband's parents. There was a new baby in the family, and the baby was being passed around and played with. The parents had such a good time they completely forgot they brought their black dog with them. When they got in the car to leave, they saw the blanket and remembered to go back and get the dog. But when they searched the house, they couldn't find him. 

They began to, as Daddy had, walk around the neighborhood looking for their dog. It was even later now, after ten, which translates to 3 a.m. in normal people's time. They knocked on doors, and no one answered. Their search grew more frantic by the moment. 

Then they stumbled upon the cookout. They asked everyone if they saw their dog. The man who took the picture happily showed them the photo of the dog who had been there a few hours before. "The dog is with Mr. Gay," the man who knew Daddy said.  They asked where Mr. Gay lived, and they answered, "we don't know, over there somewhere. Really, they don't see the house with the pretty flowers and nappy dogs? I blame Bacchus.  

Now that they knew my parents' name, the task was easier. I found them ten houses away from my parents and kept guiding them towards my parents' domicile. At 10:30, they knocked on the door. 

My parents were still up. They had been worried about what they would do in the morning.  Daddy had to work, but the lost dog needed to be walked fed and given water. Then there was a question about finding his parents. And how would the dog react to waking up when the sun came up?  Would he be crying in the shed? They were losing hope they would find the parents that night. Then there was a knock on the door. 

Daddy saw a man, a woman, and a child in a stroller at his door asking about their dog.  Daddy put on his shoes and went outside to meet them. He told the grateful parents that the dog was in the shed. He gave them a leash to wrap around the dog, so he didn't wander off again. Then Daddy opened the shed sure, and Dexter walked out. 

There hasn't been such a commotion and so much crying in my parents' yard since the hydrangea died, but these were happy tears. The dad apologized a thousand times to the dog. He said he was so glad he did not lose him like this after all they've been through. He and his wife thanked Daddy repeatedly. Then they walked the Dexter back to their car.

I'm glad I was able in some small way to help reunite the dog and his family. There's nothing scarier for a dog parent than knowing their dog is out there somewhere cold, alone, possibly wet and always in danger.  My parents took in the stray because they fear that someday one of their dogs will slip away and be lost. They treated the dog like a want one of their lost dogs to be treated.




Then I went back to the Bridge for a long sleep. I don't know what the next crisis will be, but I will be there for my parents. It is my duty to help lost people and pups. It is a noble quest. 

Little Dog Lost by River Song

A leaky outside faucet can save a life.

It started when the splitter we had on the outdoor faucet began to leak.  My parents bought a new one. Putting it on was more challenging, and took longer than anticipated because the faucet was recessed and Daddy could not screw it on normally.  He had to unscrew the faucet, pull it out, and put on the splitter. What was a one minute job now took ten minutes. Then he began to water the front garden. 

That is when a senior black and white lab, with a grizzled chin, came from around the corner and sat next to Daddy.  It had no tags but looked well cared for. Obviously, it was lost.  

This was the third dog we have found in our yard.  The other two were tiny. Daddy picked them up and walked around the neighborhood until he found the parents. This dog was too big to carry.  There was no collar. The dog did not object when Daddy slipped a leash around his neck. They set off looking for the owner.

They came upon three women walking together. Pocket and I see these women a lot. We usually bark loudly to their delight and my parent's chagrin. Daddy asked if they knew who belonged to the dog. One of the women was sure the dog lived on the cul-de-sac in the back. Daddy and the black dog began waking.

It was a long slog to the back cul-de-sac. The old dog kept up. Dad noticed the Seresto collar and a bandana around his neck. Sadly there were no tags. He was a well cared for dog who walked better than we did. Daddy hoped they were on the right track and would find his owner.

Daddy knocked on the door at a house in the back of the cul-de-sac. It took a long time for the person to answer.  Daddy knew this would be problematic. It was almost 7:30. In the middle of sundown. Many of his senior neighbors were asleep. Finally, a woman opened the main door but was too nervous to unlock the screen door. Through the window, Daddy asked if she recognized the dog. She peered at it like she was trying to identify a mugging suspect who performed his heinous deed on a foggy night. After an interminable period of time, she shook her head no.  Daddy tried the other houses but got no answer. 

They walked back, and he saw the same group of women.  One of them said they meant the cul-de-sac on the other side of the development. Daddy thanked the woman, and he and the dog continued southward. They came to the two houses at the other cul-de-sac. At one home, no one answered. At the second  Daddy knocked on the porch door and when there was no answer, he went inside and knocked on the main door. He glanced down and saw a handgun on the table by the door. He fled. 

A couple of houses down a door was open. Daddy knocked on it, and when someone answered, he asked if anyone knew the dog.  "No dogs like that around here," the man said, "maybe try the other side."

Dejected Daddy thought he would never find the dog's owner. Meanwhile, the dog was having the time of its life. Every house they came to he hurried up the steps like it was his home.  He both read and wrote pee-mail. What a day to be alive. 

They walked down the road and came upon a cookout. Daddy asked if anyone had seen the dog. A man jumped up and said, "Oh, it's Mr. Gay."  Daddy didn't let on that he had no idea who this gentleman was. They all stood around the dog and gave him lots of attention, but no one knew to whom he belonged.  The man who knew Daddy said if no one came for the dog by Monday, he would take it. Daddy was happy about that, but he still wanted to find the owners. One of the people, enchanted with the dog, took a picture.

Daddy brought the dog home. He correctly determined that the dog could neither come in the house, which would freak me, Pocket, and him out, and could not be put on the porch where Pocket and I would be sniffing and barking as long as he was there. My Dad put a blanket down in the shed and told the dog to lie down.  He put a chair in front of the door so the pup could not escape.

Periodically Daddy would check on the dog. He was always standing by the door with his tail wagging wondering when he would be allowed to come inside. It was sad. He put the dog’s picture on a Facebook group, called animal control, and a notice in the mailroom.  It seemed like we would need a miracle to find this baby’s family.

Thankfully I have a sister angel who specializes in miracles. I contacted her to come down and help the dog.  I will let her tell the conclusion of the story tomorrow

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Caption

Picasso's Dog Asleep

Monday Question

There are seven things dogs should not do when you meet a stranger:
1.  Jump
2.  Lift your leg
3.  Go for the crotch
4.  Be aggressive
5.  Be shy
6.  Bark
7.  Nip
How many do you do?
Pocket:  We both bark and jump.  We are too small to do the others.  We certainly aren't shy.

Ranger is our September 1, 2019 Pup of the Week

Rainbow Bridge is a lousy place to make new friends, especially on your first day.    It’s like trying to make friends on a crashing plane. There is so much fear, nervousness, and emotion; it is impossible to make a permanent connection.  But, still, I try.

On Tuesday, I went to Hobo’s Landing to swear in another new angel, as I have done for more than six years.  I can still remember the day I arrived. Mine was not by fate, but by appointment. I took the position as a judge at the fourth district of Rainbow Bridge after becoming the most famous dog attorney in the world. 

The change from the mortal world to the immortal one is shocking.  Dogs discard their barks and speak the common tongue. Many of us choose to walk upright, emulating humans. You meet all your parents' dogs who came before you, and every human, dog, cat, or other animals you encountered on the mortal side.

When I met Ranger this week, I knew this little black and white baby would have been a close friend of mine if had we met on the mortal side. He was so sweet and had a kind soul. I wanted to introduce myself, but many dogs and humans were waiting for him. Before I could get a word in he was whisked away. 

I was still thinking about the little cutie the next morning. Being a critical judge, I have on my I Paw access to the location of every angel. It took me five minutes to locate him. I decided to give it a day before I approached.  The only day as hectic as your first day at the Bridge is your second. 

On the third day, I made a picnic lunch consisting of chicken, liver, and rabbit then went to his house and knocked on the door.  When he answered, I introduced myself and told him why I was there. He said he would love to go on a picnic. We found a sunny spot on a hill and told me his story. 

Ranger had spent 12 glorious years with his family.  Then he began having seizures. He wheezed when he breathed and shook when he walked.  "It was a tough existence,” he told me in between bites of chicken. “While I loved my family and would have stayed like that with them forever, my Mom made the most difficult decision a parent can make. She sent me to the Bridge, transferring all the pain from me to them.  

"My mommy, daddy, and skin brother have been crying since I left.   They are worried they sent me too early. They feel terribly guilty too.  I wish I could figure out a way to let them know they did the right thing, that I am very grateful for their sacrifice and that someday we will be together.  I want to tell them that I am well, and will see them again.”

I asked him if he had visited his mom on a dream date.  He said he had, but could not knock down the door between the conscious and unconscious, so his mom did not remember it.  I then suggested he borrow a flying body: A butterfly, pretty bird, ladybug, or any other winged creature would suffice. They can fly back and forth between the mortal and immortal worlds I would advise his mom if she sees a pretty bird, or a songbird, or a butterfly, to know it is Ranger coming to visit her.  

“If you cannot do that, then appear as a ghost,” I told him.  “Your parents might see you, out of the corner of their eyes, for just a fleeting moment, and they will dismiss it because humans have such a hard time excepting what they don’t understand.  But it will register in their hearts and help them heal.” 

We looked at one another, smiled, and then we both flew as ghosts to visit his parents.  Maybe, just maybe, his parents, for just a fleeting, his parents will see him, and feel his love in their hearts.  In the world of ghosts, a second is a lifetime.


Ranger is devoting his immortal life to showing his parents that he is okay and easing their pain.  It is a very noble goal. I will help him in any way I can.