Bella is our Pup of the Week

What kind of place is Rainbow Bridge?  It is a place of peace.  It is a place of beauty.  It is a place of joy.  It is a place where you are broken hearted to greet one of your closest friends.

Before I document her arrival let me transcribe the arrivals before the arrival:  People.  Not that it is strange for people to greet their pups.  But this wasn’t a person or two, this was dozens.  Some young, some old (you can pick your body type here like you can pick clothes off a rack) all of whom had been touched by the dog bounding up the final steps of Enzo’s escalator.

Bella summited the top of the Bridge and looked down at me with her big Husky eyes.  I was so happy to see my friend.  We waited for the dark cloud, filled with all the mortal tears sparked by her passing, to slip over us, then burst open, drenching us all.  Then I, with shaking paws, gave the oath of angeldom to my friend.  She then huddled with her long time friend Scooby who helped design her wings, legendary angel Ladybug who fitted the wings, and finally she, now in full angel regalia, turned to the humans waiting for her then opened her wings.  The humans ran to her and hugged her tightly.

Bella’s friend Meika, who had joined me waiting her arrival inquired who these people were.  “They were from the Senior Center that Bella visited every Tuesday.  Bella helped make their last days on the mortal side enjoyable.  She made them smile when they were at their lowest, made them feel loved when they were most lonely, and she never asked for anything in return.  All of them have come here to make her first days on the immortal side more enjoyable.”

I thought of the people left behind.  The ones at the Senior Center who won’t be seeing Bella’s smiling face this Tuesday.  And her wonderful Mom who trained Bella to be such a wonderful, beautiful, empathetic dog.  Bella’s Mom knew there was something wrong with the dog who she described as “my whole world.”  Bella wasn’t eating.  Last year she had a blockage and needed emergency surgery to get a part of a toy removed.  She thought Bella has something blocking her intestines again.  A scan showed that her Mom was right.  There was a blockage.  But this time, when they opened her up, they found the blockage was a tumor caused by liver cancer.  That very same day Bella came here.

When Bella was done meeting with the grateful humans she came over to Meika and me.  She wanted to check on her Mom.  She was very worried about her.  And she had reason to be.  Bella’s Mom wasn’t missing her dog, she was missing her heart, which Bella had taken with her, and because of the rules, Bella couldn’t return it.  But Bella does treasure her Mom’s heart, and she wants to help her rebuild a new one.

Bella wants her Mom to know that she is either watching over her, and taking care of her, or doing what her Mom taught her to do, visiting those on the immortal side who are lonely and filling their life with a little more joy.

Bella gave so much love to people in her life, and she took so much love with her when she left that the mortal side has a lot less love now.  It is up to Bella, the angels, and mortal pups to make up for that lost love and we need to start with healing her Mom.

So come on pup and angels, time to create some more love in the world.

Paco is our October 11, 2015 Pup of the week

Seven years ago I met my good friend Paco.  He was two years older than me.  Two years after I made my journey to the Bridge Paco is still going strong.  Yesterday he celebrated his 17th birthday with his Mom at his home in Bologna Italy.

Paco is another miracle dog.  His heart has been failing for a long time.  His vet didn’t think he would make it to 17.  But Paco’s Mom has had a very hard year including the loss of her Mom and Paco has judiciously metered out his heartbeats so he can stay with his Mom for as long as possible.  

Paco is one of my all time favorite dogs.  I enjoy using obscure pop culture references in my writing which usually pass right over poor Paco’s head because he was raised with proper culture and etiquette.  He politely asks me to explain the joke and then laughs even when he doesn’t think it is very funny.

Kind, supportive, compassionate and loving Paco is truly one of the best friends any pup could have.  If you asked any of his friends they would tell you the same.  Our love for Paco leaps over that tiny ocean like it was a puddle.  There is not a day that goes by that he isn’t in our thoughts and prayers.

Seventeen years ago Paco was born to Robinson and Sara two dog friends of Paco’s brother Snoopy who had crossed over the Bridge before Paco’s birth and now runs a wonderful Italian Bistro on a beautiful cloud named “Snoopy’s.”   When his Mom and grandma saw Paco for the first time they fell in love with him.  But, as often is the story with dog and Mom love there were obstacles.  Paco was promised to someone else and went to live with another woman.

It didnt work out between Paco and his first Mom.  No one knows why but I think it is because Paco knew he was not with the right Mom.  When the right Mom found out that the wrong Mom was looking for someone to take Paco she stepped right up and a decade and a half love story began.

Paco was a Pocket sized dog when he moved into his house.  He used to disappear up his Mom’s sleeves when he was scared.  He was named for a brave, sweet dog his grandma admired in a book.   Soon Paco found his energy and could play all day long.  His Mom took that energy and harnessed it towards competitions.  Soon Paco was winning agility competitions and awards for being obedient and pleasant.  When he won his final agility competition he got a big write up in his local paper.

Now in retirement Paco lives life like a good Italian dog enjoying ricotta or mozzarella cheese and ham, even if these treats do have pill in the middle of them.   He still misses his Grandma very much, and she is with us at Bridge waiting for the day, far in the future, she hopes, when Paco will join her.  Until that day arrives Paco and his Mom stayed snuggled together loving  and supporting one another.

it would not surprise me at all if they were still sitting together 17 years from now.  Paco and his Mom are unbeatable team.  Unbeatable at loving one another.

May they have many more years.