Message From The Rainbow Bridge?

[LegallyBrunette]

I lost my sweet long-haired German Shepherd, Angel, in April this year. She was the most beautiful and loving girl and was my best friend in the whole world. We had a bond that no one else in my family could understand. We were each other's world and I often felt as though she was able to read my thoughts.

We adopted Angel about 6 years ago from family friends who found her too "spirited" to care for. But we loved that hairy hurricane of a dog so much. One Sunday afternoon, we had a family lunch and invited her old owners to visit - they hadn't seen Angel in over a year. She was so happy to see them and enjoyed getting pats from everyone present.

As the afternoon drew on, I noticed she wasn't quite right. She seemed a bit spaced out. Angel had always hated storms, and the sky was looking a bit overcast, so I figured she was just sensing an approaching storm. However, her condition deteriorated and I knew something was quite wrong. We rushed her to the emergency vet, only to discover she had a large tumor on her spleen that had ruptured, and her abdomen was quickly filling with blood. The vet said we could try removing the tumor, but in her weakened state, she was unlikely to survive the operation. We decided that it would not be fair to put her through such a big operation... I had always told her to let me know when the time was right and we would make the decision for her. I looked into her eyes and could see that she had already gone.

I lay on the floor and hugged her as she drifted off to sleep and said my final goodbyes. It was so hard losing her and I miss her so much.

Don't worry -- I'm getting to the story about the message from Rainbow Bridge!

After she passed away, I stopped dreaming about Angel. I found that so strange because before she died, I dreamt of her nearly every night. It was like my subconscious was blocking her from my dreams because her passing was still so painful.

However, as I slept on the night of my birthday, we were finally reunited in my dream. We were running together through a field, with the sun shining so bright, I could just see her next to me. Angel's eyes were full of life again and her tail wagged, she looked so healthy and we were so happy to be reunited once more. After what seemed like a few hours, we approached a beautiful garden - it was very green, with flowers everywhere. She passed underneath an arch covered with vines and I had to stay on the other side. When I asked why she couldn't stay with me, she told me "I was sick and didn't want you to worry about me anymore."

Normally my dreams are really bizarre but this one dream was so lifelike. The next day, a family friend dropped over a late birthday present for me - it was called 'Angel Dogs - Divine Messengers of Love' (for those of you not familiar with the book, it contains stories about dogs who do extraordinary things, including 'visiting' their owners to say goodbye).

Whether my dream and the book were just a coincidence or a message from Angel, I guess I'll never know. What I do know is that since that night, I've felt more at peace and if there was a way for Angel to say goodbye, she would.

When I've shared the story with some people, I'm met with looks as though I'm crazy! Has anyone else had a similar experience?

The photo below is of Angel enjoying a dip in her pool after a long walk

Edited August 13, 2010 by LegallyBrunette

[spottychick]

Hi there

What a beautiful dog Angel was. I am sorry you lost her so suddenly but thank you for your lovely story.

I havent had any experience like that with my dogs - I wish I had. I miss them so much. My beautiful Lotta and sweet boy Guiness. But an American Indian friend of mine, who had conducted healing ceremonies over Guiness when he was ill, told me Guiness had visited him after he died (this man lived across the road from me and was a "medicine man"). The wierd thing was that Guiness had "told" him something only I knew about (to do with his favourite spot in the garden to sit and chew bones). Guiness' spirit - according to my friend - hung around for a few days after he died to see if I was okay.

[Rusky]

can't stop crying, thank you for that story though. I wish I could dream of Rusky and myself running along the beach again....

[k9angel]

I believe she was sending you a message.

That would of been the best Birthday gift ever, to run free like that with your girl and in such a beautiful place.

I only wish I listened to my dreams more.

I moved from Orange back to Sydney in about 2004. I only had the 4 huskies at the time but they were my babies.

My fur kids.

When I moved into this house I started to have recurring dreams that I had lost 2 of my dogs.

I dreamed it almost every night and it was more of a nightmare than a dream.

I became paranoid, checking fences twice a day - checking their collars. I was convinced two were going to escape, somehow.

The dreams continued on and off for the next few years. I would dream it at least 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. It really frightemed me. I felt lost in these dreams. My babies were gone and I was struggling to cope with the loss. I searched everywhere - from City streets to schools, and in many of the dreams - it was country scenery. I walked dog knows how many miles, climbed that many mountains, walked that many fields in these dreams but never found them and no one ever saw them. I cannot even begin to explain how I felt. My dogs were my life (still are) and it was like a part of my heart was gone and I needed it back, to feel normal, happy & complete again.

I was glad to awake from these dreams to find my babies safe and well in the yard, but still I knew they meant something just couldn't figure out - what it was.

In 2007, I was still having these dreams. They had become a normal part of life for me now. I still couldn't work them out.

Until.... Sunday afternoon. It was 1.7.07. I lost my boy Claude suddenly. It was a very traumatic time. One I will never ever forget. He was only 6 years old.

For the next year the dreams continued as I struggled to cope with my real life loss.

It was the exact feeling I had felt in my dreams - except - I couldn't wake up from it this time - it was real. I lived it during the day when I was awake AND at night in my dreams.

I was extra careful & cautious after this as in my dreams I had lost two of them, not one. Any sign of sickness I would be straight to the vet.

In September 2008, Cassie became unwell. Drinking lots, very bloated tummy and pale gums.

I remember they couldn't find a vein to draw blood, she had become that anaemic and was getting worse by the minute.

They did a pcv?? on her and found her belly to be full of blood. The vet suspected a tumor on the spleen but when they opened her up, she was full of tumors and slowly bleeding to death. They rushed her into surgery.

I will never forget that phone call. I begged for them to do something to save her. I was a mess. Screaming and crying repeating "no no no" into the phone.

I then asked for her to be stitched up and sent home to die with us. They told me she would bleed to death within 24 hrs and that the kindest thing to do would be to have her euthanized on the op table.

I had no choice. I had to think of her - not me.... She died on 11.9.08 aged 7 yrs.

I told her I loved her when I dropped her off and that I would be back soon to pick her up.

I didnt in a million years expect to bring her home in an urn.

Those dreams were not telling me that they were going to escape - they were telling me they were going to be gone - forever.

After Cassie died - the dreams stopped.

I have dreamed of them afterwards. Not very often but when I do the dreams are so real and like yours, so beautiful.

They run and play together just like they did as babies. These two, brother and sister were inseperable when alive - and I believe in death now also.

I actually only dreamed of Claude the other night.

He was standing there looking as graceful and beautiful as ever just staring at me.

He was a short distance away - like he was out of reach (which he is) - but he looked beautiful and happy.

When I awoke it hit home again that he was gone.

Three years on and I still miss my babies. They will stay with me forever, just like your girl will with you.

Once theyre in youre heart - they are there forever. ;)

[persephone]

That's a lovely story - I'm glad you had that dream

[PaddyForever]

What a lovely story! It sounds as though Angel lived up to her name I haven't had a dream like this of my Paddy, but I so wish I could! Paddy, if you can, pls visit in my dream tonight- I'd love to see you young, healthy and full of life again! Your Angel must have had a beautiful heart, to visit in your dream like that. Love to her, and you.

Edited August 16, 2010 by PaddyForever

[Bonduca]

I feel where you are coming from. I had a similar experience when I lost my heart dog a Border Collie x Kelpie named Chad, he has been gone 8 years last month. Before I had to pts I use to dream of him and I constantly but once he was gone I had no dreams of him for about a fortnight, which I thought odd due to the truama I went through when he passed.

The night I did dream of him in my dream I walked into an room that was the shape of a semi circle and glass all around and that was covered. There was a man with golden hair and a leather jacket on, he was sitting in a chair and on my arrival he turned around and the jacket came off and he was in white robes and this most amazing golden hair....he was angelic. Out of nowhere I could see through the windows and there was the greenest lushest field I had ever seen. I then saw Chad running and bounding around in this field with other dogs...Chad was very very friendly. The man said " Chad will be going to heaven in a week" Once he told me this I felt sudden relief and calm. When I woke I had the same feelings, still grieving mind you but I had peace of mind and a sense of calm.

I tried to descibe this man in my dream and all I could come up with was he was like an Angel, until we visited my ex's mothers place and on the side board was a painting that my ex did as a young boy and it was the man in my dream. I asked my ex if it was an angel and he said "Yes it is Gabriel" Well to say I was gobbsmacked was an understatement. I am not a religous person but I do truly believe that through all my grief I was visited by the Arcangel Gabriel.

8 years on and I wish my boy was still here as I miss him terribly and still cry when I start to repeat the events of his demise but this give me comfort knowing he is safe, happy and out of pain and 3 years ago his best mate Tilly joined him.

I feel your grief and your loss

[dandybrush]

wow this is not a good thread to be reading while at work!!

[tikira]

Angel was sending you a message. She loved you, and knew you were in pain, so she worked out a way to comfort you. Accept her gift without doubting it.

Di

[Sezy]

When I've shared the story with some people, I'm met with looks as though I'm crazy! Has anyone else had a similar experience?

No you are not crazy, you just had a beautiful dog that loved you.

I have had one of my bunnies come back to me in a dream.

My parents house had really bad fencing, a dog got in one night and killed my youngest bunny. The following night I forced my big boy back in the cage. After spending the day in the house with me and I guess the drama of the dog from the first night he did not want to go in. I found him dead on the front lawn the following morning. It broke my heart as I could have kept him in over night.

The guilt stayed with me for a long time until one night I had a dream that he came up to me and jumped into my arms. For the first time in a long while I felt at peace with what had happened.

[Guest]

LegallyBrunette,What a beautiful dream,and you are not crazy, you had a very speciall bond with your Angel, and i'm so glad you had that wonderful experience.

We had the same bond with our's but are still waiting for our encounter,and I'm sure she is with her special bond, our horse, in spirit, they were just beautiful togeather, when they were alive, we also have our budgie burried up in the paddock next to our horse.

We Did have a special bond with our beloved horse, as well, and a strange hapening.

We had to have him pts as he had been bitten by a brown snake and was too far gone when we found him, we were devestated when we found him,anyway about 1-30 am the next morning we were awoken by an owl hooting in our backyard, hubby and I both woke at the same time, and we felt a comfort from it, and I'm sure it was our boy telling us that it was all ok, we have never before or since heard that owl,and our horse did have owls in his paddock where he was agisted.

lablove

[kendall]

That's beautiful :D

I had a similar dream with my heart cat. When he was alive we had a baby gate separating our bedroom/theatre from the rest of the house as we were housetraining our new pup. The cats used to sit at the gate and wait for me to get up and let them through if they couldn't be bothered to jump over or sqeeze through :laugh: In my dream I opened the gate and walked through followed by two of the cats. I waited for G to walk through the gate too but he wouldn't, he just sat and looked at me. In that moment we said goodbye to each other and I closed the gate then woke up. It was so sad but yeah I believe he came to me to say goodbye as I wasn't there when he passed.

Treasure the dream/visit

[Animal_Lover]

wow this is not a good thread to be reading while at work!!

Agreed

[malsrock]

What beautiful dreams, I have tears streaming down my face thinking of the one and only life like dream of mine

In 1990 on a cold and wet Saturday morning I was waiting for a shoe shop to open looking at tropical fish in a petshop window. When the petshop doors opened for business still waiting for the shoe shop to open I went in for a look. Jumping up at me in a pen as I walked past, was a 10 week old GSD puppy with a sign above it Pure Bred German Shepherd Male $200. I instinctively leaned into the pen and picked him up cuddled him as he licked my face. The petshop owner said to me "would you like to buy him, he likes you I see"???. This was a classical impulse buy that we tell everyone to never do, but still with him in one arm I rummaged through my bag with the other and had $180. I said to the petshop owner, I only have $180, will you take that???. He hesitated for second or two and said "ok my dear, only because I see that you are made for each other".

I never bought the pair of shoes I wanted, and bought a puppy instead :p Getting him home and taking him out on the back lawn, the sun suddenly began to shine after a few minutes the crappy wet day was turning around in this moment with my new puppy on the back lawn playing.........Sunny, that's his name which fitted the moment so perfectly.

I had no idea how to raise, train and control a drivey GSD and he was the naughtiest puppy I had ever encountered and developed every bad trait you could think of including severe stranger and dog aggression as he matured. Many suggested he should be PTS, he was dangerous and out of control, but he was my baby and my mission in life to make a gentleman out of him which I did succeed and was forced to spend time with my dog to learn how to train and handle him.

15 years on with a lifetime of perfect health his poor old body was worn out and sadly had to give him his wings and say goodbye to my beautiful Sunny boy. I had a second GSD Sam by that stage who is 8 years old now and had lived with Sunny for 5 years. About a year after Sunny had left us I had this dream one night.

Sam and I were walking along this railway line construction near where we used to live where I only ever walked Sunny and could let him off leash for a run. I was telling Sam as we walked along about how we used to walk Sunny here where he could run and stretch his legs off leash. I heard a dog bark in the distance behind us, Sam turned around and wagged his tail, I turned to look too. In the distance there was a GSD with the same distinctive ears Sunny had when alert stood straight up vertical and closer together than the average GSD ears. Sam barked, the dog in the distance barked back wagging his tail, I screamed "Sunny here"!!!. This dog ran straight towards us full pelt as Sunny did so many years ago, it was Sunny, he had come to visit us to walk together one last time running straight into my arms, he jumped and bounded around squeaked and yapped as he always did when I got home from work. He had a wrestle with Sam as he always did in his younger days like nothing had ever changed except Sunny was young and in his prime.

We all walked together for about 5kms as we used to do, the dream wasn't sad, we were all happy it was a wonderful feeling and it was all so real. We walked up the path onto the street Sam beside me and Sunny behind and as we reached the road I commanded sit and I woke up and opened my eyes, Sam was sitting along side the bed looking at me I hoped that Sam shared my dream too which I like to think he did.

Fiona

Edited September 1, 2010 by malsrock