Laurel Hunt Books

I’ve written before about a very moving Blessing of the Animals service that Alex and I participated in. Now, Calvary Church in Danvers, Massachusetts has started Perfect Paws Pet Ministry, a half-hour service for people and their dogs on the third Sunday of each month. The service includes Communion,blessings, and dog biscuits for the dogs at the end of the service. The service also includes prayers for animals who are ill, and for those who are deceased. (more…)

I always think of her on New Year’s Eve even though it’s been 16 years since she died from hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer of the blood vessels. I remember well the day we adopted her, too, and my first impression that she looked like a lioness lying regally in the shelter cage, her paws crossed, with an attitude of “There must be some mistake. I don’t know what I am doing in this place.” As we signed the adoption papers the clerk warned, “She’s been brought back twice. This is her last chance.” In spite of many behavior challenges, we gave her a forever home for the next seven years. When she was diagnosed with cancer, I learned how much I had come to love her for her courage, loyalty, and count-me-in attitude. As a final gift, she inspired me to begin a collection of tributes to beloved dogs, later published as Angel Pawprints: Reflections on loving and losing a canine companion. Although their years with us are never long enough, and it is unbearably sad when they leave us, I have come to think of each of my dogs as a precious gift that has enriched my life and opened my heart in unexpected ways. I am blessed and thankful to have walked beside them.

Marmaduke

If you are looking for a lovely holiday gift for the animal lovers on your list, I recommend Animal Blessings: Prayers and Poems Celebrating Our Pets by June Cotner (HarperCollins, 2000). I discovered Ms. Cotner’s lovely series of books with her more recently published Dog Blessings. Animal Blessings includes  writings about all types of animals, from dogs, cats, and horses to wildlife including birds, deer, dolphins, and other wild creatures. (more…)

Today is the second anniversary of my Welsh Springer, Byron’s death. Like today, it was a beautiful, clear fall day when he slipped quietly into his last sleep. He had struggled with mobility as spinal arthritis took its toll. For months, I had to help him to his feet. He walked with the aid of a sling under his belly. When he came to the cabin on weekends, I carried him down the stairs and settled him gently on his bed, next to the window where he could look out into the woods. He was a wonderful companion who brought me much joy. It’s hard to believe two years have passed. But no matter how many years go by, he lives on in my heart. I miss his gentle presence, but I am grateful for our time together.

Byron in the sunlight

The familar poem, “The Rainbow Bridge,” started me on a journey to collect, and later publish, comforting poems and tributes related to pet loss. I particularly love those written in the pet’s voice. The following poem, “Request from the Rainbow Bridge,” has been cited often by readers of my anthologies, Angel Pawprints and Angel Whiskers, as among their favorites. It it one of my favorites, too. (more…)

A few years ago, my veterinarian began taking a digital photo of each patient. The photo became part of the pet’s record, printing out on the bills and progress reports during our all-too-frequent vet visits during Emily’s last years. Emily was camera-shy, and the photo is a bit blurry as Emily turned her head away. As a final thoughtful gesture after Emily died, the vet mailed me a laminated keepsake of Emily’s photo, along with a comforting poem.

Emily's pet memorial from her caring vet

The poem, authored by Gayl Jokiel, reads as follows: (more…)

This week a friend made a generous donation to a fundraising campaign, Paws on a Mission  for our hospital therapy dog program. Instead of honoring Alex, who is one of the “furry fundraisers” with his very own fundraising page, she chose to make her donation in memory of my beloved spaniels, Byron and Emily. This thoughtful gesture brought tears to my eyes, but it also warmed my heart. Once more, I felt the power of dogs to bring out the best in each of us. Once more, I experienced the gifts that they give, even in death.

Emily in the sunlight

Little Pearls, an Asheville-based nonprofit film-maker specializing in “tiny films,” has produced a beautiful, one-minute long “Dog Pearl,” that conveys a comforting and spiritual message about pet loss. The film was inspired by the death of Katie, a dog belonging to Little Pearls’ creative director. This poignant meditation, filmed on a beautiful mountaintop bald near Asheville, depicts a vision of Katie running joyful and free. Click here to view this lovely “Dog Pearl.”

Gidget, the adorable Chihauhua who starred in the Taco Bell commercials, has died of a stroke at age 15. The memorable commercials aired from 1997 to 2000. Like many Hollywood pets, Gidget was cared for at the VCA Coast Pet Clinic in Hermosa Beach, CA, the same hospital where my dogs were treated for cancer.

“She made so many people happy,” said Gidget’s trainer, Sue Chipperton, in a People.com post. Mostly retired, Gidget lived out her days lying in the sun – “I like to joke that it’s like looking after a plant,” said Chipperton – and entertaining at shoots when her trainer brought her along. “Gidget,” said Chipperton, “always knew where the camera was.” May Gidget be remembered for the smiles  she spread around the world.

In my last post I wrote about looking up at the Dog Star in the early morning sky, a ritual I found healing following the loss of Byron and Emily. I mentioned that objects with star motifs began appearing in my life, as if the dogs were letting me know that we are still connected. Thus, I was surprised and delighted to come across a new book, Pawprints in the Stars; a Farewell and Journal for a Beloved Pet written and illustrated by Warren Hanson (Tristan Publishing, 2008). (more…)

Following the loss of Marmaduke and Molly, I embarked on a project to compile poems and tributes to dogs that had died. I found them in out of print books and out of the way places. Most of the tributes that were ultimately published in Angel Pawprints; Reflections on Loving and Losing a Canine Companion were written in the early 1900s, although I included a few contemporary poems as well. Through this project I became a collector of antiquarian dog books, vintage photos of dogs, and quotes about dogs. I never tire of reading about dogs and the countless ways in which they enrich our lives. Thus, I was delighted to find this treasure, a new book called Dog Blessings; Poems, Prose, and Prayers Celebrating Our Relationship with Dogs, edited by June Cotner. (more…)

It’s been fifteen years since that Easter Sunday when I burst into tears at the sight of lilies surrounding the altar.  I was standing at the back of the church, looking over the crowded pews for a place to sit, and there were those dozens of lilies, each one representing the loss of a loved one. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Clutching my bulletin, I rushed past the startled ushers and left the church, my head down, fumbling in my purse for my sun glasses to hide the tears. After that, it was a long time before I could get through a church service without crying. Even now, sometimes the music will bring tears. I’ve learned to have a tissue in my purse. I’ve learned also that it’s okay to honor the memory of a pet in church. (more…)