The Spiritual Gift of Animals

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Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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Today we're unlocking the profound,

often unseen spiritual power of animals.

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Please help me welcome our expert

on this topic, Bonnie Poirier.

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Hi Bonnie.

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Welcome to the show.

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Bonnie: Thank you.

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It's a delight to be here.

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Dixie: I'm excited about our conversation.

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We are gonna talk about animals

as our spiritual directors.

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Before we get started with that, can

you tell us a little bit about yourself?

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Bonnie: Absolutely.

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My name is Bonnie Poirier and

I live in southeast Louisiana.

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I was ordained in the Congregational

Church back in the early nineties,

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and it wasn't long after that I

became part of an ecumenical St.

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Francis of Assisi Society.

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And that's when I moved into the

ministry role with the Ministry of St.

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Francis of Assisi.

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I've been working pretty much

with the area of animals.

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It started off more environmental

and then we had this storm

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in 2005 that you will recall.

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It was called Hurricane Katrina.

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And prior to that we did have

people who, saw the spirituality

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of having pets and with nature.

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But it really came into the forefront

with Hurricane Katrina because

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for years what we would do, when a

hurricane would come, we would evacuate

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for a day, maybe two, but our pets

were not allowed to travel with us.

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Katrina comes in and we are in a total

crisis to the point where there's this

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place called Lamar Dixon that opens up.

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And it made the national news.

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Night after night, you would see people

going to Lamar Dixon looking for their

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beloved pets that were left behind.

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No one was ever blamed or at fault for

this, and the realization came about.

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This can happen to us,

this can happen to me.

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And people started looking at that time,

20 years ago it's more than the needs of

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the working dogs or these just feeding

our animals They were part of our family.

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And even though we had

known this for many years.

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Just seeing this on the news,

just put it more clearly, these

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pets are our family and as our

family they do everything with us.

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They eat with us they sleep and they

live within our homes and they even

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share, if you will, our spirituality.

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And that's what I would like to

discuss with you this evening.

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Dixie: Yeah, I'm very

interested in this topic.

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I'm a very spiritual person myself.

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I have some beliefs about animals and

spirituality, so I'm interested to

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see what you have to say about it.

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And I usually, do a lot of research

into a subject, when before I go in or

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a rescue, I try to learn about them,

and in this case, I'm going in blind.

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So we're just gonna see where

the conversation takes us.

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Bonnie: I believe that our

animals are living reminders of

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God's presence in all creation.

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They reflect that gentleness,

that loyalty, that unconditional

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love in a way that feels pure.

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Uncomplicated.

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And when we pause to notice their quiet

wisdom, whether it's that steady gaze

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of our beloved dog, or we go outside on

our way to work and we're greeted in the

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morning by the song of a bird, or maybe

we're traveling down a country road.

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We notice that graceful stillness

in a deer, and suddenly in those

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times, we are invited back into

awareness of the divine rhythm of

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life that is sacredly established.

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And animals teach us just how to

be to live in the present moment,

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to trust, to love without words.

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To forgive easily.

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And in their innocence, they remind

us that spirituality isn't only

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found in church pews or sacred texts,

but also in the living, breathing

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world that God has made for us.

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And their presence can open our hearts

to gratitude, compassion, wonder, all

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spiritual practices in themselves.

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Of course.

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And many people find that caring for.

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Or simply being near animals

softens our spirits and even quiets

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our minds and can even deepen our

connection with God our creator.

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Whatever name you may

have for the all being.

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Through them.

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We learn reverence for life.

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We learn humility and creation

and the truth that all living

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things are interconnected under

the loving care of our loving God.

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And some years ago.

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I wanted to know more

about the science of this.

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How are we connected?

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Because yes I had practiced for

years, the meditating with our pets.

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If you've never done that, it's getting

into to that rhythmic breathing with them

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and sitting in that quietness with them.

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And I came across this Dixie,

that you're going to enjoy.

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Some researchers at Northwestern

University's Department of Neurobiology,

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they had found evidence that was

previously unknown in that there are

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unknown neurons in an animal's brain,

especially our dogs that are activated

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when the animal is in a, what they

call a waiting mode, those neurons.

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Are located in the area of the brain's

temporal lobe where we know that spatial

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memory is encoded in acts, if you will,,

like an internal pacemaker mechanism.

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They think the study was set out to

prove that this area of the brain

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might also encode time, memory, but

even with the discovery of those once

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unknown neurons, they're still not sure.

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How dogs tell time as this study

doesn't suggest that animals can

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instinctively judge time, but I bet that

when our time changes that your dog.

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We'll be waiting by their dog bowl at that

time that we had before the time changed.

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They just, and like I said, they

think it's an like an internal

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pacemaker, like a waiting mode.

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And that's why our animals can

be our alarm clocks and so forth.

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And what they have also with this

and this study came about, when

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we had that great tsunami way

back, I believe it was in: 2001

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And what they noticed was all

of these animals were going up

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into the hills of Sri Lanka.

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And why are these animals just going

up into the hills this Christmas Eve?

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Why are they just venturing

up there and even house pets?

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Were going stir crazy people were saying.

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And just hours later, a deadly

tsunami wiped out part of Sri Lanka.

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And some of the things that we know is

wolves will howl before a storm or cows

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ears will itch and twitch before it rains,

and they also lie down on the ground.

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By the way, if you see cows

lying down on the ground, we've

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got a pretty good storm coming.

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We know that birds and geese and

roosters always give us warnings.

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How do they know these things?

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A rooster.

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When it's noisy at night, we know

that storms are coming by morning.

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We know that elk and deer go down

mountains before heavy rainstorms.

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And this is interesting, when a

deer coats are grey, in October.

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We can see that as a sign

of an upcoming harsh winter.

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And they say that when a cat lies

in the sun in the winter, that

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we're gonna have a delayed winter.

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That may be the puncsatawny,

predicting the weather, the winter.

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But we also know, and we can also

remember when we have hurricanes here and

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we're, and we are no strangers to that.

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When we hear birds and squirrels

outside, we know that we have

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plenty of time to get ready.

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This is the time to get ready

for the hurricane, but when

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it's, when it gets quiet.

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That's when we need to pay attention.

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And how many times have we had a

rainstorm come through and we know

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that it's over because we can hear the

frogs croaking or the birds chirping or

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even the squirrels getting more active.

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So people may think that, Hey, look,

that's just part of their biology.

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It's also part of their spiritual

essence as well, and there is so

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much for us to learn if we are

willing to sit in the quiet and pay

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attention to our animals, whether

there are animals that we live with.

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Or the animals in the wild.

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As long as we're paying attention

to them and getting in tune with

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them, I think that will help

deepen our own spirituality.

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Dixie: Yeah, that's very interesting.

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I know from my own observations that

like I can tell if I'm in an adoption

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center looking at animals or helping

animals, or even for my own animals,

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foster animals, pets, or whatever.

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Somehow I can instinctively look

at 'em and I can know when they're

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not feeling well, even though

they may appear to feel fine.

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Yes.

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And and so it's to me it's

something that they're signaling.

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There's something that I'm picking up

with, and I'm really big too, on the

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energy aspect of it, because I always

tell that to people, especially when they

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come to look at my cats when they're up

for adoptions or my kittens because, it's

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the type of energy that my household has.

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Were very quiet.

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So because of that energy.

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My kittens don't tend to do good with

a very noisy and when I say noisy, I

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don't necessarily mean like noise, but

it's just a different level of activity.

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Just because of the way that we carry

ourself and we hold our energy so they

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don't always do good with every person.

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They do good with people that

have an energy that's similar

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to ours, in my household.

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Bonnie: And I can see that when you have

that frenetic energy that feeds so many

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things, it's you can walk into a room

and you can feel the energy in a room.

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Cats are really good about that.

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They, I believe cats are very intuitive.

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And some people will say, orange cats

are more into, cats are intuitive period.

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And I do know that, I have a son.

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I have several sons, but I

had a son who was who was

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fighting in war in Afghanistan.

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It was going really awful and I

kept watching the news and I was

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trying to keep my energy within.

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I was trying to keep myself calm and

at peace, and I was doing a really

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bad job with it apparently, because

one evening I'm sitting in my chair.

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And I just wanted to burst out crying,

but I had other people in my home and I

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had to be the calm one, one of my cats.

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And all of my cats typically come

from the street or adoption centers.

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This one particular cat came up to

me, placed her chest against my chest,

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placed an arm on each side of my neck,

and she put her head against my chin.

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And when she pressed her chest

against my chest, she started purring.

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And when she started purring, that's when

the tears started flowing out of my eyes.

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And this cat I know for

certain picked up on my energy.

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And knew that I needed care, and she

gave me that care that was healing the

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energy she gave me, that healed me and

got me through the night and through the

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next few weeks because she would come

in the evenings and always sit on my

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lap just like she belonged right there.

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I am here to protect you.

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Dixie: Yeah, I've seen that

too with my cats as well.

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If I'm not feeling well, it's like they

seem to know before I do sometimes.

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'cause I'll get migraines.

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And they'll all come lay with me and

they do the purring, they sit on me and

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the purring, it is a healing frequency

and , I know a lot of people will probably

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just think, oh no, it's just purring.

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But it definitely is more than that.

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They can definitely pick up on things,

especially I know like people that

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might have problems with their pets,

when you think about it and , my

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vet actually told me this too, that

she said Sometimes animals illnesses

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will mirror the owner's illnesses.

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And Yes.

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Yeah.

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And then not just that, but also

if you have an animal that is

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misbehaving and they might be acting

crazy, they might be acting anxious,

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you also have to go back and think

about what am I thinking right now?

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'Cause you might be projecting that.

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Out and your animal might

actually be picking up on it

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and just going with that energy.

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'cause I find they do feed off of

our energy, so they tend to act

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like you act a lot of the times.

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Bonnie: And I have to tell you, we, when

we look at animals and spirituality,

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many times I will go to the Bible and

there is a couple of verses from the

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Old Testament of job, and these words

resonate with me and it's ask the

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animals and they will teach you the

birds of the air and they will tell you.

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And I believe those verses

are so very true because if we

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ask them, they will tell us.

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And it goes on to say, even the

plants of the earth will instruct

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us and they will instruct us.

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The fish of the sea will inform

us and they will inform us.

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So I do believe this, that if

we paying attention to them.

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They pick up on our energy.

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That's how we communicate with each other.

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Yes, I do use words, do you wanna

treat, do you wanna go outside?

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But by golly, they pick up on our

energy and you are so right with that,

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that, they know us instinctively.

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So yes, we're spiritually

connected with them.

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And do we have time for a little story?

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Sure.

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Go ahead.

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Okay.

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It comes from the words of Second Samuel.

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Now we believe that the story that

I'm about to tell you is based

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on what is called a bummer lamb.

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And you know what, these are lambs

that are rejected by the mom.

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Once that baby is rejected, that

mother wants nothing to do with it.

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And as a matter of fact, the mom

will even become aggressive and

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even try to kill it , and they will.

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The way that these lambs survive is

told in this story, and it happens.

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To this day, in the words of Second

Samuel, again in the Old Testament,

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the Lord sent Nathan to David,

and when he came to him, he said

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there are two men in a certain

town, one rich and the other poor.

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The rich man had a large number of

cattle and sheep, but the poor man

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had nothing except one little lamb.

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That he had bought.

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He raised her and she grew

up with him and his children.

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She shared his food, drank from his

cup, and even slept in his arms.

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This little Yu Lamb was

like a daughter to him.

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We are family.

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We are protectors for one

another and we're playmates.

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And when we read in the Bible

that this little You Lamb was

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like a daughter to this man.

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That says a lot because even to this

day, these little precious lambs

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that are rejected by their mothers

they will get super depressed.

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Their hands will hang so low

that they almost hit the ground.

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And there are reasons that this

happened, but what saves them, and

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like I said, it happens to this day, a

shepherd or a human has to intervene.

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Because this lamb is gonna

die, rejected and alone.

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How does that happen?

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Those lambs are placed against the chest.

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They hold it against the chest so that

lamb can hear our very heartbeats.

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And those lambs have to be

hand fed, kept warm, wrapped in

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blankets held close to the chest.

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And as these lambs grow,

they become connected to the

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humans that save their lives.

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So here you are in rescue, and

you know these animals that you

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are helping and rescuing some of

these precious cats that you have.

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And kittens, they know that their lives

may be lost if something or someone

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doesn't intervene, and I can tell you.

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You are literally placing a

spiritual imprint on these precious

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animals, and they will remember you.

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I don't know if you have reconnected

with any of them, you know over

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time, but they will remember you.

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Our animals become imprinted, connected

to us spiritually because physically

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when they were rejected and broken.

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We save them, and by saving them,

they know that we are there for

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them and as a result, they become

there for us and that we have so

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many lessons to learn from them.

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Like I said, regarding spiritual issues.

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If we just sit with them and it's so easy.

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That we can learn so much from them.

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There is a book by Mirabai

Starr . It's a new book, fairly New.

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And the title of the book is

Ordinary Mysticism and she has an

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entire book dedicated to seeking

mysticism, to seeking that connection

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with God within the ordinary.

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And many times within that book,

she talks about being in nature.

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And listening to all of

nature around us and our cats.

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I can't tell you how many cats I have

had come into my life that I may have

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rescued them from the street or, one

was from a dog fight one was from

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a very bad situation that a human

had with this cat or even rescue.

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And they know.

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And once we have made that

connection, there is that

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connection that sustains them.

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But it also sustains us and

builds us up time and time again.

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And you know that old Indian legend

which says that when a human dies,

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you know that bridge, that they must

cross that bridge to get into heaven.

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At the head of that bridge is

the animal that every human has

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encountered in that lifetime.

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And those animals, based on what

they know of us, decides which

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of us may cross the bridge.

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And which are turned away.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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Now I have a story too that kind of

goes to what you were saying about

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the rescue and the fostering Okay.

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Uhhuh.

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I do bottle kittens sometimes I

have the moms with the babies.

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So this one particular litter

I had the mom with the babies.

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You still have a close attachment to

'em, but it's not like bottle feeding

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them,, because they're mom's there, so

they're not totally dependent on you.

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But you go in there to socialize 'em.

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So when I went in there to socialize

them, it's the funniest thing.

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There was this one little kitten in

the litter and he just learned to

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: 00:21:40

walk and he was obsessed with me.

307

: 00:21:44

Needless to say, he became

my favorite out the litter.

308

: 00:21:48

He got adopted at eight weeks old.

309

: 00:21:51

And when he was about five or six months

old we got a call for him to be returned.

310

: 00:21:58

It was one of those situations, I

believe it was like the boyfriend or

311

: 00:22:01

the cat, and they chose boyfriend,

so we had to go pick him up.

312

: 00:22:05

And . I actually had him

back up for adoption.

313

: 00:22:08

And of course he kept getting

overlooked and overlooked.

314

: 00:22:13

And I was taking a meditation class, and

when I went and did this meditation class,

315

: 00:22:18

it was one of these ones where you're

gonna meditate and let's see if you have a

316

: 00:22:20

special animal that's connecting with you.

317

: 00:22:23

Who shows up in the meditation?

318

: 00:22:26

So at that point, I realized

he's meant to live with me.

319

: 00:22:30

Bonnie: Yes.

320

: 00:22:30

Dixie: I actually considered him

my soul cat because I truly believe

321

: 00:22:34

that, from the time he could walk,

he knew he was meant to be with me.

322

: 00:22:40

Bonnie: And , I have to tell you, I

believe that with every ounce of my

323

: 00:22:45

being that we do have soul animals.

324

: 00:22:50

There was a movie in a book

called A Dog's Purpose.

325

: 00:22:54

And I don't know if you saw it or read

the book, but it's about the evolution

326

: 00:22:58

of a soul that incarnates from dog after

dog, and I reconnect later in life.

327

: 00:23:04

I believe that to be true.

328

: 00:23:06

I believe that are animals

that have passed on.

329

: 00:23:10

Help lead us to the next animals that

we have to have within our lives.

330

: 00:23:16

And I will tell you this, that

as long as we have that spiritual

331

: 00:23:22

connection with them miracles, it may

be small, but miracles will happen.

332

: 00:23:30

I work a lot in death, dying and grief.

333

: 00:23:35

And I work a lot every year.

334

: 00:23:37

I go to Heaven's Pets in New Orleans

and we have a large pet blessing.

335

: 00:23:42

And this one woman would

come year after year.

336

: 00:23:45

And we've been doing

this for 15 years now.

337

: 00:23:48

And she has been grieving the the

loss of dogs and cats over the years.

338

: 00:23:54

And finally, a few years ago, she came

to a pet blessing and she brings pictures

339

: 00:24:00

and a couple of urns and I bless them and.

340

: 00:24:05

We got to talking and she said,

there is just no way that I could

341

: 00:24:10

bring another animal into my life.

342

: 00:24:13

It's just so hard losing them.

343

: 00:24:17

And I said, I understand that,

and I'm not asking to get another

344

: 00:24:20

animal into your home, but you

do live with nature, don't you?

345

: 00:24:26

And she sat there and she said, oh no.

346

: 00:24:28

Since my husband died, my

backyard is just awful.

347

: 00:24:32

I've not done anything.

348

: 00:24:33

My house is awful.

349

: 00:24:34

I don't have the energy.

350

: 00:24:35

I can't do that.

351

: 00:24:36

I can't deal with all of that nonsense.

352

: 00:24:39

And I said, just pay attention.

353

: 00:24:42

So one day she realized she

needed to go into her backyard.

354

: 00:24:46

And she starts looking around.

355

: 00:24:49

She says, oh, this place is a wreck.

356

: 00:24:51

So she started to go into one corner,

and as she moves some trash out of

357

: 00:24:56

the way, she startles a squirrel.

358

: 00:24:59

And she thought, wow, I

was not anticipating this.

359

: 00:25:03

So the next day she goes out

and there's the squirrel again.

360

: 00:25:08

So she thought maybe I need

to do something about this.

361

: 00:25:12

So she heads off and she gets

herself into a pet store.

362

: 00:25:16

I think it was called

Jefferson Feed and Seed.

363

: 00:25:19

She said, I have a

squirrel in my backyard.

364

: 00:25:21

I don't know how to

take care of a squirrel.

365

: 00:25:22

What do I do?

366

: 00:25:23

So the guy behind the counter thought

that she wanted to get rid of the

367

: 00:25:28

squirrel, and she says, oh no.

368

: 00:25:30

You're going in a different direction.

369

: 00:25:32

I need to know how to

take care of the squirrel.

370

: 00:25:34

So he says, oh, that's easy.

371

: 00:25:35

Here's a squirrel feeder,

and here's some food.

372

: 00:25:38

So lo and behold, she starts

realizing I need to clean my backyard.

373

: 00:25:45

Because this squirrel

isn't going anywhere.

374

: 00:25:48

So she starts feeding the squirrel

and taking care of this squirrel.

375

: 00:25:52

And lo and behold, more

squirrels starts showing up.

376

: 00:25:56

And then she finds herself

getting a bird feeder.

377

: 00:25:59

And these birds start showing

up and she gets a bird bath.

378

: 00:26:02

And then she.

379

: 00:26:04

Look, didn't realize this is gonna happen.

380

: 00:26:06

She starts getting raccoons that come

into her yard that are bathing in her

381

: 00:26:11

bird bath and bef when as she's cleaning

her yard and making it a little paradise,

382

: 00:26:17

really, in the back she noticed.

383

: 00:26:21

That she welcomed squirrels and

birds and raccoons, and even a rabbit

384

: 00:26:29

that has started burrowing under

the fence to come visit with her.

385

: 00:26:34

And every evening and every morning

she goes out there and she feeds.

386

: 00:26:41

All of these animals and cleans out the

bowls, puts fresh water in a bird bath.

387

: 00:26:47

And that's her life now.

388

: 00:26:49

And so I saw her just a few weeks ago

at the last Heaven's Pets event, and

389

: 00:26:56

she said, and she told me this story

and she said, I had a feeling that you

390

: 00:27:02

were telling me yes, maybe it's okay

that I don't have a pet in my house.

391

: 00:27:08

But I certainly have pets all around me.

392

: 00:27:12

They're wild animals.

393

: 00:27:13

They'll not live with me in

my home, but I care for them.

394

: 00:27:18

And that gives me such great purpose.

395

: 00:27:19

And I said, you just

hit on the right word.

396

: 00:27:23

Our animals give us purpose.

397

: 00:27:26

We think that we're caring

for them, and we do.

398

: 00:27:29

We think that we are providing

a safe place, and we do, but

399

: 00:27:33

they in turn give us purpose.

400

: 00:27:37

And you just simply can't buy that.

401

: 00:27:40

Dixie: Yeah, I agree with that.

402

: 00:27:41

That's a beautiful story too.

403

: 00:27:43

And on another note to that is I get upset

sometimes when little animals or even

404

: 00:27:51

adult animals will show up at a person's

house, and it's just like a single one.

405

: 00:27:55

It could be a, a dog, it could be a

cat, it could be a puppy, a kitten

406

: 00:27:59

a bird, any kind of animal needing

help even, or maybe not needing help.

407

: 00:28:04

And I always believed that animal

was sent there for a purpose.

408

: 00:28:08

Yes.

409

: 00:28:09

And it always is upsetting to me when

I see somebody like, oh, , this little

410

: 00:28:14

tiny animal that showed up at my house.

411

: 00:28:16

Can somebody take it?

412

: 00:28:17

And it's man, I'm like, I wish you would

just sit down and look for a second.

413

: 00:28:21

'cause that animal was

sent to you for a purpose.

414

: 00:28:23

Bonnie: Yes.

415

: 00:28:23

I believe that with

every ounce of my soul.

416

: 00:28:29

Yes.

417

: 00:28:30

And we live on three acres by a river and.

418

: 00:28:35

Over the years we have had several cats,

wonder in our yard and many times kittens.

419

: 00:28:43

And I believe that they come

to us for a purpose and.

420

: 00:28:49

It's our obligation.

421

: 00:28:51

That's our duty to take care of

them because, so many times I've

422

: 00:28:57

been asked, will I see my pet again?

423

: 00:29:01

The one that's passed,

will I see my pet again?

424

: 00:29:04

As I've said, I believe that our pets

are our greatest theologians and our

425

: 00:29:08

best spiritual directors, and those pets

that wander onto your property, they're

426

: 00:29:14

there to teach us and to connect us.

427

: 00:29:18

They're our link, our earthly.

428

: 00:29:20

Tangible link to the heavenly realm.

429

: 00:29:23

And when they wander onto our property

for our care and our welfare, they're

430

: 00:29:29

gonna provide us with so much about God's

creation and our own spiritual path that

431

: 00:29:36

will bring us back to the heavenly realm.

432

: 00:29:40

So just having them

wander onto our property.

433

: 00:29:43

Yeah I'm right there with you.

434

: 00:29:45

They're there.

435

: 00:29:47

As little angels, if you

will to help bring us further

436

: 00:29:52

along our own spiritual path.

437

: 00:29:56

Dixie: Do you think some

of them reincarnate?

438

: 00:29:59

Bonnie: I have to tell you, I do.

439

: 00:30:03

I do, I had not long after

Katrina I guess about a year after

440

: 00:30:10

Katrina, I found a puppy wondering

the parking lot of Walmart.

441

: 00:30:18

And I picked this puppy up and it, and

I did, look around, is anybody missing?

442

: 00:30:23

A puppy drove around

the parking lot a bit.

443

: 00:30:25

Nope.

444

: 00:30:26

And I realized this puppy was probably.

445

: 00:30:29

Not in a right place.

446

: 00:30:30

It was probably dumped out.

447

: 00:30:31

So I brought it home.

448

: 00:30:33

I bathed her, I named her she

started growing and I started

449

: 00:30:38

realizing this pet is not just a pet.

450

: 00:30:42

She's here for a purpose.

451

: 00:30:44

And Dixie, she became, with training,

she became an emotional support.

452

: 00:30:50

Animal, not for me, but for

groups that I had for grief.

453

: 00:30:57

And so she became a comfort dog,

if you will, and she lived with

454

: 00:31:03

me until her natural death, which

unfortunately was at the age of 11.

455

: 00:31:10

I was devastated.

456

: 00:31:12

I felt part of my voice passed

away and I, just that crying in

457

: 00:31:19

the night, what am I going to do?

458

: 00:31:21

So I.

459

: 00:31:23

I have a friend who is a vet and she

said Bonnie I need for you to come

460

: 00:31:28

to the shelter 'cause she works in a

shelter and I need you to bless this dog.

461

: 00:31:35

, This dog needs to go home

to a quiet place to die.

462

: 00:31:41

And so I said, sure, I'll do this.

463

: 00:31:44

So this was just about four or five

days after I lost my dog, Lagniappe

464

: 00:31:50

And so I walk into the shelter and

there is this pit bull that they had

465

: 00:31:56

picked up on the side of the road.

466

: 00:31:57

They thought it was dead.

467

: 00:31:58

She had heartworms.

468

: 00:31:59

She had obviously been

used as as a puppy machine.

469

: 00:32:05

And I just took one look at this

dog and I looked at my friend and I

470

: 00:32:09

said I think we had the quiet home.

471

: 00:32:11

We had the quiet, calm home.

472

: 00:32:13

Let me bring her home.

473

: 00:32:16

So I brought her home and I knew she was

gonna die, but she lived 18 more months.

474

: 00:32:26

And what this dog taught me

about grieving was enormous.

475

: 00:32:33

I learned so many lessons.

476

: 00:32:36

She restored herself back to a health that

I could take her for walks and we could

477

: 00:32:41

have fun together and just enjoyed life.

478

: 00:32:44

And what she did is she helped me

because my dog Lagniappe's death

479

: 00:32:50

, even though it was a natural death.

480

: 00:32:52

It was a very sudden death,

and I wasn't prepared.

481

: 00:32:56

But by bringing this dog, this foster

hospice dog into my home, I was able

482

: 00:33:03

to get through that grieving process,

and when she passed, I felt complete.

483

: 00:33:10

Now the story doesn't end there.

484

: 00:33:12

I went back to the very same shelter

after her name was Happy after

485

: 00:33:19

Happy died, and I said, I know

that I have to get another dog.

486

: 00:33:26

I know this, and I would have

dreams where it felt like Happy was

487

: 00:33:33

tugging me back to that shelter.

488

: 00:33:36

So I would go to the

shelter, I would look around.

489

: 00:33:39

Nope nope.

490

: 00:33:40

Then one day I sat down, I went

online and I found this dog who was

491

: 00:33:47

skin and bones, looked terrified.

492

: 00:33:50

It was curled up in a little sea,

and I called the shelter about this

493

: 00:33:55

dog and I said, where is this dog?

494

: 00:33:56

I've been to your shelter

twice or three times.

495

: 00:33:59

I've not seen this dog.

496

: 00:34:00

And they said oh, this dog hides.

497

: 00:34:02

It's terrified.

498

: 00:34:03

And I said, that's my dog.

499

: 00:34:06

I went back to the shelter.

500

: 00:34:08

I got that dog brought her home,

and she's still with me to this day.

501

: 00:34:13

I am convinced now when people

think of reincarnation, they think

502

: 00:34:17

of one dog being born into a puppy.

503

: 00:34:21

But I do believe that what I experienced.

504

: 00:34:26

Is my dog's way of leading me to my next

dog, which helps me believe that yes, I

505

: 00:34:35

believe it's possible that the souls of

our beloved animal companions will evolve.

506

: 00:34:44

And keep us going in this life.

507

: 00:34:48

And whether they stay with us until

we pass away and our souls travel on,

508

: 00:34:56

or if it continues on, I don't know.

509

: 00:34:58

But I do believe you were

talking about soul companions.

510

: 00:35:02

I believe that.

511

: 00:35:03

So what I experienced

with three separate dogs.

512

: 00:35:09

I believe it.

513

: 00:35:09

Yes, there is a great possibility,

and I do believe it's possible.

514

: 00:35:15

Dixie: Yeah I asked because personally

I believe that I have had the same

515

: 00:35:19

cat with me three times now because

the personality everything is exactly

516

: 00:35:26

the same as the one that passed.

517

: 00:35:29

So I think for like almost my

entire life, I've had the same.

518

: 00:35:32

Cat with me.

519

: 00:35:33

I know it sounds crazy, but I don't

care if people think I sound crazy.

520

: 00:35:36

Bonnie: But when you stop and you

think, you said this cat has the

521

: 00:35:42

personality and , how can we deny that?

522

: 00:35:47

Dixie: Yeah.

523

: 00:35:47

And it's in the eyes too.

524

: 00:35:49

Like the eyes are the same, when

you look into the eyes, you know it.

525

: 00:35:54

I know some people that might not

believe in this are gonna have a hard

526

: 00:35:57

time, hearing that, and they probably

think it's nonsense, but it's true.

527

: 00:36:01

You can look at 'em and it's

something in the eyes like you

528

: 00:36:05

can see to their inner soul and,

529

: 00:36:07

Bonnie: and I believe that, I truly

do, like I said, with this dog that

530

: 00:36:11

I found wondering in a years ago in

a parking lot, how did this puppy

531

: 00:36:18

get scrawny little puppy that needed

deep tender care and she got it Now?

532

: 00:36:28

Is it that she led me to another

dog that desperately needed a home

533

: 00:36:34

of love and peace so she could die?

534

: 00:36:37

And who taught me lessons about grief?

535

: 00:36:39

Mind you, up to that point, I

had spent several decades working

536

: 00:36:43

in death, dying, and grief.

537

: 00:36:45

I learned so much from this dog about

death, dying, and grief that textbooks.

538

: 00:36:53

Never taught me, and that

was at the soul level.

539

: 00:36:57

And that dog led me to this precious

dog that I have in my home now

540

: 00:37:03

who truly, desperately needed.

541

: 00:37:06

Again, love that deep committed,

unconditional love so that perhaps that

542

: 00:37:16

soul legacy that inspires us can live on.

543

: 00:37:21

But like I said, I don't know if

that animal is with us for the

544

: 00:37:26

balance of our lives or if it will

continue on after our soul transcends.

545

: 00:37:34

Dixie: Another thing that I would

like to touch on is I have heard that

546

: 00:37:40

animals in your house also protect

you from like negative energy.

547

: 00:37:45

Or even possibly negative things.

548

: 00:37:49

What do you think about that?

549

: 00:37:51

Bonnie: Oh, another story.

550

: 00:37:53

A deaf friend of mine this

is way back in the seventies.

551

: 00:37:59

A deaf friend of mine got

a cat from the streets.

552

: 00:38:04

It was one of those things

that she walked out and bloop.

553

: 00:38:08

There is a kitten in her path.

554

: 00:38:11

So she picks this kitten up, the kitten

grows up, and they're living together

555

: 00:38:16

in an apartment in uptown New Orleans.

556

: 00:38:20

So every time she went home,

she and her kitten companion

557

: 00:38:26

spent their evenings together.

558

: 00:38:28

One day she is sitting in her living

room and she said that she could feel it.

559

: 00:38:38

Her cat, she could feel her.

560

: 00:38:40

Her cat just bristling and she sees a foot

coming in a window, and when this person

561

: 00:38:49

got into her home and both feet hit the

ground of her home, her apartment, this

562

: 00:38:56

cat went wild and attacked this intruder.

563

: 00:39:03

So , as she's seeing this happen, she

had time to get out of her apartment,

564

: 00:39:08

go across the way, and the person was

a, they were able to call the police.

565

: 00:39:14

Now here's the thing, this cat did

such a whammy on this intruder that

566

: 00:39:20

intruder was still in her apartment

when the police showed up and

567

: 00:39:24

this guy needed medical attention.

568

: 00:39:27

So yes, I truly believe that

our pets can keep us from harm.

569

: 00:39:34

We hear these stories, but until you.

570

: 00:39:37

See it and experience it.

571

: 00:39:40

I have a dear friend whose dog kept

just literally driving her nuts.

572

: 00:39:45

He would put his nose in her

left armpit and push against her

573

: 00:39:52

armpit at the top of her breast.

574

: 00:39:55

Just kept doing it over and wouldn't stop.

575

: 00:39:58

And she's like, why is, it's

gotta be the smell of my armpit.

576

: 00:40:02

Lo and behold, she had a mammogram.

577

: 00:40:05

They found cancer in her left armpit

and at the top of her left breast.

578

: 00:40:12

Dixie: Wow.

579

: 00:40:13

Bonnie: And that's where her dog

putting his nose right in that area.

580

: 00:40:18

We, also hear, and I experienced

this myself with another friend

581

: 00:40:23

whose child had seizures.

582

: 00:40:25

Debilitating seizures.

583

: 00:40:28

And this child had several

surgeries, had part of her brain

584

: 00:40:32

removed to help with the seizures.

585

: 00:40:35

Nothing helped.

586

: 00:40:36

One day someone said, have you thought

about getting a seizure alert dog?

587

: 00:40:43

And she said, not really.

588

: 00:40:45

I'm not a dog person.

589

: 00:40:46

I know.

590

: 00:40:48

No, I hadn't thought about that.

591

: 00:40:49

She kept thinking about

it and she looked into it.

592

: 00:40:54

Her daughter was able to

get a seizure alert dog.

593

: 00:40:57

There is training involved

with this, so this child.

594

: 00:41:03

Has a seizure alert.

595

: 00:41:05

Dog alerts her prior to seizures, so

she's able to take her medication.

596

: 00:41:10

This child who was always told,

oh no, the seizures are so bad.

597

: 00:41:16

This child is gonna be on

disability the rest of her life.

598

: 00:41:18

This child graduated college

and is working now as a CPA.

599

: 00:41:25

She lives a good, vibrant

life because of a dog.

600

: 00:41:30

That's amazing.

601

: 00:41:31

If she didn't have a dog in

her life, she would not know.

602

: 00:41:35

So she's able to live, she was able to

go to high school, college, graduate,

603

: 00:41:39

get a job and all because of a dog.

604

: 00:41:43

Dixie: That is amazing.

605

: 00:41:45

Before we end our conversation,

what would you tell people who don't

606

: 00:41:49

believe that animals have souls?

607

: 00:41:52

Bonnie: I get that.

608

: 00:41:54

So very often I and I even get

people who will say, my pastor told

609

: 00:42:02

me that our dogs do not have souls.

610

: 00:42:08

And as I said, I believe with

all my heart that we are all here

611

: 00:42:14

to create good on this planet.

612

: 00:42:17

That includes our animals.

613

: 00:42:19

I believe that we're here to share our

kindness that includes our animals, and

614

: 00:42:26

when we look at the different verses in

the Bible, and the very first one that

615

: 00:42:33

people come up with is from Genesis.

616

: 00:42:36

Where it says, let them have

dominion over the fish of the sea.

617

: 00:42:39

Birds of the air over the dominion

is not the same as domination.

618

: 00:42:44

It comes from that Hebrew word rad,

which means to have communion with.

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: 00:42:49

Can you imagine if all these centuries,

if we had read, let us have communion

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: 00:42:56

with our stewardship, with the fish

of the sea and the birds of the

621

: 00:43:00

air and with the cattle, it would

have a whole other connotation.

622

: 00:43:05

So I believe.

623

: 00:43:07

A lot of it comes from the Bible itself.

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: 00:43:11

When we read from the Book of Job, ask.

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: 00:43:15

And we will be told when we read

that story that I just told you

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: 00:43:20

about it with that bummer lamb.

627

: 00:43:22

And when we look at.

628

: 00:43:24

All these animals help us as therapy

animals when we're lonely, depressed, or

629

: 00:43:31

in, in nursing homes and other facilities

who suffer from PTSD, anxious, depressed,

630

: 00:43:37

suicidal, how do they know this?

631

: 00:43:39

And they help us with diabetes.

632

: 00:43:42

Our pets are healers.

633

: 00:43:44

And in order to be a healer

in order to restore that inner

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: 00:43:49

health that comes from the soul.

635

: 00:43:53

We can talk about energy.

636

: 00:43:54

Yes, we, there is that energy, but

when we have that soul soothing health,

637

: 00:44:02

that comes from their soul as well.

638

: 00:44:05

So yes, I believe that our

animals are our earthly, tangible

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: 00:44:10

link right back to heaven.

640

: 00:44:13

And if we just pay attention to them.

641

: 00:44:17

Sit down.

642

: 00:44:18

It could be outside, it could

be within your own home.

643

: 00:44:22

Sit with a sleeping cat, sleep.

644

: 00:44:26

Just pay attention to them as

they're sleeping, or just a dog.

645

: 00:44:30

You're gonna, you're gonna find out

that what job was talking about.

646

: 00:44:35

Go and ask the animals

and they will teach you.

647

: 00:44:38

They will teach us our listening

to our dogs as they react

648

: 00:44:43

to environmental signals.

649

: 00:44:45

When the weather changes,

how do they know this?

650

: 00:44:48

Yes, they can say it's environmental,

it's that pure energy, but I believe

651

: 00:44:53

that comes from that soul source.

652

: 00:44:58

So I believe that.

653

: 00:44:59

There is that moment when we read

everything that has breath has life,

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: 00:45:06

and everything that has life has a soul.

655

: 00:45:10

And I can go on and say, Hey

look, our trees are Earth.

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: 00:45:17

It knows how to restore itself.

657

: 00:45:19

And there is a soul

within all of creation.

658

: 00:45:24

Dixie: Thank you for having

this conversation with me.

659

: 00:45:26

It was very uplifting and enlightening

and I hope it helps some people too.

660

: 00:45:33

Bonnie: I thank you for allowing me

to share this with you, and thank

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: 00:45:37

you for doing all that you do.

662

: 00:45:39

Thank you so much.

663

: 00:45:41

Dixie: That's it for today's episode.

664

: 00:45:42

I wanna thank everybody for

listening and supporting us.

665

: 00:45:46

If you wanna take that an extra

step, consider becoming a member.

666

: 00:45:51

We just added this to our

website, animalposse.com,

667

: 00:45:55

scroll down, look for the support tab.

668

: 00:45:57

Our membership program is going to

help us directly support animals

669

: 00:46:04

in need, whether that be through

vaccinations, food or spay neuter efforts.