By Rob Gutro
Losing a pet can be as traumatic as losing a human relative or friend. Sometimes even more so, because they rely on us 100 percent of their lives, and we rely on them for their unconditional love. That's something not easily obtained from people. Some psychological studies have confirmed that the grief we experience after losing a pet can be deeper and more long-lasting. But there is a way to heal. That's understanding how they communicate from the other side.
As a medium I know the love we share with our pets never dies, and there's proof that our pets do communicate with us from the other side, just as people do who pass. I'm a dog dad, a scientist (in my career), dog rescue volunteer, medium/paranormal investigator for Inspired Ghost Tracking of Maryland and author. I have lost three of my own beloved dogs who have communicated with me, just as everyone's pets are trying to get messages to their parents. I've had many experiences with ghosts and spirits, both pets and people since I was a teenager (a long time ago!). They have communicated messages that helped prove their identity. In fact, I've had so many messages from pets that I've become known for being a "pet medium" although I can communicate with people in spirit, too.
Pet parents like me think about and mourn the loss of their pets often. Sometimes the grief feels inconsolable. One way to work through that grief is to understand that our pets are around us in spirit from time to time and visit us. You just need to be able to recognize those signs.
I think about my late dogs Buzz, Sprite and Franklin every day, and miss them just as people mourn the passing of other humans. Why? Because, we taught them how to go to the bathroom, bathed them, groomed them, took them to (obedience) school and was excited at their graduation, watch them interact with others, take them to the doctor when they're sick, play with them, teach them, make friends, learn, love etc. They share with us love, anger, fear, and excitement just like human children do.
Dr. Stanley Coren, a doctor of veterinary medicine and renowned author, tested dogs and proved many have the intelligence of a 3 to 5 year old child. Dogs know when we're disappointed in them if they tear something up that they shouldn't have, and when we find out, they cringe. They know when we're sick and stay by our side. They know when we need company and when we need to be left alone. They listen, they let us hug them when we're stressed. They understand many of our words and can read our emotions and body language. As a result of all those things, pets have the intelligence and ability to send signs to the living after they pass.
I like to tell people that the only difference between human children and our pets is that our dogs and cats don't have careers, marry someone we don't care for, and move out. To me, my dogs are my children as I will not have human children. I am responsible for feeding, caring, loving, exercising, playing with and keeping them healthy.
Unfortunately, we also have to make the decision to put our "pet child" to a final rest. Making that decision is the hardest act of unconditional love that we can make for anyone, people or pet. Our pets understand when their bodies are failing. They know when they are too tired to go on, and understand when we make the decision to let them pass.
One of the most common messages that pet spirits pass along is that they do not want their parents to feel guilty about allowing them to pass. They also understand the agony we experience in making that fateful decision and they love us for having the strength to do it. When it comes their time, though, try and find the strength to be there with them. They should see you as the last person before they pass. For some it's an unbearable thought, but for the dog or cat, it can be terrifying if someone they know isn't around during their final moments. So, find the strength.
Some of the ways that pets can give us messages include noises, like a bark or a meow, or hearing their nails walk across the floor. Some cat parents have reported their cat's spirit has jumped on their beds and curled up as they did in the physical form. Spirits can also manipulate things in nature like birds, butterflies, feathers, etc. and send them to us as a sign they're around. Coins are often found after someone passes- and to find out who it is, check the year! The easiest way for a pet to communicate is through dreams. If you've dreamt of your pet after they passed, it was more likely a visit from them letting you know they are around you from time to time.
Do you ever see your dog or cat staring at an empty corner of the room? It may very well be because your Aunt Betty's spirit has come to visit, or there may be a ghostly cat that never crossed over from the previous owner. Because pets have the ability to sense Earth-bound ghosts or spirits (who have crossed into the light) dogs are especially good on paranormal investigations, and I took my Weimaraner on one and she helped solve a mysterious canine mystery.
Did you know that when it's our time to go, that our dog or cat will be waiting for us? It happened to my mom and my dad when they passed. If you're like me, you have your dog or cats ashes at home and they help keep your pet with you from time to time. One of the boxes of ashes is my late puppy Buzz, who turned out to be the world's best canine communicator. His story, a story of our late dog Sprite's butterfly message and stories from many others of how their pets gave messages from beyond are included in the pets in the afterlife one book
I wrote my books "Pets and the Afterlife" and "Pets and the Afterlife 2" to bring comfort to people (like me) who lost a pet. The books contain many ways pets can send us messages from the afterlife. As a scientist I've always tried to prove messages. So, I've included amazing new scientific studies that prove our pets have emotions and personalities. There's also science behind why living pets can sense entities.
Three of the chapters in the first book are written by other mediums whose own dogs returned and communicated with them. In book two, the entire third section of the book contains stories of encounters from people who have had their own experiences and shared them with me. I wrote both books to help others find hope, peace and comfort that our pets are still around us from time to time. I encourage people to learn from them so they can watch for signs from the loved ones in spirit without having to ask a medium. Our pets work hard from spirit to let us know they are still very much around us until we meet them on the other side.
Just remember that the love that we share with our pets binds them to us "fur-ever."
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The author maintains a weekly blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, where he posts about paranormal topics, and where people can share their stories or find other resources on the paranormal. The books include: Pets and the Afterlife, Pets and the Afterlife 2, Kindred Spirits: How a Medium Befriended a Spirit: Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation, Case Files of Inspired Ghost Tracking, Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead, and Ghosts and Spirits. All are available in paperback and E-book, on Amazon.com at:
https://tinyurl.com/h9k6ha6. Published by Amazon.com.
For the author's blog and upcoming appearances, visit:
www.robgutro.com or
www.petspirits.com or
ghostsandspiritsinsights.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/ghostsandspirits.insightsfromamedium
www.facebook.com/RobGutroAuthorMedium
twitter.com/Robgutroauthor
amazon.com/author/robgutro
Youtube:
http://tinyurl.com/gtnnkakGoogle+
https://plus.google.com/collection/ok7wh 
The Travel channel has put together the most haunted hotels in Wales, and this is one of them! I also had the pleasure of visiting the UK, and you can read about my encounters with the ghosts there in my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation," available on Amazon. Here's this week's Haunting: 
