Q&A: What if I don't keep my pet's ashes?

Ashes are echoes of previous life

Recently I received a question about not keeping a pet's ashes. You don't need to feel as if you should- it's an individual choice, and spirit will always find you.

In previous blogs I've mentioned that if you have a pet's or a person's ashes there may be some residual energy attached to them which can serve as a draw or a magnet to attract their energy. However, since most people and pets are cremated or buried in whole form, their spirit still finds us because they are tuned into our energy.

Q: The ashes of my dog were put into a communal cremation, and I am struggling with guilt. What can you tell me?

A: There is no need to feel any guilt or anxiety about placement of her ashes in a communal cremation.  They were just remnants of a physical existence.
  Our pet's and people's souls leave their physical body, usually even just before their physical body dies.  The ashes are just the remnants of a physical shell, but it's not necessary to keep them. They have a small amount of residual energy, but that fades over time, and a connection to them fades over time. What doesn't fade is the bond of energy (of love) you share, that will always keep you connected. 

Lessons Learned, Ghosts and Spirits

For Rob Gutro's books: "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Pets and the Afterlife" and the new book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" -  visit Amazon.com   (or click this link) 

Pets and the Afterlife 2, Pets and the Afterlife

Scents from Spirits - even dogs!

Spirits can use sounds, touch, appear visibly, move things, manipulate electrical things and even make an appearance as a scent.  I've spoken with many people who have smelled their late mom's favorite perfume whenever they were thinking of their mother, or a cigar on the birthday of their favorite uncle who used to smoke them. Spirits of people are not the only ones who can give us "scented" signs. Pets can, too. 
   When I was at a pet expo, I met a woman named Gail who told me her dog had gone outside and passed near a rosebush the day of his passing. She told me when she went out soon after calling her dog, she quickly found that he had passed away near roses. She said she will never forget the smell of the roses.
   After she had her dog cremated, she got the ashes and smelled roses. She knew that her dog was giving her a sign that he was still around. Gail told me whenever she smells roses, she gets a strong feeling that her dog's spirit is right beside her. 

Lessons Learned, Ghosts and Spirits

For Rob Gutro's books: "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Pets and the Afterlife" and the new book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" -  visit Amazon.com   (or click this link) 

Pets and the Afterlife 2, Pets and the Afterlife

 

Q & A: What happens to the ghost of the structure they haunt is taken down?

I received a great question about ghosts who haunt houses and have recently been asked the question again, so here are my thoughts about it. 

A demolished house. Credit: Cascade news

  Keep the questions coming!  - Rob
Q:  What happens to the ghost of the structure they haunt is taken down and if that ghost was only seen on the second floor, would the ghost appear to be flying?

A:   Good question! Yes, the ghost would appear to be walking above ground. 

However, it's rare to see that because they need energy to manifest. Since emotional energy (negative) would be the most likely energy- and there's no house anymore for people to go inside and feel anxious or nervous, the ghosts would likely rarely manifest. 

In addition, since intelligent haunts can see a structure around them when they're in a building- but they only see it as it was when they were there, they can see when there is no building, so they may try to cross over, or attach to a person.

   
QUESTIONS ABOUT GHOSTS OR SPIRITS? - You can check out my book "Lessons Learned From Talking to the Dead"- I've written it to address all the questions you can think of about the afterlife, and I use examples of messages I've received from both Earth-bound ghosts and spirits who have crossed over.  Paperback and E-Book: CLICK TO READ BOOK SUMMARY

Every Pet is an Emergency Veterinary Fund Assists Emergency Pet Care

Every Pet is an Emergency Veterinary Fund, and a non-profit that assists families who cannot afford emergency care for their pets. Although euthanasia can be an act of kindness for a pet suffering from an incurable illness, it is heartbreaking when an animal with a treatable but life-threatening illness has to be put down due to a lack of funds.

   Some people are just amazing. I met some at the New England Pet Expo in Sept. when I was talking about my book Pets and the Afterlife (which I donated while there). One was a veterinarian named Shannon Kircher, who works with a new charity to help people with emergency medical costs for their pets.  That's where I learned about this extraordinary charity called " Every Pet." 

ABOUT EVERY PET - Every Pet Fund was started by a emergency veterinarian who has experienced too often the grief of families who cannot afford the care needed for their beloved pet. Most patients in emergency situations require hundreds to thousands of dollars for treatments. For pet owners with limited funds, there are few options for immediate financial assistance, especially during overnight hours. Every Pet Fund was created to help provide a source of much needed funds for pets and families in crisis.
If an animal is diagnosed with a life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment, veterinarians at participating hospitals can refer families with limited funds to Every Pet to apply for financial assistance.

For more information on requirements for application, please click here.

CONTACT THEM: http://everypetfund.org/ 
or Tel. 978-496-8047
everypetfund@gmail.com
 
PLEASE DONATE: Every Pet Fund cannot exist without your donations. Please consider making a donation today. Every pet deserves a chance, and every dollar helps to save a life.

We are currently accepting donations of original artwork, gift certificates from local businesses, or pet-related items. Depending on your location, we can pick up your donation or you can mail them directly to us (please contact us before mailing). These donations will be raffled or auctioned off, with 100% of the funds raised going to Every Pet Fund.
If you would like to participate in one of our upcoming events, please email everypetfund@gmail.com.
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SUCCESS STORY: Zap was found by a good samaritan, abandoned in a crate with his 2 siblings, who had already passed away. Zap was unconscious and having seizures from low blood sugar when he was brought to a hospital. With donated funds, Zap received emergency care to treat his malnutrition and severe diarrhea, and is now on his way to a new home! Zap was one of my many inspirations to start the Every Pet Fund.

In the news: This House Was Declared Legally Haunted By NY Supreme Court

Here's an interesting story about a house legally declared haunted. Being a medium, I've walked into homes and have sensed either an Earth-bound ghost (haunting it) or a spirit (who crossed over and was visiting at the time I was there) present.

  NOTE:  Spirits don't "haunt" houses. Spirits come and go. Ghosts haunt houses because they are fixed to a place they are familiar with in life or where they passed. 

  Thanks to physic medium and astrologer Calleen Wilder for posting this originally.   - Rob

This House Was Declared Legally Haunted By NY Supreme Court

By Eric Meier  Source: http://www.calleenwilder.com/paranormal-supernatural/haunted-house-2/

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, there is one house in the state of New York that is haunted without a doubt in the eyes of the law – the state Supreme Court declared it legally haunted in 1991.

The house in question, which sits on the banks of the Hudson River at the end of a cul-de-sac in the village of Nyack, was at the heart of a court case that has come to be known as the Ghostbusters Ruling.
Here’s what happened.
The original owner of the house had advertised the house as haunted having it featured in Reader’s Digest and a few local newspapers. When the house was put up for sale, neither the seller nor the real estate agent disclosed the belief the house was haunted. The purchaser was from New York City, didn’t know the stories of the house’s haunting and wasn’t aware of the local legends.
The majority of the New York State Supreme Court held, having reported [the ghosts’] presence in both a national publication… and the local press… defendant is estopped to deny their existence and, as a matter of law, the house is haunted.
So there you have it. Whether you believe in ghosts or not. There is one house at the end of LaVeta Place that is 100% legally haunted.

A Letter and Response: Feeling Guilty over the passing of her dog

I received the following note on this blog, from a grieving pet parent. This is an important note for all, because we ALL make a choice in how we pass. We decide if we want to pass in the presence of someone or by ourselves. Pets do the same thing -and do not want us to feel guilty for not being there. 

THE LETTER: 

1. UnknownOctober 13, 2015 at 9:13 PM

   My daughters dog just passed yesterday Oct 11th I am feeling guilty on account I feel like I should of taken her back to the vet. But one minute she was bouncing around then the next she didn't look so good. I just didn't think she was going to pass. My daughter let her out and when she came in she went to her bed. She called her and angel never came she died. I am having a hard time with this. She had a heart murmur and was on medication. I am having her cremated and I want to keep her with me so I can hug her urn. I didn't realize how much I really did loved her but its obvious now because the tears won't stop and I can't eat. I just don't know if she suffered and if she's mad at me because she feels I could of did more for her or I should of known she was dying. This is breaking my heart please help.

   
   

   MY RESPONSE

   
   

   
   
   
    October 15, 2015 at 4:55 PM
   You need not feel guilty. Dogs know when they're going to pass, and like people, they make a choice to pass in the presence of someone or pass quietly alone. That's what your daughter's dog did. She made the choice to pass alone and doesn't want you to feel guilty. It was her time and she passed the way she wanted to. - She didn't suffer. It was a quiet, peaceful passing. She laid down, closed her eyes and her heart stopped. She's certainly not angry with you and she is well aware of the good care you took. She does not want you to feel guilty. She passed the way she wanted. Please feel free to email me at Rgutro@gmail.com with any other questions. Sincerely, Rob Gutro
   
   
   
   Lessons Learned, Ghosts and Spirits
   For Rob Gutro's books: "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Pets and the Afterlife" and the new book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" -  visit Amazon.com   (or click this link) 
   
   
   Pets and the Afterlife 2, Pets and the Afterlife
   
   
   
   

Nuzzled by a Princess (Spirit Cat Communicates)

This is part three of my experiences at the New England Pet Expo. I attended the expo in September to promote my book "Pets and the Afterlife." In this blog, you'll learn how a special cat's spirit gave several physical signs.

This is a blog I call: "Nuzzled by a Princess"

Princess was a beloved family cat who lived with Joanie and her daughter. I met both of them at the Pet Expo and they told me that they created a facebook page as a tribute to their cat, Princess, who passed. "Paws for Princess" is a grassroots group of caring, compassionate folks in western Massachusetts who are dedicated to the safety and well being of all community cats.

WHO WAS PRINCESS? - Princess was a feral kitten who touched many people's lives. She joined our family at 4 months old and lived a happy life. Princess past away suddenly at less than 2 years old. This group was named after her to keep her memory alive and to protect all feral cats.

SENSING PRINCESS IN SPIRIT - Joanie's daughter told me that after Princess had passed, she has sensed her beloved cat several times. She said that she had been nuzzled by her cat's spirit, feeling a cat nose on her face and no one was there!  She also reported feeling Princess' spirit brush by her legs and she's felt Princess on the bed. 

All of these things are ways in which cats commonly communicate from spirit. Cats tend to be more stealth in their after death communications and tend to give physical sensations.


For more information about "Paws for Princess" check out the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PawsForPrincess

Spirits Lead Us to People or Pets: A Trigger Leads to a Bullet

This is part two of my experiences at the New England Pet Expo. I attended the expo in September to promote my book "Pets and the Afterlife." In this blog, you'll learn how spirit influences the living and leads us to someone we need.

"A Trigger Leads to a Bullet"

During my talk at the Pet expo about my book, I explained how spirits (either those of people or pets) can lead us to someone that we need to meet. After the talk ended a woman came up to my table and told me that she had a dog named "Trigger" who passed. In her grief, she was one day moved to go to a nearby animal shelter. She said that she went to possibly adopt another dog although she was still dealing with Trigger's loss. However, spirits have a way of bringing us to places and encouraging us to do things to heal ourselves.

The woman explained that as she was walking through the shelter, one dog caught her eye, and she knew she needed to get a closer look. She said as soon as she saw the dog's name on his cage in the shelter, she knew he was the right dog. His name was "Bullet." She told me that she knew that appropriately, the spirit of her dog "Trigger" led her to adopt "Bullet."

To add to that - it is interesting for folks who remember Roy Rogers, the singing cowboy- that he ALSO had a pet (horse) named Trigger, and he had a dog named Bullet. 

Watch for signs from our loved ones in Spirit on Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries are usually the time spirits of our loved ones, people or pets, come around and give us signs to let us know they're around. It

Webster was a black and tan Dachshund like this guy

happens all the time (although we may miss the signs if we're not paying attention). It already happened today.
   This morning, Thanksgiving morning, the spirit of a black and tan dachshund let me know that he's been around his mom - so I messaged her immediately. Back in April 2014 after Webster the dachshund had passed, he came through to me when a song came on as I was thinking about him. It was "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. 
     WEBSTER'S THANKSGIVING GREETING - This morning as I was preparing to put the turkey in the oven, I took a picture of our three dogs in the kitchen who ran over to it and were sniffing like crazy. I posted it on my personal facebook page. After I posted it, I read the first posting, and it was from our friend Shelley, whose dachshund Webster passed in 2014. 
   I then clicked on Pandora.com to play some music while cooking, and Webster's song was the first one that came on.  
   There is NO such thing as a coincidence when it comes to spirits.

MY MESSAGE TO SHELLEY - Good morning, Shelley! _ No sooner did I post the pic of our kids sniffing the turkey as I was about to set it in the oven this morning, that I saw your posting about your baking a pie... and Pandora radio played its first song this morning - from Webster. "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram . It choked me up! He wants to let you know that he's around you today and was proud of you for baking that pie. 

   Previously, Webster made himself known to me before, when I was baking and I let Shelley know.  She told me that he would always be in the kitchen whenever food appeared... and he still is.

First Message from Webster/The Blog from April 5, 2014:  Musical Sign from Webster the Dachshund

    On April 5, 2014, I was responding to an email from my friend Shelley, who is also a dachshund rescue volunteer. She had just lost her beloved dog, Webster. As I wrote in my new book, Pets and the Afterlife" - losing a dog is the same as losing a child. My heart hurts for Shelley and everyone who loses a pet (as I've lost several dogs).
   As I was writing to Shelley, her dog Webster's spirit came through to me immediately. I happened to log onto Pandora.com radio.. As soon as the music started to play, I wrote to Shelley and said "Webster JUST sent me a song for you. I've never heard it come up on Pandora and I instantly knew it was a message from him. 
It's Somewhere Out There by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram.  
This song is from Webster with love: https://youtu.be/RkI-B2JWSZI  


 

Lessons Learned, Ghosts and Spirits

To learn more, check out  Rob Gutro's books: "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Pets and the Afterlife" and the new book "Pets and the Afterlife 2" -  visit Amazon.com   (or click this link) 

Pets and the Afterlife 2, Pets and the Afterlife

Coming in Early 2016: Pets and the Afterlife 2

Watch for Pets and the Afterlife 2 

by Rob Gutro coming in early 2016! 

NDEs (Near Death Experiences) and Sensitivity

In September I was one of the vendors at the New England (NE) Pet Expo in Wilmington, Mass. and got to speak about my book "Pets and the Afterlife." I met a lot of fascinating people there and heard some great stories. This is the first of those stories and focuses on Near Death Experiences and why I think people who have them become sensitive to ghosts and spirits. - Rob Gutro

PART 1: NDE and Sensitivity to Spirit

It's very common for people who have had near death experiences or NDEs to come back to life and become sensitive to ghosts and spirits. In fact, it happens almost all the time.

WHAT IS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE (NDE)? - A near-death experience (NDE) is a personal experience associated with impending death, that may include the detachment of spirit (soul, memories and personality as energy) from the body, feelings of levitation, total serenity, security, warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light.

HOW DO PEOPLE DEVELOP THE SENSITIVITY TO SPIRIT FROM NDEs? 
I believe that when the physical body experiences a temporary "death" the spirit leaves the body and connects to the energy of the spirit world. (It's all about energy after all). Once that temporary bond is created, even if your spirit re-enters your physical body and resumes and Earthly life, the connection to the energy of spirit (and ghosts) remains.

THE ENCOUNTER AT THE EXPO: I met a woman named A.J. at the Pet Expo who explained that she had a near death experience. She's a nurse by trade and she said that since she had the experience and came back to the land of the physical, she developed the ability to know when patients will pass away. HOW?  She likely developed that ability because she can tap into the energies of her patients and read their energy levels. Once their energy level drops to a certain level, she's aware that they're going to pass from the physical world. 


A GREAT RESOURCE:  I found a great website about Near Death Experiences while writing this blog: http://www.near-death.com/.

CONFLICTING SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION - One scientific study reported in Smithsonian Magazine in 2013 stated that one researcher noted "A Last-Second Surge of Brain Activity Could Explain Near-Death Experiences." The article said that near-death sightings of light at the end of a tunnel may be related to the 30 seconds of activity in rats' brains after their hearts stop. Of course, this study hadn't been conducted on humans, and we do know that ghosts and spirits are the energies of people and animals with their memories and personalities, so despite the 30 seconds of a "final charge to the brain" many experiences last longer than that and people do leave their bodies.
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-last-second-surge-of-brain-activity-could-explain-near-death-experiences-28726479/#DIJo88GjyLuvgp3d.99  

PART 2: NE PET EXPO:  A TRIGGER LEADS TO A BULLET 

Amazing Sign on My Dad's Birthday

November 8 would have been my dad's 88th birthday. Dad passed in 2008, but he's given me lots of signs he's still around. Spirits usually come around on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, and my Dad was no exception to the rule this year!  Of course, he had help from my mother (also in spirit).

We were driving to do an errand and directly in front of us, stopped at a red light was a silver car. On the bumper of the car was a bumper sticker that said "I love Bean Ava Maria." Ava Maria was my mother's favorite song! Since my mother usually did the talking for my dad in life, she was doing it from spirit - by leading us directly behind that car! 

Rob's mom and dad

Here's another thing that's strange and wonderful about the situation: "The Bean of Ave Maria" is a coffee shop... IN FLORIDA!  It's located at 5068 Annunciation Circle, Unit 206,Ave Maria, FL. Again, what are the chances that a car in Maryland would have a bumpersticker about a place in Florida, and right in front of us at the very time we decided to go out to run an errand? 

As I've learned since being able to get messages from people who have passed (since I was 13), there is no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to how spirits give messages.

It was obvious that my mom's spirit led us to drive directly behind THAT particular car, so I would know that she and my dad were around me today. 
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I wrote about many signs that my dad gave me after he passed in my book "Ghosts and Spirits"  (which I retired), and "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead" which is available on Amazon.com in paperback and E-book.

Tribute to a brave French police dog killed in raid

Being a dog dad,I wanted to take a day to honor a brave dog who fought against the terrorist attacks in France recently.  - Thanks to Diesel for her brave service and all of the other service dogs, who serve in police, military or medical capacities. Rob

'Not all heroes are human': French police dog killed in raid

Diesel

USA TODAY reported:  A police dog named "Diesel" was killed during a police raid on Wednesday that targeted the suspected mastermind of deadly terror attacks in Paris.
    The seven-year-old Belgian Shepherd was killed sometime during the seven-hour siege on an apartment in the Paris suburb of Saint Denis; French police tweeted on Wednesday. (Nov. 17).
   Police posted a photo of Diesel and said, “assault and explosives search dogs are indispensable in the missions of the operators of the raid."

The raid ended Wednesday  (Nov. 17, 2015) with the arrest of seven people with suspected links to the Paris attacks. Two suspects, including a female suicide bomber who detonated explosives as police entered the apartment, were killed.
    On social media, people shared pictures of Diesel and voiced support for the people of France. Many used the hashtag #SaintDenis, #PrayforParis and some tweeted that #NotAllHeroesAreHuman.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/18/not-all-heroes-human-french-police-dog-dies-raid/75979746/