All Pets Go To Heaven: The Spiritual Lives of the Animals We Love
By Sylvia Browne
Amazon Sales Rank: #104192 in Books Published on: 2009-10-06 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Binding: Paperback 224 pages
About the Author SYLVIA BROWNE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Two Marys, Psychic Children, The Mystical Life of Jesus, Insight, Phenomenon, and other bestsellers. She has been working as a psychic for five decades and appears regularly on The Montel Williams Show. She has also appeared on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, CNN, and Entertainment Tonight. She lives in California and works alongside her son, Chris, who has inherited his mother's psychic abilities.JEANIE HACKETT has played lead roles on Broadway and has worked extensively off-Broadway and in major regional theaters. TV credits include The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Boston Public, Chicago Hope, and many others. She is the co-artistic director of L.A.'s Antaeus Company, and has written two books on acting. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 1Animals in Our Lives"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." -- Dakota Indian proverbFor my entire career as a professional psychic, people have come to me asking questions about everything in their lives -- their jobs, their families, their relationships, and their futures. But one question comes up time and again: What happens to my beloved pet when he dies? People want to be assured that their dog or cat or bird or horse -- creatures they love just as much as any human in their life -- will find peace in the afterlife.I am here to tell you that all pets do go to heaven. I will also explain to you the extraordinary abilities that pets have here on earth that we're just beginning to understand and acknowledge. These abilities lead us to amazing stories of the bonds between humans and the animals they love, experiences with animals both in this world and on the Other Side, which reaffirm the remarkable relationships we have with our precious pets.Since before recorded history, humankind has always had a relationship with animals, whether it was for sustenance, protection, worship, or to give service. Gradually over time many of the animals encountered by humans were domesticated and formed either a loving partnership with us as pets or were put into service to help humankind in its work or as a food source. We even see when animals are taken to visit the elderly how that person's blood pressure goes down and any depression subsides. I'm convinced animals can neutralize negative energy without ever absorbing it as we do. That's why I've even referred to them as a form of guardian angel on this planet.The stories that follow will show the different facets of what animals do and can do and how sentient they are. Whether it's just your dear pet and protectorate or your own totem (which we will get to later), we will see how animals have saved lives and even see and feel things that we cannot see or feel such as seeing spirits or alerting us to fire or even earthquakes long before we are aware of such things. Humankind has just begun to scratch the surface of the great intelligence our animals have, and hopefully you will get a deeper insight into the sometimes complex minds of our beloved friends in the animal kingdom. This book will explore through research as well as personal stories the help, bravery, love, and loyalty these wondrous creatures afford us.They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind. -- tuscaroraWhen We Lose a PetMost animal lovers have a pet, and those pets quickly become a part of their families. When a beloved pet passes away, a huge void is left in your family, not to mention your heart. It makes me furious when someone is grieving over the loss of a pet and they hear the words, "Well, after all it was only an animal!" When these words have been uttered to me, rather than froth at the mouth I usually try to simply walk away. As I've grown older I've tried to be more tolerant and say to myself that these people just don't know; they are simply ignorant of the love and richness that our pets lend to our lives.We will expand on the subject of pet loss later, but right now I want to tell you about my Jolie. Jolie was a West Highland terrier and the most active, funny, and caring dog I have ever known. She was one of my dearest pets, and I had her for nine wonderful years. One day I got a call at work that Jolie had suddenly keeled over and was nonresponsive. My youngest, psychic son, Chris, ran over and gave her some resuscitation by pushing on her rib cage, and by the time I got home she was sitting up, but with a glazed look on her face. I immediately noticed she was terribly bloated, and we raced her to the vet. After a whole battery of tests he told me grimly that the news wasn't good. Jolie was suffering from severe heart failure. He explained that the symptoms are similar to those experienced by people who have heart attacks or strokes. Jolie, he said, was filling up with water so fast she would drown in her own fluid. I had to put her to sleep. He suggested that I leave the room, but I wouldn't -- I wanted my eyes to be the last thing Jolie saw.The shot was administered, and I truly felt like she was saying, it's okay Mom, I'll see you again and I love you. "I love you Jolie," I sobbed. "Wait for me." I knew she would because animals don't reincarnate -- they don't have to. They don't need to learn lessons of life like we do. They are just pure entities sent from God. I watched a white and condensed smokelike form leave her body and go straight across the room. The souls of animals don't have to go up because heaven (or the Other Side) is on this level, just in another dimension, with the same topography we have here except for the beautiful gardens, meadows, and temples. (We'll talk more about the Other Side later in this book.) In my psychic vision I could see Jolie romping through a garden of daffodils and playing and meeting my other dogs that had gone before. This gave me some small comfort, but as with all grief I felt cheated. I was glad she was happy, but selfishly I wanted her with me. Still, I knew she was happy, and I knew I'd see her again someday.Our first teacher is our own heart. -- cheyenneThe hole our animals leave when they go is immeasurable, and even though life goes on (just as it does when any loved one leaves you), so many things remind you of them. No one meeting you at the door...the toys that are still around...even the empty food dishes seem like stark reminders of your missing friend. After Jolie passed, I just preferred to leave everything the way it was for awhile because honestly, I couldn't stand to get rid of the last vestiges of her. Yes, I did feel her around jumping on the bed and brushing against my leg, and several times I actually saw a little white blur in the backyard that I knew was my Jolie. But this loss hit me particularly hard, and I truly felt likejust going to bed.You don't, of course. You get up, you keep living your life, and when time goes by other dogs or pets take the place of your beloved pet. But no matter how much time goes by, that animal will always have a special place in your heart. Later on I'll share more of my own stories of pet love and loss, and you'll also read the remarkable stories of other people who have wondrous tales about their beloved pets, some poignant and sad, some inspiring in their bravery and protection, still others amazing tales of communication and love, but all of them truly moving andwondrous.When Our Pets Perform Extraordinary ActsPresently I have four dogs, but when I was younger I had cats. Both types of animals have their own distinct personalities and I love each of them in their own special way. I have had so many dogs in my seventy-two years of life that it's hard to even remember all of the breeds -- German shepherds, dachshunds, West Highland terriers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Great Danes, Lhasa Apsos, Shar-Peis, Labradoodles, golden retrievers, Bijon Frises, Shih Tzus, English bulldogs, Labradors, Yorkshire terriers, not to mention a number of beloved mutts of mixed breeding -- each one holding a special place in my heart, and each one with a distinct personality of their own. I still have some of my beloved dogs, but over the years I have lost many pets that were dear to me. The truth is, many times I've loved my animals more than some people in my life! An animal's loyalty is unfaltering, and a pet doesn't care how you look or what mood you're in; they just love you unconditionally, which we could all really learn from!My dear grandmother (who was a psychic in her own right and very well known in Kansas City, Missouri) used to say if you find someone who doesn't like animals, children, or music...run. Over all the years I have found this to be usually true, especially with those who don't like animals.One amazing story my grandmother told me was an event her family witnessed secondhand, a tale that was told for years in their small community. My grandmother was born in Germany, but her family had made its way to the United States when she was very young, first to Texas and then to Springfield, Missouri, where the winters were horrendous. When I was a girl in that part of the world, we were literally snowbound for days at a time by the ferocity of winter storms (not anything like the milder winters experienced in that part of the world today, which as an aside supports the Greenhouse Theory!).There was a family that lived next door to my grandmother's family, and they stepped out just a short distance away from home to get supplies one cold winter day and left their sleeping baby with their German shepherd, who really was like a watchful nanny to the baby. They intended to be gone just a few minutes, but while they were gone a sudden terrible snowstorm hit. It was the type of storm we used to call a whiteout -- you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face. After many hours the family finally made their way back to their house, and when they walked in, the baby's crib was empty. The house was freezing cold because the heat had dissipated in their absence. The German shepherd was cringing and whimpering under the bed. The husband in fear and dread deduced (as did the wife) that the dog had harmed the baby out of hunger or even fear of abandonment. The husband, out of his mind with grief, got his rifle and aimed it at the dog's head. Just as he cocked it to shoot they heard a faint cry. They looked under the bed and there was the baby cuddled up to the dog to keep it warm. The dog, realizing the peril of the baby possibly freezing to death, had lifted the baby and put it under the bed, wrapping its warm body around the child to keep it from freezing. My grandmother said the woman never quit talking about how horrible it would have been if they had killed the dog that saved their baby from freezing.Now...
Good but a rehash of her other books Overall, the book is interesting. I love Sylvia and have read most of her books. Some of the things I did not enjoy about it: the first 1/4 (approximately) of the book is a complete rehash of her other books. Also, it discusses at length pets in ancient times which I found not so interesting as it is common knowledge that everyone loves their pets, even ancient people. It did not relate to pets on the otherside. It seemed like it took quite a while to get to the "meat and potatoes" of the topic of pets on the OTHERSIDE. Sylvia also had a tendency to rely heavily on pet stories that readers submitted to her on her website. I guess I was hoping to hear more from Sylvia and not just her readers. Don't get me wrong, the book is still very enjoyable, especially if you have lost a beloved pet. I miss my pets and this book put me at ease and was a tear-jerker (in a good way). It would make a good gift for someone who misses a pet. Happy reading! A great read for animal lovers I enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of Sylvia Browne and her books. This book is a great read for all animal lovers & pet owners. Especially for pet owners who've unfortunately experienced the death of 1 or more of their beloved pets. I think all who read this book will find it comforting, and enjoyable. Wonderful, Comforting Book! Sylvia has done it again! I purchased this book after my 12 yr. old Shih-Tzu passed. Looking for answers, I found them in this book. Sylvia has such a natural way to explain the unexplained, I felt confident that my dearly loved pet is in a better place after I read this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a pet and is looking for answers to questions. This book warmed my heart!
