TRIBUTE TO BAILEY: 1/25/2006-3/28/22
Dear Friend,
This blog is about helping our pets transition feeling heard, cherished and supported in their last chapter with us. ❤
You will also read about:
- Bailey's story
- Why it's important to walk your pets through the process when it's time.
- When to hold your grief and when to express it.
- Consider your pet's feelings when it comes to if & how she needs assistance.
(For the sake of ease, I will use the feminine pronoun for male & female)
My own understanding and appreciation for the process our beloved pets go through as they near the end of their lives deepened a lot as I got to know and work with Bailey, a Border Collie who resided for a very long time with her human Les in Canada.
Bailey was 16 years old (112 in human years!) and had stayed with her human, Les long past her normal life span. When I first came into the picture, even though she had advanced arthritis to the point that she was having trouble walking, Bailey insisted on going out to check on the cattle every day, and keeping the coyotes away from the new born calves, along with her other duties to help things run smoothly on the cattle ranch. A devoted, loyal and tireless worker, Bailey became my hero as I got to know and work with her. I became further endeared as she communicated with me her wants, needs and desires toward the end of her life.
Remote Healings:
When I did my first healing on her, she was having trouble standing on her own. As I tuned in to her to see what the leading cause was, I intuited severe arthritis. That was the focus of my first 2 healing sessions with Bailey. After the first healing, she was able to get up on her own and was walking again.
In one of her subsequent sessions, I intuited spine degeneration. This was causing her a lot of discomfort and was making it increasingly difficult for her to walk. I did a healing focusing on that and imprinted her with a healthy spine. She told me she felt better by the end of the session. As a result of that healing, her spine was better able to support the rest of her structure.
Les called me one morning a few weeks later to let me know Bailey had been crying the night before. I made time to work with her that day and intuited that she was experiencing nerve pain and so that is what I healed. Les and I had many phone calls during the weeks I was helping Bailey. He called back a little later that morning after her healing to let me know Bailey had stopped crying and seemed much more relaxed and comfortable. He also said he was happy to see that since I began working with her, her appetite was better and she was sleeping more peacefully at night.
Bailey sleeping peacefully after a remote healing session,
wearing the new coat she requested
Moral Support:
I made a number of suggestions to Les as his beloved Bailey got closer to the end of her life. I encouraged him to communicate with her as much as possible, sharing his love and appreciation with her as much as he could. The more he talked to her and told her how much he loved her and what a fantastic dog she was, the more eye contact she had with him. I explained that Bailey was able to feel the energy behind the words he was saying and could understand him even if she was having trouble hearing his words audibly. In fact, her ears would perk up when he talked with her and she also wanted to cuddle more.
Let them know it is okay to let go:
I encouraged Les to let her know it was okay for her to let go, that he would be alright with out her and that she would be in a better and more comfortable place. I suggested he telepathically ask Bailey to let him know when she was ready so he could be with her, holding and comforting her. He followed my suggestion and she did just that when she was ready!
Bailey's Smooth Transition from physical form to Spirit:
The night she transitioned, Bailey let Les know it was time. Even though it was close to midnight, he got out of bed to be with her so she would not be alone. 💕
Les was laying with her, with his arm around her, looking in her eyes, gently talking with her, letting her know how much he loved her and that it was okay to leave. I checked in with her spirit the day after she left and she told me she could feel his breath as he lay with her. Bailey felt loved and comforted by her human's physical presence and gentle communication with her.
As a result of her human's presence with her, she told me she was able to literally "slide out" of her body, indicating to me the ease and grace with which she was able to leave her physical form. Les made her sacred process much easier by his loving presence and Bailey was able to leave the way she wanted to when she was ready.
Bailey's sister who was in Spirit was also there to greet and help her on the other side.
The support and presence Les provided for Bailey to have a peaceful transition is a beautiful example of loving and supporting a pet in her final days, weeks and months.
A few of Bailey's requests:
- She had made it clear to me when I was working with her that she wanted to leave on her own terms - rather than be put to sleep. Relaying this information was helpful to Les because before I started working with her, he knew she was suffering and he had been wondering what to do that would be best for Bailey. I am really glad he sought my help with her and wouldn't be surprised if she picked up on his thoughts because this was one of the first things she communicated to me. I was able to relay this to Les and he honored her request.
- Coat: Bailey asked for a coat and Les found a parka for dogs that was both warm and light weight so it wouldn't put pressure on her spine. (See Bailey in her new coat in the top photo )
- Gratitude: She wanted him to talk to her and let her know how much he appreciated her helping him manage the cattle and protect the calves from coyotes and all her other tasks for all these years.
- Supplements: I intuited that Bailey needed some Glucosomanine (I recommend Cosequin) for her joints. I also suggested an oil made for dogs that Les could mix into her food to help lubricate her joints, organs and skin. You might check out C-60 Purple Power for pets, it was recently recommended as a "sponge for free radicals" (free radicals lead to cancer)
Why it's important to walk them through the process when it's time:
For one thing, dealing with the grief you will feel when your pet leaves her body is painful enough...you don't want to have any regrets about what you could have done differently or better. Yes, it is difficult to be present when she is uncomfortable and declining, but remember she has been there for you through thick and thin, loving you unconditionally the whole time you have been together. You owe it to her to be there for her because it is truly a Sacred process when a Soul enters a body (birth) and when it leaves the physical body (transition/aka death).
Exemplary Care Taker: Les was an exemplary caretaker for Bailey. He always wanted to know how she was feeling and what she wanted and needed. He recently started playing healing music for Bailey and said her ears perked up when she listened. He also played a recording I had sent him in my voice, describing a recent session with her and told me that once again, her ears perked up and her Spirit brightened when she heard my voice.
Reassuring your pet: Les regularly reassured Bailey that everything would be okay, and that her sister who was in Spirit, would be there to help her transition out of her Physical form and into Spirit form. Despite how busy Les was tending to the ranch, it was obvious that he made it his priority to do everything he could to support Bailey in her final weeks.
Bailey's message for Les during a remote healing session:
"I feel good. I feel more peaceful. I did a good job while I was here. I love Les. He is my favorite Human. We have been together many life times before this one. Would you let him know that I will watch over him and the cattle and continue to help from the other side. I will also help train the new puppy when he gets one."
DO I PUT MY PET TO SLEEP?
Consider your pet's feelings when it comes to whether they want/need assistance when you sense their time is getting close. See if you can sense what she needs and wants when it comes to the final moments. If you need help, speak with someone like myself or another professional who has the ability to communicate with animals.
Some pets may need assistance with outside intervention, but some do not and prefer to leave naturally. Bailey clearly expressed to me in one of her healing sessions, that she wanted to leave naturally and when she was ready. Her human Les was very attentive, loving and supportive of all her needs and requests right up to the end of her life.
Additional Assistance:
If your cat or dog does need and agree to be assisted making their transition, the process can happen in a way that is loving and supportive. Have a vet come to the home, where your Beloved pet feels most comfortable, have her loved ones and favorite toys around her.
Gently hold her, talk with her, and look in her eyes. This will all help her feel secure instead of afraid as she prepares to make her departure. We all forget what it is like when we leave our physical bodies; pets do too which is why it is so important to walk them through this profound process. And do your best to not do what is convenient for you. Do what is best for your pet because you love them and so you don't have any guilt or regret later.
Always choose love over convenience. Your pet has loved you unconditionally the whole time they have been with you. Honor them and their process when time comes.
GRIEF: When to hold your grief back and when to express it:
I know it's difficult, but do your best to hold back your grief anytime you are with your pet as they are getting close to the end of their life.
Pets are naturally empathic and can feel our emotions. Grief is about as heavy an emotion as it gets and will likely cause your pet to feel guilty and will make it more difficult for her to 'leave you'. You will have time to process your grief after she leaves and it is important that you do grieve after she goes. Right now, she needs you to show up for her with lots of
love and compassion.
Normal to Grieve: After your pet makes their transition, allow yourself to feel the full range of your emotions. It is normal and healthy to feel grief and a lot of other emotions. They have been an important part of your life for quite a while now and losing a pet is a huge loss no matter what. Feel your feelings and know that it will get easier with time.
Still Grieving? For those of you who may still be grieving the loss of a pet (or a person), or if you have regrets about how things went and a lot of time has passed - you can schedule a remote session with me and I will most likely be able to bring you to peace by the end of a session. (click on the button below)
This newsletter is dedicated to all of our Beloved pets (past and present) and is a tribute to Bailey, a very special Soul who graced my life in the recent weeks I knew her. I feel blessed and honored that I was able to assist the process of bringing her life in this incarnation to a close in a way that made her feel loved, cherished and supported.
And if you need help for a pet who is having emotional or physical issues, I can help you...please reach out.
Love, Ellie 😘
Les and Bailey
Recent photo