A pioneer in working with sick and dying animals, Rita Reynolds offers a spiritual perspective on the final stages that moves beyond fear and grief. She draws on 20 years of working with animals at her sanctuary, Howling Success, and includes inspirational stories and suggestions on how to be involved with an animal during the transition into death and beyond.
Like a hospice worker, author Rita M. Reynolds cares for sick and dying animals, helping them comfortably cross the threshold into death. At times, Blessing the Bridge reads like a kindly vet's instruction book, teaching basic skills in respectfully handling a dying animal, whether it's a newborn bird that's fallen from its nest or a beloved dog that's terminally ill. Readers learn ways to make an animal comfortable, such as laying wild animals to rest in beds of flowers or letting domestic animals die in a human's arms. What separates Reynolds from other authors that write about caring for sick and dying animals is her willingness to take the process into a more intuitive and spiritual realm. Reynolds offers suggestions for how to dialogue with dying animals to find out their preferences--whether they wish to die on their own or die through the mercy of euthanasia. She also believes in divine and angelic influences when it comes to helping animals cross over: "Much like the physician or midwife who helps the mother and infant through the birthing process, the angelic ones stand ready to assist those who are dying, but from the other side to speak, waiting on the spirit side of the bridge called death." There is no question in Reynolds's mind that animals possess unique souls or that they move onto an afterlife. She even tells of seeing the spirits of dead animals visiting her. Many of her lessons are conveyed through real-life stories, where we witness how she simultaneously releases and embraces dying animals. Like The Tibetan Book of the Dead, this book has functional appeal and spiritual longevity. Reynolds shows us how to ritualize and soothe animals' deaths, while also offering us abiding wisdom about life on earth. --Gail Hudson

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Amazing and a MUST read!:

I can't even begin to tell you how much this book has blessed me. I work at a Vet and often times, I am present when animals make their transition. This book has given me ways to help the animal as they make that journey and it has also allowed me to bring comfort to their owners/parents in new ways as they begin their own journey without them physically. I highly recommend this book and I thank Rita from the bottom of my heart for the beautiful work that she does!

How our companions teach us and give us so many gifts!:

Blessing the Bridge is a book that everyone with a four legged companion should read. I purchased this book as my long loved companion of 14-1/2 yrs was what I thought close to crossing the bridge. Knowing that this was going to be difficult for both of us I knew I must prepare myself and her for the letting go. Reading this book gave me insight to talk with her and let her make the decision. We are three months later and she lays beside me as I write, snoring! What I recognized from reading this book is... more info

Help me through the dying process of my beloved dog:

This book really helped me through the dying process of my beloved dog of 10 years. He had cancer and toward the end when there was nothing medically possible for him, I came to accept he wouldn't be around much longer. This book helped me to see that death is a natural process for animals. They accept it as part of their life. There are many things in the book that one can do to help this process. I highly recommend this book. It brought me comfort during this difficult time and after his passing I refer... more info

Blessing the Bridge: What Animals Teach Us About Death Dying and Beyond: