Pets Helping To Heal Chronic Illness

On March 13, 2008, I post a blog concerning Chewie, the Shih Tzu, his old and his new family. Now, some of you are wondering how he is adjusting. Chewie has happily settled in with his new family and they, as we knew they would, love him dearly.



So to satisfy all those concerned, Chewie's pictures are spot lighted on this blog addressing "Pets Helping To Heal Chronic Illness".

A growing number of Western doctors have finally learned that pets help to relieve stress, anxiety and possible lower high blood pressure. Some doctors, my doctor included, take their dogs to work with them. My Pain Control doctor has a beautiful Pit Bull who strolls from one examining room to the next visiting with eagerly awaiting patients.

Many nursing homes even have dogs who visit during the day and some who live on the premises. For physically confined patients these pets are the only loving visitors they may receive for the rest of their lives.

When I was confined to my home, more precise my bed, my son came to live with and take care of me. In passing, he mentioned that he was going to purchase a dog. I, on the other hand was not in favor of his purchasing a dog. I love animals. But I did not want to have the added burden of his taking care of an animal and me.

In constant pain, weak, angry and in fear of what tomorrow would bring, I was a hand full. Although he was not causing the problems, he received the full force of my wrath. I had not yet learned to treat him as the adult that he is. I was still paying the roll of mother to a child instead of one adult sharing a home with another adult.

That soon changed. The dog he purchased was named Blue Beauty. She is definitely that. She would stay as close to me as I would allow. That meant right outside my bedroom door.

I slowly found myself sitting in the living room so that I could pet her. I would sometimes not have the strength to set up so I would lie on the sofa and she on the floor. I would pet her until I was too weak. Often times I would fall asleep on the sofa enjoying her company and she mine.

As my health improved, we would take walks outside. She, however loved to run. I would sit and weed the garden my son had planted and she would stretch her legs running. One day on one of her runs around the yard, I fell walking up the stairs. I was not hurt. Never the less, Blue Beauty rushed to my side. I could feel the concern in her body and see it in her eyes. To this day, if she and I are the only ones in the yard, Blue Beauty is never far from my side.

Oh yes, I no longer require medication for anxiety or high blood pressure!

The Gift Of Peace

In the calm of an evening, following a day of gardening, the words;" You need a dog to help you share this joy and to love you when you are setting in your yard”, came to my now cancer free sister. These were strong words to a woman who, in her adult life, was not a pet lover. Now, she would appreciate their beauty from a distance. And, even comment on how well behaved her neighbor’s trespassing pets had become since she put down that “Pet A Way”. But for every essence of her being to be emitting “You - Need - a - Dog” was an astonishing revelation.

The power of knowing who she is-right now-today is what made her obedient to that still voice. You know. That quite still voice that affects you like a burglar alarm going off. The same one that will wake you from a deep sleep with the answer to a question . A question that you did not know you had ask. And yet, the guidance is there. Her respect of her intuition and understand of her elevated spiritual growth allowed her to be totally open to the idea. Later that evening, when her daughter arrived home from work, she made her announcement. “It is time for us to get a dog”. Her daughter is a professional pet trainer. Trying not to faint, she asked her mother to repeat it.

The ground rules were laid out. It would have to be an outside dog, maybe a Rottweiler. Her daughter would be responsible for its training. Everything was perfect. They purchased a new home last year. They have a large fenced in back yard with plenty of room for it to run and play. My sister is retired. So, apart from her gardening, she has plenty of time to spend with her new pet.

A few days later, her daughter came home with good news. “Mom, I may have found us a dog”. It is an older dog. "Not what I was expecting", she thought. The dog is a Shih Tzu, still thinking, "That is not an outside dog". Her daughter went on. "It sometimes stays at our dog day care. His owner is dying. She has cancer. It has spread through out her body. You can come tomorrow and visit with him. If you like him, Mom, I will talk to her". Upon hearing the dog’s history, she understood why the still voice had spoken to her in her garden that evening. Yes, talk to her! I know he will be fine.

Having overcome the clutches of cancer herself, my sister fully understands the owner’s persistent pursuit to find her best friend, Chewie, a good loving home. There is something mystical about the power of real love. A love that transfers from one person's pleas during prayer through our higher awareness into another person sitting in a swing enjoying their back yard. That is the power of God.

His bed, toys, food and papers have been delivered to his new home. He is scheduled to arrive this evening. At the end of our phone conversation, she told me, “I have to get off the phone. My new son is due to arrive at any minute”. I thought, "her new best friend is arriving".

Obviously, the owner's dog brought her many days of joyful peaceful moments. She chose to share the love that she has experienced by giving him to another deserving family. What a wise choice this lady has made.

At the perfect time in her life, my sister chose to accept the love of a dog whom she did not know existed nor had she ever met him. My sister only knew that the still voice in her head said that she needed him. She needed him to share her joy and to love her.

The courageous lady can find comfort in knowing that her dog is with two people who will shelter him in their beautiful home. They will reciprocate all the love that he gives. And, they will be forever grateful because she chose to share her gift of peace, a little Shih Tzu named Chewie.