Walking with the Shadow of Love: The Remarkable Story of Lakota and The Zeakie Dog
218
Walking with the Shadow of Love: The Remarkable Story of Lakota and The Zeakie Dog
218Hardcover
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Overview
Have you ever lost a pet and been shocked and devastated by that loss? Have you been asking difficult questions—do animals have souls, do they live on in any way after death, and will I ever see my pet again? Walking with the Shadow of Love is a book that delves deeply into these questions and mysteries, and provides convincing evidence that the answers to the above questions are all “yes”. It tells the true story of two working therapy dogs, one a purebred and one from a puppy mill: an extraordinary young dog—who found his way to the author, even though he didn’t start out as hers—and was suddenly, in the prime of his life, stricken by a fast-moving and deadly cancer. The book follows the author and her heroic veterinary oncologist’s attempts to give the young dog a quality life for as long as they can, and as this battle is fought, dogs and owner form a bond so strong that even death cannot break it. There is also a lesson in the importance of living each day and moment in full awareness and gratitude. When the battle for this exceptional dog’s life seemed to be truly lost, a series of remarkable occurrences began that added an amazing new dimension to this profound human/animal relationship, and will change your whole way of thinking about animals.
This beautiful book is illustrated by the author, and contains photographs by the author and others. As early readers of this account have pointed out, this story shows that our spiritual connection with our pets cannot be broken…ever! They are still there, comforting us, guiding us, and eventually meeting us in a better place. Our loved ones, animal and human, are always with us, and we are always with them—walking with their shadows and their love.
“A touching testimonial for animal lovers who’ve experienced deep connections with their pets.”
–Kirkus Reviews
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780692414101 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Animal Soul Affirmations |
| Publication date: | 11/15/2013 |
| Pages: | 218 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d) |
About the Author
Margo Bowblis had never thought about becoming an author, until a lifealtering experience with one of her dogs resulted in a story that had to be told. And so she branched out from her work as an artist, (to see some of her work go to the book's web site www.walkingwiththeshadowoflove.com) because she felt compelled to share this story, which offers convincing evidence that animals are spiritual beings just like we arewho continue on in a different form after they leave the physical world.
Margo received her B.A. in Fine Arts from Montclair State College in New Jersey in 1967. After graduation, she married a U.S. Marine, and lived in California and North Carolina. When she lived in North Carolina, she became the owner of a female Labrador Retriever whom she named "Cinder." She trained and showed her, and then bred her through a local breeder producing a litter of A.K.C. registered black Labrador Retrievers. From this litter, she kept a statuesque male she named, "Santana" that she showed in match shows, and also trained and showed in obedience.
She returned to New Jersey when her husband was deployed to Viet Nam, and started her career as a teacher. She was an art educator for twentyeight years. In 1989 she was the recipient of the New Jersey Governor's Teacher Recognition Award. In 1990 she was awarded a grant from the Geraldine Dodge Foundation to study the creative process. She came to the conclusion that artists can be divided into two types of creating styles: OutsideIn and InsideOut. OutsideIn artists create by observing the world outside, and choosing things they wish to explore through their art. InsideOut artists are motivated by their inner thoughts and emotions, and they look for ways to express them directly or symbolically.
After retiring from public education, Margo focused her attention on painting, sketching, singing and playing her guitar in coffee houses, and renewing her passion for animals. She brought Lakota, a black Labrador Retriever, into her life in 2004. She never intended to have a second dog, but a puppy, who belonged to someone else, came into her life, turned her world upside down, and changed who she was and what she cared about forever. His story is giving comfort to people who have lost their pets, and wonder if they will be reunited with them when they leave this life.
Through a friend, she learned about the work of therapy dogs, and had both of her dogs trained and certified for this work, logging over one hundred visits to sick and elderly people. She estimates that Lakota visited over two thousand people in the course of his life. Some of their experiences are documented in WALKING WITH THE SHADOW OF LOVE—The Remarkable Story of Lakota and The Zeakie Dog. The book contains narrative photographs that the author took as well as her illustrations of the dog characters in the book, as well as some work by other photographers.
On May 28, 2016, Lakota had to be euthanized at the age of twelve, after battling several major diseases. There is more helpful information about this difficult process that every pet owner must eventually face, posted on her blog. (See "Margo Bowblis forum" on this page to connect with her blog) Around two weeks after his passing, on her Birthday, Margo received the most compelling affirmation of his continuing existence that she had received to date—and she has had many from her other dog. Motivated by this, and subsequent incidents, she has begun work on a sequel to her first book, which is tentatively titled, WALKING WITH TWO SHADOWS. Because she does not claim to be a medium or a psychic, she believes that these visits are significant to everyday people who have lost their pets and are not sure if they will ever see them again. She is sharing these heartwarming experiences to assure people suffering the agony of losing a pet that their beloved animal companions do go on...and they could have contact from their pets who have passed, sooner than they think!
Table of Contents
The Time Has Come................................................IntroductionA Therapy Dog Visit......................................................Chapter 1
A Dog Again...................................................................Chapter 2
The First Visit....................................................................Chapter 3
Training a Therapy Dog................................................Chapter 4
The Zeakie Dog............................................................Chapter 5
Play Date..........................................................................Chapter 6
O.C.D. and the Turds of Meditation.........................Chapter 7
Doggie Day Care?.........................................................Chapter 8
The Loft Ladder...............................................................Chapter 9
Raising The Zeakie Dog.............................................Chapter 10
A Disturbing Visit........................................................Chapter 11
The Invisible Spot...........................................................Chapter 12
Normal, Sweet Normal..............................................Chapter 13
A Very Close Call........................................................Chapter 14
The Snake.......................................................................Chapter 15
The Aftermath..............................................................Chapter 16
Celebrating...................................................................Chapter 17
An Entertaining (and Strange) Party.......................Chapter 18
Another Visit....................................................................Chapter 19
The Beginning...............................................................Chapter 20
Our Foe Revealed.......................................................Chapter 21
To Fight or to Say Goodbye.....................................Chapter 22
A Visit in My Room........................................................Chapter 23
The Gift of Cancer.....................................................Chapter 24
Shango and Isis.............................................................Chapter 25
The Fireplace..................................................................Chapter 26
The Last Winter..........................................................Chapter 27
The Last Spring............................................................Chapter 28
The Last Summer........................................................Chapter 29
A Dog in Macy's?...........................................................Chapter 30
MOPP.............................................................................Chapter 31
Hurricane Irene and Other Disasters....................Chapter 32
The Practical Joker.........................................................Chapter 33
The Last Autumn.........................................................Chapter 34
The World Conference: the Last Protocol............Chapter 35
The Beautiful Goodbye..................................................Chapter 36
Jim's Story.......................................................................Chapter 37
The Song and the Candle........................................................ Epilogue