Phantom Felines And Other Ghostly Animals - Gerina Dunwich 2006

One Last Good-bye
Hounds and Hauntings

by Suzanne Smith

When my husband and I were younger, our pets were our kids. We had a wonderful raccoon named Cosmo, and a large Old English sheepdog named Snuffy.

Snuffy was our furry son. He went everywhere with us—to the races, to Big Sur to play on the beach, and even to work with me. Everyone loved this big fluff ball. He was a great dog.

His favorite day was Sunday. He would wait for the first sound of us stirring in the bedroom and make a beeline to leap on the bed, where he would be promptly tickled and scratched into doggy nirvana.

As Snuffy aged, we were saddened to find that he had cancer. He didn’t seem to be in pain, but he slowed down and slept most of his days away. We waited to see what the vet could do, but before he could take action, Snuffy passed away in his sleep (on a Monday afternoon). We buried him in his favorite spot in the yard and mourned him as if he were our child.

That week the house was so empty.

The following Sunday morning broke clear and crisp. We lay in bed quietly; I’m sure we were both thinking about Snuffy. Suddenly, as my husband and I lay there, we were startled to feel the bed shake as if our big dog had just jumped into his favorite spot once more. We sat straight up and looked at each other. We checked to see if there had been any earthquakes, but none were reported.

Between the laughter and tears we shed that morning, we truly felt that our pal had sent us a message from beyond. I like to think it was Snuffy’s way of saying one last good-bye.