Eulogy To A Dog by John Cali and Spirit

posted in: Blog, channeling, inspiration | 4

Dogs are wise agents, sent directly from heaven. ~ Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

Shep Fort Benton MontanaShep, Fort Benton, Montana

Image Copyright © 2007 by Montanabw


I’ve loved dogs all my life. My family and I have been blessed to have many of them as beloved members of the family over the years.

My spirit guides also have a fondness for dogs (and all animals). Here are a few words from them, taken from an article we wrote a few years ago:

“Your domestic pets, especially dogs and cats, are one of the greatest gifts humanity has ever received. We realize you sometimes take these delightful creatures for granted — just as you sometimes do your fellow humans.

“Pets are not in your lives solely for your entertainment, though they certainly do entertain you. More importantly, pets are here as your teachers and, often, your healers.”

I know some of you have heard the story of Shep, a sheepdog from Fort Benton, Montana. Shep became a legend in his own lifetime. There’s a chapter about him in our book, Dogs: Heartwarming, Soul-Stirring Stories of Our Canine Companions.

After Shep died in a tragic accident the people of Fort Benton gave him a proper funeral and an affectionate farewell. The Reverend Ralph Underwood, a local pastor, gave Shep’s eulogy. Reverend Underwood adapted his eulogy from a closing courtroom argument by George Graham Vest. Vest was a 19th century lawyer and a United States senator from Missouri.

In 1870 Senator Vest took on a client whose dog had been killed by a neighbor. During the trial, the senator vowed he would “win the case or apologize to every dog in Missouri.” His closing argument, which won the case, came to be known as “Eulogy to a dog.”

Here is Reverend Underwood’s eulogy to Shep:

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

“A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in the encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains.

“When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”

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Copyright © 2015 by John Cali

If you know someone who could benefit from this post, please forward it to them with a personal note.

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If you’re as much of a dog lover as I am, you’ll need lots of Kleenex® to get through this beautifully touching, true story.

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Related posts:

Farewell To Rosie
Dogs and God
Heart To Heart
Pets: Our Teachers and Healers

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Do you have any memorable experiences with the dogs in your life? Or with any other animals? Please share your thoughts and comments with us below.

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What other subjects would you like us to talk about in these posts? Please email me.

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About John Cali

Writer and publisher John Cali, author of 10 books, talks to ghosts and dead people. He writes about these adventures at his blog and website, and in his upcoming book, Conversations with Spirit: Real Answers To Life’s Pesky Questions, Book 1.

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Website: http://www.GreatWesternPublishing.org

4 Responses

  1. Hans

    This is awesom, John. Thank you for sharing!

  2. Mikala

    Ah, John, you know I have so many. The shortest and most recent was taking my white, standard poodle to the vet for his last shot. He was old, and finally blind, and his legs didn’t work for him any more. Sometimes he didn’t know where he was, so would call out for me. We still had fun. I had to help him a lot. On the ride to the vet, I reminded him of the other two dogs that he grew up with that had gone before him. We talked about that, and I told him to go find them. They were waiting for him. The last thing he did after he gave me a kiss for the last time was to look straight into my eyes, like he used to when he could see, and a grin came on his face. I repeated that he should go find the other two dogs. He grinned again, and then was gone. As I drove home, I kept saying to him to go find them in my mind. The day was dark and stormy, and just as I was almost home, the clouds parted, a bright beam of sunlight came through along with a rainbow, and I knew he had found his pals. This lasted only a minute or two and then went away. They wanted me to know they were together.

    What others believe is up to them. This is my truth.

    • John Cali

      Yes, I do know, Mikala. Thanks so much for sharing this beautifully touching story of LB. We truly never lose those we love.

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