Changing my Perspective on Death

By Ana-La-Rai • January 27, 2022

Blue merle dog with long white fur sitting in green ivy, tongue out in dappled sunlight

On January 24, 2022 my wonderful companion, Tia, transitioned. I got her as a puppy and she lived almost 14 years with me. She was a delightful dog, beautiful, smart, loyal and independent. She could also trigger me faster than anyone with her constant high pitch barking at everyone who walked past our house! When I had a dog trainer come to help with the barking, they laughed and said, “Tia barks at people outside on the sidewalk and then the people disappear, so in Tia's mind her barking works perfectly. She barks, and people leave!”

When Christian and I were about to move to our new house in July 2020 I was concerned because it has a lot of stairs and my old house had only a couple of steps. At that point, I was starting to see small changes in Tia’s legs and hips, especially after long runs on the beach. I booked a session with a great Animal Communicator, Sky, so both dogs, Tia and Priss, would understand we were moving to a new house, about the stairs, and why they would be at doggy daycare for a few days.

During the reading, Tia let me know it was all good and she was fine with everything. I asked her to let me know if it got to be too much or if her time had come to transition. We agreed she would clearly let me know when it was her time.

When Christian and I brought both dogs to the new house we took them first to the fenced backyard. It made my heart swell to watch Tia and Priss run around in joy and playfulness together in this new space. A few weeks later, I checked in again to ensure Tia was ok with the stairs and she was.

Over the last 1.5 years, as Tia aged, I watched her hips become a little more trouble, and the stairs more difficult. Again, I checked in and each time she communicated she was fine and still enjoying life. As we watched her, she was a happy girl, hardly barking anymore, enjoying walks, eating well and looking very healthy.

Then on Friday, January 21, something changed drastically. She could barely stand and it was too dangerous to let her go down the stairs. Many other new symptoms appeared that day and Tia stopped eating her raw food or drinking water. I knew she was in trouble. Christian and I worked on her energy and decided to wait a day to see if she made any improvement, but we both suspected we were looking at her final days.

Saturday evening Tia’s symptoms worsened, and when I checked in with her she let me know it was her time. By then, I could hardly stop crying!

Most of the vets in our area are closed on weekends and all the ones we researched did not allow you to come in with your pet due to covid. We would not leave Tia with strangers to transition by herself! Luckily, a friend knew of a vet that would come to our home and on Sunday morning we booked the first appointment available, which was Monday at 5pm. Before booking we looked at the vet's evaluation form, How Do I Know When it’s Time?, and we realized Tia had 90% of the end-of-life symptoms. Thank goodness we did not book a later date as Sunday and Monday were her worst days. I cried a lot and Priss was very quiet and subdued.

I was grateful I had Monday off as I spent the day giving Tia lots of love and care. When the vet arrived my grief intensified and I sobbed.

I held Tia and distracted her with yummy treats as she received the first injection and went into a deep sleep. So, she went out a happy girl, with her loved ones around her. The process was peaceful and the vet was amazing!

As Tia went into unconsciousness, I heard her crystal clear, "Mom, Mom, Mom, I am here!" All these years I had never heard her this clear. The second injection was given, and Tia was gone within a few seconds. I felt her energy around me and saw her jumping, bouncing like a puppy in the energy fields. I heard her say, "I am free!" I continued to cry, and the vet put her in a velvet lined basket to carry her out to the car for later cremation. As they carried Tia down the stairs, me still sobbing, I heard her again, "It's only my body, I am still here."

I cried a little more, and then suddenly everything shifted. The whole house filled with her presence! She was HUGE. I felt all this love and peace as though we had shifted dimensions or time lines... It is so difficult to describe the experience, but it was as if Tia was MORE with me in that moment than ever before. I knew she was happy and already far onto the other side of the veil.

The energy of my grief dissolved. Yes, my eyes still hurt from crying, but it was all different. Our loss did not seem as awful as it had even an hour before. I felt more connected with Tia and loved feeling her joy and freedom.

That night at bedtime, Tia reminded me she was still the guard dog, and I saw her lay on top of and cover the whole roof as she watched over us.

The next day, Tuesday, I was surprised and excited when Tia became part of the Alchemy Collective Consciousness, the group I channel for the Great Awakening. Of course, she had been present for every meditation I did from home. She had always joined me in the room and lay quietly in the energies. Now, I felt her joy as she ran about the Alchemy's golden disc and greeted attendees. As the meditation progressed, she lay down at the base of the crystal on my feet.

As always, Tia is teaching me. This time she taught me to shift my perception around death and what an amazing gift it is. I know this experience will forever change me, as living all those years with Tia did.