I think animals are a part of us; like an extention of our emotional nature, produced in a form we can see and touch and love.
thanks for telling us your heartwarming story Rharris, I smiled to read it. I believe we need experiences like this to remind us to study those afterlife areas and looks like thats what happened to you as you followed your heart to that which you were bonded with.
so did my daughter Dana. she was very attached to her kitty Jay. he got sick and couldn't eat. still she wouldn't put him down. he might get better she said. but he could barely stand up. could not even drink water. finally she took him in to the vet. she'd been keeping him alive with pills, but this was it. still, she carried guilt. day after day it bothered her. once in a while she'll have those realistic dreams or obes..she wll be hanging with her peers during her sleep, like mother like daughter you know. I do the same while sleeping and get glimpses of night activity. shortly after putting Jay down she traveled to her nightly place, and there was Jay who pounced into her arms and they had a true reunion of joyfulness unequaled. upon awaking the grief was healed, and Jay was a frisky cat again which made the healing happen in Dana.
Not real? who would deny that healing is real; that grief can be dissolved through the heart?
it is important to study these areas and be able to accept our healing however it comes, whether you believe animals survive death or not.
I do believe that as a part of us, animals continue on and I have many stories about them. whatever would we do without animals to love on this planet..hate to even think about it!
if someone will post another story about making contact with an animal, then I will ramble some more about this colt, and my dog Tutti, and Cayenne the orange tabby, and Holly, the guard dog who didn't know how to guard, and...
hugs