As I write to you today, I am considering it healing “therapy”. You pet lovers will understand my broken heart and many tears.  I and Jesus lovers will gain a deeper understanding of God’s healing in all things great and small.

Some of you are familiar with the series of books “All Creatures Great and Small” written under the pen name James Herriot. He was a veterinary surgeon in England from 1940-1992. I made my title to include all things because the Lord cares about all things concerning us.

I have always been a dog lover from a family of dog lovers. No, dogs were not exclusive but foremost. My husband shares the same love for dogs, so early in our marriage, we adopted dogs (sometimes cats). Each has held a special place in our hearts, but this time, it is all about Howie the Wonder Dog. Howie passed away last week, leaving another big hole in our hearts that needs healing.

First, let me tell you how Howie came into our family and how his nickname “The Wonder Dog” derived.

Not too long before Howie, we had two dogs who had grown elderly. When the time came for that agonizing decision, with the assistance of our family veterinarian, Dr. France, we laid them to rest. I prayed many prayers that the Lord would through His love and mercy take them. But through previous experiences, the Lord had already shown me that we have authority over the animals. That choice would have to be ours through our love and mercy toward their suffering.

After making that choice (just two months apart) for our beautiful Golden Retriever, Chelsea, and our gentle giant Great Pyrenees, Bogey I wondered if I could ever be a dog owner again. But with time to heal… my husband… and our natural love for dogs, we decided to visit our local animal shelter. We discussed what we were looking for in our new furry friend. “No males or puppies”.  Well, guess what? We instantly fell in love with a male puppy! I mean instantly! There was no turning back! They asked if we wanted to take him outside to walk in a fenced area to see how he responded to us. We did gladly but he had already stolen our hearts. He was such a happy loving dog even in those circumstances. They explained that he and his brother were found abandoned at our local airport on a cold rainy night. His age was approximately a year old. His tail had been broken and grew back crooked and unbeknownst to us, at that time,  he had been shot in the hip with a BB gun. That was later revealed in an X-ray.

As I observed this scruffy pound puppy, with tail wagging, excitedly bouncing around David, his name came to me. “Howie”, I said to David, “ He looks like a Howie to me”! David quickly agreed so we named him before he was officially ours. We paid the fees and signed the adoption papers. Then excitedly and proudly drove him home. He rode in my lap, his tail still wagging as the three of us had newfound friends.

And then it happened… shortly after arriving home, I fed him and he immediately threw it all up. I tried to reason that it was from the excitement and the car ride. Just give him more time and he will be fine. After all, he didn’t look sick and was still wagging his tail. They don’t adopt sick animals and he was too happy to be sick, were some of my thoughts in an attempt to console myself and David. Those thoughts were failed attempts. The reality was that Howie could not hold down anything he ate. How could he be growing and looking healthy were the puzzling questions.

We had already made an appointment with Dr France for puppy shots and neutering. Little did we know we would experience over a year-long journey with a baffling sickness that mysteriously afflicted our precious pup.

I remember too many details of this journey, so it will suffice to say after multiple lab tests, special diets, X-rays, exploratory surgery, medications, and a significant amount of money all without answers or cures we lost hope for his future. I must add that the exploratory surgery left him with an incision from the base of his sternum all the way to the castration area! All were held together with staples and glue. When they brought him out to us, his massive incision was shocking! Extraordinarily Howie’s tail was still wagging as if nothing had happened! The outcome… he found nothing that could cause this sickness.

I found myself not just praying but begging God to do something! We could not find answers and could not bear the thought of putting him down! But the Lord did not answer at that time. He had a miracle waiting for us and we just didn’t know it.

After David and I gave up our efforts and thought we had no choice but to rely on the Lord to carry us through, I took Howie back to our vet to discuss the possibility of putting him down. (I thank God that Howie did not know what we were thinking). We were agonizing over the right decision for him.

Dr France was very understanding and knew how we had not only bonded with him but had desperately tried everything known to us to save him. He suggested, although he didn’t have any inflammation, if I was willing as a last-ditch effort, to try a round of steroids. His suggestion came with a warning, “I don’t want to give you any false hope but this is the only thing we haven’t tried”. “It’s not likely to help but do you want to try”? With all my efforts to suppress false hope, I agreed to try steroids for him. Dr France gave him his first pill in his office and we were to return after the ten-day course of this medication.

As I drove home with Howie, my emotions went everywhere. The battle in my mind was intense. Hope went to no hope, no hope went to false hope, and around and around we went. David was experiencing much the same but relied on me to make the final decision.

When we arrived home it was time for Howie’s evening meal. He ate but did not throw up! That had never happened before! I was puzzled even further. The next morning he ate but did not throw up again and again he ate and never threw up! After ten consecutive days of not throwing up I desperately wanted to believe we had a miracle. I could hardly wait to hear Dr France’s response. When I reported Howie never threw up again after the first pill he had given him, Dr France’s response was, “Well we know it wasn’t the pill.” “It’s a wonder.” While petting Howie he said, “Howie the Wonder Dog”! At that moment by a miracle of God, I knew our prayers were answered!

I could go on telling of this wonder dog, but I will have to continue when this “therapy” session has had a little break. I hope you will stick with me and hear more of God’s goodness in all things concerning us, all things great and small.

Meanwhile, I will trust the Lord for more healing as I praise Him for allowing us eleven years with His small but great creature.

And as always, I hope this is healing to anyone’s heart that is broken over the loss of a pet.

My purpose for all is to build our belief and trust in His goodness toward us no matter how hard it seems.

NKJV 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”.

To be continued…

Reba

PS This morning I found this timely bulletin lying under another and my Bible. It is from our church dated February 2^nd, 2025. I could hardly believe my tear-filled eyes.

Notice the scripture: NIV Psalm 104:24-25 “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures…living things both large and small”.