The story of Calin, a magnificent white Standard Poodle, our dog of Love
This is a testimonial of the fact that our animals have souls and that they remain with us always, even after they have moved onto their next mission.
Calin, the cutest silky fur ball you ever saw became a magnificent white standard poodle. He entered our life March 4 1995 at nine weeks of age. He was our first “child” and taught me the first sacrifices of motherhood waking at night every three hours at first to teach him bathroom manners…
Calin experienced the hardships and the joys of six moves from New York City to California, to Connecticut, to France, to Chicago, back to Connecticut and finally to Las Vegas. Calin welcomed two boys into our family but also lived our loss of a baby. Calin survived five severe health crises, which each time were diagnosed as nearly fatal by our veterinarians. He was very brave and stoic, and so sweet with everyone. All the doctors and nurses always commented on how gentle and courageous he was. He had the strongest fighting spirit! Calin was a very old magnificent soul who was the most amazing companion we could have had for 11 years. He was a very special member of our family. We miss him dearly but we know he is in a better place now and we know he is still with us guiding our lives from the Heavens.
Two months before moving to Las Vegas, we discovered Calin had a brain tumor, we opted for surgery. We took the 50% chance of survival we were given. His lungs were clear, we were hopeful he did not have cancer. We hoped that if he survived the operation he would have a happier and easier life in Las Vegas as the weather is clement most of the year and our new house had no stairs. This was a happy move for us and we looked forward to sharing a new life with our dear Calin. Calin recovered amazingly well from the brain surgery due to great veterinary skills, and energy work.
Life resumed with joy. All was well. Calin made new friends in the neighborhood. We went for walks every day and to the dog park. Calin loved lying in the grass under the tree as the children were splashing in the pool. Unfortunately, the peace did not last long and Calin resumed having seizures. Our holistic veterinarian helped him live as comfortably as possible but nobody could prevent the tumor from growing back. The neurologist ruled out any more brain surgeries. The holistic treatment and no stress gave Calin another stretch of time with no seizures. All was well… not for too long!
Mid-January 2006, after a routine exam, Peter, my husband, was diagnosed with a tumor in his heart! He was going to need an open-heart surgery. It was scheduled in Los Angeles. We were new to Las Vegas with no family there. I had to find someone to take care of our two boys and our dog who was on a strict medical regimen. We had faith that Peter was going to live but the truth is we did not know! The stress was great…
Calin decided it was time. January 30th 2005, at eleven years and one month, Calin went into a cycle of seizures, which could not be broken. He had, maybe, a 10% chance of coming out of it for at most another two months of poor quality of life. All of this in the midst of looking for the best surgeon in the nation for an open-heart operation to remove a tumor that all the best of the best heart specialists had only seen in books! Peter’s situation was extremely rare! We were living in scary times.
Our veterinarian knew our situation and helped us make the decision to let Calin go in peace. Calin knew (I did not) that the drive to Doctor was his last drive because for the first time ever in his life, he cried on his way there. Our veterinarian, an extraordinary woman and doctor knew what to do to ease Calin’s pain while we waited for the children to come out of school, so we could say goodbye and our prayers as a family. Doctor lit a candle, which was going to accompany Calin on his journey over the rainbow. We did the same at home. My two dearest friends, who can communicate with animals, accompanied his soul so he would not be alone and our entire family prayed to Saint Francis of Assisi for a beautiful passage.
After leaving Calin for the last time, we went to celebrate his extraordinary life by watching the Fountains of Bellagio, a beautiful show of choreographed water jets over Andrea Boccelli’s music.
Losing Calin was extremely painful and we cried for a long time. However, we knew his leaving us before Peter’s surgery was his gift because I did not know how to care for him in the least stressful and most loving way as Peter and I needed to fly back and forth to Los Angeles to prepare for and for the surgery itself.
How did Calin show us he was with us through it all?
My cell phone wallpaper was a photo of Calin. A few days before Peter’s surgery, I opened my phone and the wallpaper was blank, Calin was gone. I thought to myself: time to move on. I closed my phone, I reopened it and there was Calin! Wow, he communicated with me that way. I was in awe and rejoiced in my heart. This had never happened before or since. But this was not all, Calin did better!
Peter had his open-heart surgery, which was a great success. There was a tremendous circle of prayers. We hired my healer friend Bonnie to be by Peter’s side in L.A. She worked on Peter before the operation, during (at a distance, not to disturb the amazing surgeon who saved Peter’s life and his team) and after, in the Intensive Care Unit. Peter recovered in a flash.
The day after surgery, who shows up in the intensive care unit? A carbon copy of Calin! A beautiful white Standard Poodle puppy of 1 year named Max who was there to visit patients. This was his trial visit to become a therapy dog. He passed the test after the examiner saw how positive of an effect he had on us.
Standard Poodles are not common, white Std Poodles are unusual, white Std Poodles in a hospital are rare, white Std Poodles in an Intensive Care Unit are nonexistent! Dogs in general, not even therapy dogs, are never allowed in an ICU. This dog was there by “accident”! Calin created this event; there is no doubt about it! He came to us through this puppy to tell us he was with us all along! What a heart!
I am eternally grateful to Calin who sacrificed his life so we could have one.
