What happens when an animal's spirit leaves the body?
By Annette Betcher

Life, as we know it, is a series of transitions. This is true for all living things. The last transition is the one made into spirit or death. I am hesitant to use the word death as that indicates something is permanently gone. I have learned that when you communicate with animals your choice of words is very important. When an animal (or human) crosses over into spirit we say they have died. Everything in the universe is made of energy and energy cannot be destroyed. Therefore, they do not die, but merely change dimensions or frequencies. Animals are very quick to point that out. No, they do not have bodies and we cannot see them with our physical eyes but yes they are alive.

We are going to talk about what happens to the animals during that last transition into spirit.

My thanks go to Sunny MacPherson and his "panel of spirit experts" for assisting me with this article.Let me explain. Sunny is now in spirit. I met him with his human, Mary a few years ago. At that time Sunny occupied a very regal buff colored body of a cocker spaniel. He would tell us that he thought of himself as 'kingly' ... Even in Spirit he reminds us that he continues to exude that same trait ...

Contacting and communicating with animals in spirit, is a service I offer in my practice and one that I personally enjoy immensely. I learn something new with each communication.

Recently, one of my clients was having a difficult time with the passing into spirit of her companion and best friend, her dog Bingo. She ask me if I had any information on my website explaining the process that takes place after an animal leaves their body. I gave her some 'generic' information I had gathered by communicating over time with many, many animals in spirit. Since the information I received did not vary much from experience to experience and animal to animal I assumed it was fairly accurate. I had never actually 'interviewed' individual animals specifically for that purpose. It had occurred to me however that information of that kind would be valuable.

As an animal communicator I myself could find it useful in future consultations. I pondered different ways to do this. That's where Sunny Macpherson came in. I heard him loud and clear. "We will help you" he said. "You merely had to ask". If this sounds strange to you let me clarify.

Many years ago I invited all animals in the universe to feel free to contact me with what they believed to be, important messages for their human partners. For the most part, these are animals that I "know". We had "met" previously through consultations. I set no boundaries for them. I have not been bombarded with frivolous messages and in all cases I try to deliver the messages to the human for whom they were intended. This includes animals both in body and in spirit.

Since Sunny offered to help, I ask him if he could explain what happened to him just after he left his body. He told me that when he knew he was going to able to leave his body, he felt a sense of happiness. He said he left his body as pure energy. This usually occurs as the body is letting go of life. He went on to say that all animals who need human intervention before they can return to spirit are given the permission to so by each Individual animal. This is usually done on a higher level and the human may not even be aware of it. Intervention could not take place if the animal refused to give permission. Most animals are thankful for this process. Animals do not think of death as a negative experience. It is merely another transition. They look at this transition as an extension of life actually, according to Sunny.

Sammy, a black cat in body, is now living in spirit. He offered the following insights. When an animal is in a highly stressful situation or in a lot of pain, They have the ability to will themselves out of their bodies. This is not usually a permanent situation. He said they could also will themselves back into their bodies when they felt the need to. Sammy said all animals could do this but he was proud to say 'cats were especially good at it' ... his information is actually something I am aware of. Many clients have said that, at times their ailing animal doesn't seem to be in there. It is those instances when they most likely aren't.

Sunny volunteered information that his spiritual panel all agreed upon. The moment they know they will not return to their body they see and hear a kind of light show. There also exists a fog like atmosphere around them which I believe separates the dimensions. This may be the 'veil' we have heard of. Separating Heaven and earth if you will. I was given permission to view this process in a detached state, as if I were viewing a movie. I was not involved nor was I a 'part 'of it ... my vision was an overview only. I was able to witness what the animals were trying to explain. I will tell you in the best of my ability it was so beautiful my eyes filled with tears of joy and my heart overflowed with love. There is an overtone of peace that prevails all around them. Peace, love, joy and an overwhelming warmth. Not like weather warm, but enveloping peaceful, loving warmth.

I had a near-death experience once when I was younger. I experienced that same sense of warmth and total peace at that time as well. Light showers prevail and there is also music.The light showers remind me of sparklers on the 4th of July and the music is like tiny wind chimes ... I want to say it looked like a shower of crystals with wind chime music in the back round.

My next visitor from spirit was a horse that I knew very well. I had raised her. In body she was a well built, no nonsense race and broodmare. I called her Wendy. There was a glow around her which of course made her definitely look ethereal. What she said was, the very minute the animal is out of body and in spirit they are joined by others who escort the new spirit/soul to the rainbow bridge. Most of the time the escortee's are familiar with the newly arrived spirit. You might be asking, 'without bodies how do they move?" Wendy reminded me that they are made of pure energy. As such, they are able to 'project' themselves where they want to go. This is a feat that all in spirit can manage. However, it seems the longer they are there, the stronger, or easier it becomes.

Wendy assured me that there really is such a thing as the "rainbow bridge". most of us have heard of it. It looks like a huge arching rainbow. Several animals are able to cross it at a time. On the other side of the rainbow bridge is what I would interpret as heaven. Other pure beings of energy are waiting. Some are familiar, to the new spirits waiting to enter heaven and some are spirit/souls whose job it is to be 'greeters'. Their job as I understand is to meet, greet, and direct the animals on. As I said, I believe this to be heaven. It is lovely with many 'levels' filled with souls of different levels of enlightenment. Yes, there are humans there too ... (that's a story for another time).

I learned that when an animals earthly life ends traumatically such as by accident or victims of predators or other trauma they are offered the opportunity to go to the what is called "sleep room". This is where they stay until they can regenerate their energy. They stay for as long as it takes for them to feel strong enough to be able to project themselves around. I am told there is no time in Heaven.

Sunny politely explains that he is not allowed to show me any more.

I thanked all 3 of my 'guides' asking if they would mind answering just one more question.

Many clients who have had animals return to spirit have said they can sometimes 'feel' or 'hear' or 'see' the animal. "Is this possible?" I ask. The answer from all 3 of the spirits confirm it is indeed possible. Again, energy can be directed. If the 'entity' is strong enough or they get some help from another spirit they can and have, done those kinds of things and more. The human must be aware and must believe. In my conversations with animals in spirit they have told me of different ways in which they contact their human or send them messages. Some of them use light or sound to connect.. One woman told me just before her dog passed into spirit she ask that her dog give her some kind of message so the woman would know her dog was alright. Later in the day the woman ordered a pizza for dinner. She said that was one of her dogs special treats. When the pizza arrived the children were hungry so they tore the box open, anxious to eat. Looking inside the box they exclaimed "look at this mom". Inside the box one of the slices of pizza had a teeny little piece missing. It looked as if it had been chewed off. That was the message the woman had been waiting for. She felt a deep sense of peace and didn't worry about her dog another minute.

Sunny and the others, advice to humans is to be open to all possibilities. Animals usually find a way to make contact. "Love's connection can never be broken."