Heaven Sent : True Stories of Pets That Have Touched Our Hearts in Miraculous Ways

A horse that communicates through dreams, a dog that gives Reiki treatments, and a cat that brings the joy of Christmas back to a family in mourning. These are just a few of the incredible animals that come alive in Heaven Sent, through the words of the owners who love them.

Whether they are large or small, have hooves or paws, or bark, meow or neigh, these beautiful beings enriched and even transformed the lives they touched. And though they arrived under different circumstances––some from pet stores, others from shelters, and still others from the street––they always seemed to show up at just the right time to lend support and ease their owner of challenges and hardships.

We often believe we’ve rescued our pets when the truth is they’ve rescued us in return. They are our saviors and our angels; our children and our teachers; our healers and our best friends. Some are only with us for a short while, others for a decade or more, yet it never feels quite long enough. We grieve their loss, but we never forget the gifts they gave us while they were here.

If you’ve ever experienced the unconditional love of an animal, you will certainly resonate with the twenty-four authors who contributed to this anthology. Their stories will make you laugh, they’ll make you cry, and hopefully they’ll remind you just how blessed you are to have—or to have had—the companionship of your loving pet.  

Our hope is that this collaboration will warm your heart and awaken a few new animal lovers at the same time. One thing’s for sure, after reading these stories you’ll see that our animals are more than just our furry friends. Indeed, our pets are heaven sent.

Contents:

Foreword: When the Right Time is Near, the Right Love Will Appear

by Pam Baren Kaplan

Introduction: The Inspiration Behind This Project

by Shanda Trofe

Chapter One: A Reason to Live

by Jennifer Benton

Chapter Two: And God Had a Plan

by Margaret-Maggie Honnold

Chapter Three: Angel Blue Eyes

by Lisa A. Clayton

Chapter Four: Bella Means Beauty

by Rosemary Hurwitz

Chapter Five: Best. Cat. Ever.

by Mari Cartagenova

Chapter Six: Big Ole Boy

by Sandra Hanshaw

Chapter Seven: Buddy ~ Teacher, Protector, and Forever Friend

by Dena Hanson

Chapter Eight: It All Started With the Mice

by Jodie Harvala

Chapter Nine: Jasper: The Barn Cat That Wasn’t

by Marilynn Wrigley

Chapter Ten: Jewel. A Diary of Presence

by Katherine Glass

Chapter Eleven: My Spirit Horse

by Janice Story

Chapter Twelve: Our Earth Angels

by Georgia Nagel

Chapter Thirteen: Our Four-Legged  Guardian Angel

by John Newport

Chapter Fourteen: Rose and Her Six Kittens

by Linda A. Mohr

Chapter Fifteen: Ruby

by Cher Rue

Chapter Sixteen: Sam—A Shaman Disguised as a German Shepherd

by KC Miller

Chapter Seventeen: Sassy Mare Companion

by Jani McCarty

Chapter Eighteen: Sebastion ~ The Story of Us

by Jennifer Wheeler

Chapter Nineteen: Taylor Made

by Raina Irene

Chapter Twenty: The Bud Man

by Debbie Schmitz

Chapter Twenty-One: The War Dog

by Wendy Rose Williams

Chapter Twenty-Two: Wally

by Gail “GG” Rush Gould

Animal Charities Dear to Our Hearts