Margo Bowblis

Margo Bowblis had never thought about becoming an author, until a life-altering experience with one of her dogs resulted in a story that had to be told. And so, she branched out from her work as an artist, (to see some of her work go to the book’s web site www.walkingwiththeshadowoflove.com) because she felt compelled to share this story, which offers convincing evidence that animals are spiritual beings just like we are--who continue on in a different form after they leave the physical world.

Margo received her B.A. in Fine Arts from Montclair State College in New Jersey in 1967. After graduation, she married a U.S. Marine, and lived in California and North Carolina. When she lived in North Carolina, she became the owner of an AKC female black Labrador Retriever whom she named “Cinder.” She trained and showed her in match shows, and then bred her through a local AKC breeder. From this litter, she kept a statuesque male she named, “Santana” that she also trained and showed in obedience.

She returned to New Jersey and started her career as a teacher. She was an art educator for twenty-eight years. In 1989 she was the recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award. In 1990 she was awarded a grant from the Geraldine Dodge Foundation to study the creative process.

After retiring from public education, Margo focused her attention on recovering from some health issues. As she became able, she began painting, sketching, and singing and playing her guitar in coffee houses, and renewing her passion for animals. She brought Lakota, a black Labrador Retriever puppy, into her life in 2004. She never intended to have a second dog, but a puppy named Zeak, who initially belonged to someone else, was destined to be hers. The puppy seemed to know that from the very beginning and found his way to become her dog. Margo had no way of knowing that this puppy would turn her world upside down and change who she was, and what she cared about, forever.

Through a friend, she learned about the work of therapy dogs, and had both of her dogs trained and certified for this work, logging over one hundred visits to sick and elderly people. Lakota, Zeak, and Margo enjoyed this work until Zeak was stricken with a deadly cancer that could have ended his life in days. He was only four years old. The story of the battle for his life and the extraordinary events surrounding his death prompted Margo to write WALKING WITH THE SHADOW OF LOVE—The Remarkable Story of Lakota and The Zeakie Dog, to comfort people who have lost their pets, and wonder if they will be reunited with them when they leave this life. The book contains narrative photographs that the author and others took as well as her illustrations of some of the dogs in the book.

Margo began speaking engagements for WALKING WITH THE SHADOW OF LOVE with Lakota at her side. Lakota performed at these events doing the same “chores” he did at home: fetching the newspaper from a mailbox, bringing Margo her slippers, finding lost gloves, and making rather questionable music on a set of hanging bells. He was a furry ambassador at these events, and everyone fell in love with him as he greeted people attending, all on his own.

On May 28, 2016, Lakota had to be euthanized at the age of twelve, after battling several major diseases. There is helpful information about this difficult and devastating process that many pet owners must eventually face, on the www.walkingwiththeshadowoflove.com web site under the “Saying Goodbye” heading. It is important to prepare for this ahead of time, so you are not left with regrets. (See “Margo Bowblis forum” on this page to connect with her blog.)

Around two weeks after Lakota’s passing, on her Birthday, Margo received the most compelling affirmation of his continuing existence that she had received to date—and she has had many from Zeak. Motivated by this, and subsequent incidents, she completed a second book titled, WALKING WITH TWO SHADOWS-Real-Life Stories of Love, Loss, and Reunion from Beyond the Rainbow Bridge. This larger work continues following the lives of Lakota and some of the other dogs from the first book, and contains heartwarming stories of other people who have experienced after-life contacts from their dogs and cats. The author explores why some people have these experiences, digging into psychology and neurology in her search for answers. The book has narrative photographs of the animals in the book and the author’s illustrations of some of them. The web site is at: www.walkingwithtwoshadows.com

The second book also tells the story of the dog who came to Margo after Lakota passed: an abused, abandoned rescue dog about six years old named Kaya. The story of how this dog overcame anxiety, OCD, blanket sucking/tooth grinding disorder, ELS (excessive licking syndrome), and containment distress, is a testament to the power of love. Kaya lived for six additional years, with the author, knowing she was deeply loved, before succumbing to lymphoma. She appeared to Margo a short time after her passing to let her know she was OK and was still with her.

Because she does not claim to be a medium or a psychic, Margo believes that these after-life contacts from beloved pets are significant to everyday people who have lost their pets and are not sure if they will ever see them again. She is sharing these experiences to assure people suffering the agony of losing a pet that their beloved animal companions do go on and are around their former owners guiding and protecting them.

Several months after Kaya’s passing, Margo was blessed with a descendant of Lakota’s: a beautiful yellow Labrador who was a retired breeding mother. She named her Maya, meaning “good mother” and describes her as being the most loving, gentle, dog imaginable. Margo, her husband Bill, and Maya live in New Jersey with five Shadows.