A Quick Tribute on the Anniversary of My Dog Chloe's Transition from Physical Dog to Dog Angel.

Posted on Instagram Sept 23, 2022.

It has been nine years since my beloved spaniel mix Clothilde left her body, nine years since that intense evening when I realized she was dying, and took her up to the Tibetan Buddhist monastery for her final blessing (like me, Chloe was a Buddhist), and witnessed Lama Thendup performing what I think was phowa (ejection of consciousness); nine years since she became a sort of spirit guide for me; nine years of having her appear regularly--along with her dog-husband Rainbow--in my dreams. People who know me--and people who don’t know me personally but who have read my work--are aware of my intense love for and bond with dogs. So those lovely people are constantly asking me why I don’t currently have a dog. And my answer--for certain of those people--is that I DO have a dog, but she’s non-physical. I still have Chloe in my life; she’s just not inhabiting a dog body. You can admit this sort of thing in Woodstock, New York (because here it’s like: who doesn’t commune with the spiritual world?) but I can’t necessarily admit this to everyone. (Says the woman who is posting this info on Substack). I won’t, for instance, be mentioning any of my non-physical dogs at the Family-of-Origin Thanksgiving table.

Anyway, I have always been one of those fairy-like creatures who attunes to and communicates well with animals (and less well with humans) and I am just so grateful that in this lifetime I was able to spend ten years with such a cheerful, goofy, intelligent, mindful and caring canine. Our minds and hearts merged in our decade together--it was just the two of us. One divorced woman and one many-times abandoned rescue dog. And we both happened to be really good at mind-reading and non-verbal communication. So it makes sense--at least to me, and to my fellow Woodstockers--that part of us remains merged even now.

So, nine years after her transition, I give thanks to the being who incarnated as Chloe at a time when I needed her most. And when she needed me most. Like Ram Dass always used to say (of human existence): “We’re all just walking each other home.” I am so grateful and AWED that I got to walk a being like Chloe home.

I will adopt another dog again--that I know. It seems to be preordained that I will rescue four dogs in this lifetime, and Chloe was #2. So more magnificence is on the way. If any of you hear of an English Cocker who needs rescuing—or a Viszla, or an English Setter, or basically any cutie from the bird dog realm—please let me know.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. And, given that dogs are always the cause of great happiness, may all beings have dogs in their lives.

Sending love from Woodstock NY.

#dogs #thechloechronicles #rexandthecitymemoir #dogsofinstagram #doglife