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 Appearby Pam Baren KaplanIntroduction: The Inspiration Behind This Projectby Shanda TrofeChapter One: A Reason to Liveby Jennifer BentonChapter Two: And God Had a Planby Margaret-Maggie HonnoldChapter Three: Angel Blue Eyesby Lisa A. ClaytonChapter Four: Bella Means Beautyby Rosemary HurwitzChapter Five: Best. Cat. Ever.by Mari CartagenovaChapter Six: Big Ole Boyby Sandra HanshawChapter Seven: Buddy ~ Teacher, Protector, and Forever Friendby Dena HansonChapter Eight: It All Started With the Miceby Jodie HarvalaChapter Nine: Jasper: The Barn Cat That Wasn’tby Marilynn WrigleyChapter Ten: Jewel. A Diary of Presenceby Katherine GlassChapter Eleven: My Spirit Horseby Janice StoryChapter Twelve: Our Earth Angelsby Georgia NagelChapter Thirteen: Our Four-Legged Guardian Angelby John NewportChapter Fourteen: Rose and Her Six Kittensby Linda A. MohrChapter Fifteen: Rubyby Cher RueChapter Sixteen: Sam-A Shaman Disguised as a German Shepherdby KC MillerChapter Seventeen: Sassy Mare Companionby Jani McCartyChapter Eighteen: Sebastion ~ The Story of Usby Jennifer WheelerChapter Nineteen: Taylor Madeby Raina IreneChapter Twenty: The Bud Manby Debbie SchmitzChapter Twenty-One: The War Dogby Wendy Rose WilliamsChapter Twenty-Two: Wallyby Gail 'GG' Rush GouldAnimal Charities Dear to Our Hearts 3
