Divine canine inspiration

By Karen Petit, Columbia, South Carolina

In 2003, my life was in shambles.

I had been through a terrible divorce between 2001 and 2002 after a marriage that included domestic abuse. As if that weren’t enough, my mother was dying and my sister had suffered a breakdown.

Through a fluke – which I now see as fate – I adopted a dog named Ivy from friends who were moving. Filled with doubts about the furry Lab-Chow mix that I was bringing into my home, I thought that I was doing Ivy a favor. But it was Ivy who changed my life.

Ivy rescued me by simply being herself, a dog.

Her constant presence, her sweetness and devotion healed my heart. Within a month of adopting Ivy, she inspired me to write a children’s mystery series which now comprises three books, with a fourth to be published in February 2009. The Shandon’s Ivy League Mystery Series follows the adventures of a group of pets who solve crimes and mysteries.

No one knows how many tears that beautiful black fur held. Ivy had become companion, muse, cardiologist, and partner in crime, so speak.

So when the news came in early May that Ivy was dying from an inoperable tumor, no one was more shocked than I that I would be losing my Ivy Girl. She died May 31, and I was devastated. The woman who had been an “unpet” person for most of her life had been transformed through the love of a dog.

Ivy’s death came right before the publication of “A Paw on My Heart … A Tail of Divine and Canine Inspiration.” I felt driven to write the book – to chronicle the pain of domestic abuse and to share the amazing healing power of pets. I will never be the same because of Ivy.

These words from my book sum up the way that I feel about my life with Ivy:

“Our story began with a woman in despair and ended with a life transformed by the love of a dog. As remarkable as I believe our love story to be, I know that similar stories are being played out day after day, year after year, on life’s expansive stage among children and adults, the poor and the rich, the meek and the mighty, and the sick and most humble of all. As long as there are dogs, we will never be without true love. Unconditional. Sometimes sloppy kisses. Hugs and pats 24/7.

“What miracles they are—these paws on our hearts!”

Tesla’s paws on the hearts of each member of her family will be there forever. Though her life was much too short, her family’s life was transformed by her love – the amazing love of a dog.

I know that I will see Ivy again one day. And when I do, I’ll give her the biggest hug in Heaven!