A group of compassionate animal lovers from all over the country have formed to make prayer blankets for sick, abused, and terminally ill pets. But one blanket sewn for an amazing dog has had a hand in a true miracle.
At 13-years-old, Sharon Lynn's German Shepherd Ofbakische --- Offy, for short --- was very unwell. Formally a highly active dog who loved to play and swim, Offy now had trouble moving and getting up. He began to refuse to eat any food.
"We tried to get him to eat, he wouldn't; we tried to get him to walk, he wouldn't, and I asked for prayers," Lynn recounted.
Lynn and her fiancé took Offy to the veterinarian only to be given the devastating news: aside from the aches and pains of old age, Offy also had two tumors, a large one on his spleen and a smaller one on his prostate. The vet recommended humane euthanasia, but Lynn wanted to give Offy one last visit to his favorite spot by the river.
In her grief over the impending loss of her canine friend, Lynn turned to a group she found on Facebook called Fur Angels Blessing Blanketeers. The group members are people who make prayer blankets for sick and dying pets. One of the group's members, Linda Nadeau, immediately offered to sew Offy's blanket.
Nadeau wanted to make a blanket that displayed some of Offy's favorite places and activities. So she chose a material with "a pond with frogs, turtles and water loving critters," Nadeau said. Because she lived only an hour away from Lynn, Nadeau offered to bring the blanket directly to Offy.
"My husband drove me there," Nadeau said. "I was so filled with emotion I could not stop crying to drive myself."
When she arrived at Lynn's home, Nadeau met Offy in his crate. She covered his body with the blanket, held his face gently in her hands, and prayed for him to be comforted. "It was a very spiritually and emotionally overwhelming experience," Nadeau shared.
Lynn was also moved by watching the interaction between Nadeau and Offy. "It was very emotional to witness," she said.
The Fur Angels Blessing Blanketeers have been making blankets to comfort sick pets and their owners for almost three years. The members do not have to be religious in the least; they only need to have compassion and to love animals.
"Each member puts love and healing prayers into each movement, every moment they are making the blankets," explained Susan Abbott, one the group's five administrators. "The blankets are actually to me more of a symbol, just a vessel to deliver the love and healing powers."
For Offy, the blanket and the healing prayers he received from Nadeau might just have done the trick. A year later, Offy is still alive and well, living with Lynn in her home. He is not a candidate for surgical removal of the tumors he has, so he takes daily pain medications, and his hind legs are slowly getting weaker.
Offy is eating well again, and although he can't swim in a big pool, he enjoys lying in his little pool in the backyard. He is happy, and Lynn will be forever grateful for the unexpected extra time she has had Offy in her life.
"I will always say his prayer blanket that was filled with so many prayers and love was how the miracle happened," she said. "I can never thank this group enough for helping my Offy and us."
We hope that Offy's remaining time is filled with peace, comfort, and love, and we thank the wonderful members of the Fur Angels Blessing Volunteers who give their time and talent to help people and their pets in times of need.
Share the story of Offy's experience and spread the word about these special pet blankets to your friends and family on Facebook.