On July 12, 2021 I made the decision to behaviorally euthanize Gus. This was the worst day of my entire life. I was euthanizing my soul dog. I paid for professional training to work on reactivity with other dogs. She now attends daycare! (I no longer wfh).

The idea of Joe's soul entering the body of a therapy cat came from Mike Jones. Docter and Powers appreciated the idea, as it allowed Joe to "be able to look at his own life from a different perspective" and appreciate it. According to Murray, the filmmakers were undecided on Soul 's ending before the last screening. Some test versions of the film ended featuring Joe pondering whether to pass on to the Great Beyond; returning to Earth a year later; or staying in the Great Before as a mentor. Initial storyboards featured several brief scenes showing 22's life on Earth after her new birth, including one of her reuniting with Joe in New York. These scenes were ultimately discarded. [22] Casting [ edit ] Elena and Brio’s soul story showcases the precious trans-species adoration and communication in life and the afterlife between a woman and her dog. Discovering Brio’s creative and original mind, Mannes’s own testimony, both reflective and humorous, weaves science and personal experience into a kind of Tao of dog. She shows that sentient animal kin are teaching humans how to sit, walk, stay, and lie down in reciprocal respect, love, and joy. This book sparkles with delight.” ( Zohara M. Hieronimus, D.H.L., author of White Spirit Animals: Prophets of Change) You move through it as best you can. Eventually it won’t feel so heavy, but a year later, there are times it feels just below the surface. The loss of Nora took me through a level of sadness and heartache I’ve never experienced. I honored my grieving process, and let it flow through and out of me. I cried a lot. Most days the best I could do was to write about what and how I felt. When we lose a human life we process the loss with wakes, funerals, and memorial services. When we lose an animal, a trusted and loyal companion, we don’t have the same rituals, so we must make our own.I worked from home, we spent all day every day together. I spent breaks and lunches training her, cuddled together, played together. We soon became inseparable.

Everett then became Gus on December 25, 2020. He was no longer that skinny, pee-covered dog I had known for 3 years. He was more confident, happier, and goofier. My former colleague Elena Mannes has always been on a quest to discover more about the animals she loves. Soul Dog takes her beyond science into mystical paths--the yearning for consolation and possibility. She writes that animals teach us to listen. Elena is their friend, ready to hear.” ( Diane Sawyer, American television journalist)And the reality is that not all dogs can be saved with training. Gus’ issues were not because of training. Gus’ issues were genetic. He was this way from the womb and you can’t change genetics. You can’t train away bad genetics from poor breeding practices. Gus was set up to fail from the very start of his life and I’m just grateful I could help him experience joy, love, and kindness while he was with me. Questlove as Lamont "Curley" Baker, a drummer in Dorothea Williams' band and a former student of Joe's [7]