Animal pets attending funerals

[healyjfch]

When my Uncle who loved attending Horse racing was about to be buried in a country graveyard
3 horses in an adjoining field came towards us and looked over the wall.

When a coffin of a very old woman was being brought into the church a cat followed in, walked up to the Altar , then sat down while the prayers were in progress. The deceased loved all cats

At another funeral the terrier that belonged to the deceased followed the coffin from Church to adjoining graveyard.
A rat appeared at the graveside, the terrier chased rat into the grave hole.
The rat got killed by the terrier in the grave hole. Then the gravediggers had to go in, to get the Terrier out so that the coffin could be laid down.

[pinefamily]

They are very interesting ancedotes, Healyj. Thank you for sharing.
However, I don't think having my pythons at my funeral would go down well.

[conahy calling]

During a very cold spell in month of January with snow on the ground, while the Requiem Mass was in progress, there was a robin flying around the altar area of the church.  When the Mass was over the coffin was taken by hearse to the graveyard about 1km away.  While more prayers and rosary were being recited at the graveside, there was a robin hopping around, very close to the proceedings.   The man next to my husband remarked "I wonder is it the same robin, did he follow from the church?"

[Gillg]

My grandmother was small and lively and was often likened by us to a robin.  When we returned from grandmother's funeral to her house we found a robin hopping about on the kitchen table.  My father was most reluctant to shoo it out, and it was rather a shock!  Since then I always think it's Grannie keeping an eye on me when a robin appears in my garden, though I've never found one in the house!  Of course, there may have been one in the churchyard at the time of the funeral, but we wouldn't have noticed it there, I suppose.

[iluleah]

I remember when I was younger I saddled up my horse for the normal morning ride and off I went as we passed the church yard she pulled towards the wall and stopped reluctant to be turned to walk on, as I looked over the church yard I saw a fox just sitting on a grave. The day prior was the funeral of one of the local huntsman, just where the fox was sitting .......... I had forgotten completely about that until I read this thread.....

..........and going off subject ( forgive me ) when my children were small I had put the bird table outside the window so I could have the opportunity to teach them to identity the birds that came to feed, so with books all over the table they excitedly waited for a new bird to arrive, when the robin appeared, "Oh look that one has a red tummy" and I said "yes you know who he belongs to don't you? " .... no! " he is one of Santa's helpers, he makes sure you are being good"...so identifying those common garden birds paid dividends for years, each and every time they saw a robin, I was asked " I AM being good aren't I?"

[Flattybasher9]

"However, I don't think having my pythons at my funeral would go down well."

Depends how far down, 6 feet perhaps 
Regards

Malky

[osprey28]

I attended a cremation where the desceased's beloved dog was present for the funeral - it was one of her wishes.  The dog was perfectly behaved and I think it gave the immediate family some comfort (the desceased was not elderly).

It was also the best behaved I had ever seen the dog - its usual demeanour was swinging from the lightshade -:)

Osprey

[conahy calling]

http://christopheranton.hubpages.com/hub/Truth-that-really-is-stranger-than-fiction

Links about the foxes at Gormanston Castle

 http://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/04/02/the-gormanston-foxes/

[conahy calling]

King Edward V11's wire haired fox terrier named Caesar was included in his funeral procession in 1910.

Scroll down on following link to see image.

http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/search/label/dogs