FAREWELL TO SUTTY DOG (Psychic Bird of Omen)

by

John G. Sutton

Sutty Dog

  In my book ‘Psychic Pets’ I told the story of Sutty Dog, the pet that picked the boyfriend. Sutty Dog was my daughter Dulcie’s pet and slept in her room at the foot of the bed. From waking to sleeping, in fact virtually all the time, Sutty Dog and Dulcie were friends. The little Scottish Terrier would follow Dulcie round the house and if any stranger went near to Dulcie Sutty Dog would bark and growl at them, protecting her pal. Then one day Dulcie brought a fine young man to our home, his name was Robert Dowrick and although Sutty Dog had never seen him before he was greeted not by woofs and snarls but with a lick of his hand. It was as if Sutty Dog knew that this man was good for her Dulcie. Later the same year Robert and Dulcie were married, we all said that it was Sutty Dog who had selected him as every other caller to our home had been growled at by Dulcie’s protective pet.

Years passed and Sutty Dog, now aged over fourteen years, became old and infirm. She could no longer run as she used to and eventually even the short walk to the door became too much. Then, one morning in early July of 2005, I found Sutty Dog in a state of collapse. Calling the vet I knew in my heart what he would say but hoped that something could be done. As my wife and I waited for the vet to arrive we went together into the garden, where in times past Sutty Dog had played. As we walked by the conifer hedge Mary saw a large blackbird standing still staring at us. ‘That bird is injured’ Mary said and I looked closely to see if she was right. Certainly the bird did not move as I approached and its jet black feathers seemed ruffled as though it had fallen.  I stepped to within two paces of the blackbird and stared straight into its yellow and black eye. Still it did not move. It was then I decided to take its photograph as this bird seemed a strange visitor. 

The Actual Bird of Omen

Within minutes of the encounter with the blackbird our doorbell rang to announce that the veterinary surgeon had arrived. It was as I had feared, Sutty Dog was beyond medical help and all that remained was for her to be offered a painless sleep as she passed into spirit. My wife was told and went immediately to prepare a grave to receive the mortal remains of our beloved pet.  I held Sutty Dog in my arms for one last time and thought of the happy days we had shared together when she and I were on TV with Richard and Judy. Soon she was gone and I carried her out to the rear garden and laid her to rest by the side of Grumbles the Bulldog, her soul mate and  friend.  Then, as I stood saying a few words of thanks to God for the life of Sutty Dog, the strange blackbird appeared again and hopped onto the edge of the grave where it stood staring down. My wife and I were within three feet of the bird and yet it did not fly away as wild birds usually do. It was then that I knew why the bird was there. I have previously researched animal superstitions for my website and knew that birds often are omens of fate. This blackbird, I believe, had come for the soul of Sutty Dog and was there to accompany it on its journey to the world beyond.

Here is what I found when I researched birds and superstitions surrounding them: Birds are generally unlucky omens; if one pecks at the window of a house then bad luck will ensue. If a bird enters a house by the chimney place then a death in the home is predicted.  Many countries in Europe have beliefs that birds bring warnings to specific families. In the county of Devon in the UK the family known as The Oxenhams in South Tawton were said to have a bird of ill-omen appear in the bedroom of a family member who was about to die. This bird was described as having a white breast, it was seen to fly around the bedroom and hover around the sick person then vanish into thin air, the patient subsequently died.

The writer Daniel Defoe described an ancient Sussex belief that a large heron would be seen perching on the Cathedral immediately before the death of the resident Bishop. In the city of Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire in the UK it is believed that the sighting of two large white birds that look like albatrosses that seem to float on the air without flapping their wings bring a warning of the death of the incumbent Bishop. Two such Bishops of Salisbury have been reported as dying following the sighting of these mysterious birds they were Bishop Moberley in 1885 and Bishop Wordsworth in 1911. 

In ancient times in the UK it was a common belief that the recently deceased would sometimes appear to their loved ones in the form of a bird.  Also in seafaring legend it was said that the souls of sailors drowned at sea would inhabit the various seabirds so they should never be killed.  The magpie is a bird thought in ancient times to be linked to the devil and all black and white or pied birds are linked to misfortune and evil.  Also birds of the night such as owls seen in the wild during the hours of daylight herald misfortune.

The blackbird that appeared in our back garden the day that Sutty Dog passed to spirit was strangely bold for a wild bird. It did not move or even attempt to fly away when I approached it and sat perfectly still for some few minutes at the edge of Sutty Dog’s grave before it flew away and disappeared into the pale blue summer sky.

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