DEAR DR. FOX: You asked about dogs knowing their owners have died. This is my story.

My husband had a bad stroke, and the determination was made to let him go. So, he went to hospice in a hospital near our home.

Our dog, Reppi, a poodle Havanese mix, was allowed to come to hospice with me each day. Reppi would lie at the bottom of the bed. When my husband -- who seemed to be in an unreachable place, mentally -- would put his hand out, the dog would come and lie either between his legs or at his side, and my husband would pet him. Eventually, Reppi would return to the foot of the bed and remain there.

Nurses and aides would come and go, but Reppi knew which ones were kind and tender and which ones weren’t. The kind ones were allowed to care for my husband -- anything from turning his position in bed, changing the IV fluids, changing his pajamas -- but with others, he would growl and sit up on guard the minute they opened the door. Then I would have to remove him from the room so the work could be done.

After 11 days of this, my husband stopped breathing. He was gone. The dog, after the last breath, got off the bed, went to the door and sat, waiting for me to take him home. He knew. Neither he nor I have been the same since, which has been three years minus one week.

The other night I decided to brush Reppi, which hadn’t been done since my husband had his stroke. It had been an evening routine: My husband would sit at a certain spot on the couch with a treat in his pocket, put a towel over his legs, and brush the dog. Reppi would jump off after being brushed, always in the same way, and wait impatiently for the treat. I decided to try the same thing: I put the towel over my legs, sitting in the same spot with the treat in same pocket, and held the brush. Without missing a beat, Reppi jumped on my lap, tolerated the brushing, jumped down and went to the same pocket, waiting for the treat to appear. This was three years later.

They know and remember. Be good to your dog; they are your best friend, always. -- L.A., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

DEAR L.A.: Many thanks for your touching account of your good dog, Reppi, who was so attuned to your husband and to his caregivers’ levels of kindness.

Dogs can be good judges of human character and intentions, and can indeed help those in a semi-coma state reach out and connect. All hospices should allow companion animals to visit, as should hospitals -- especially for children -- because of the healing power of love that dogs, in particular, can provide.

Reppi’s demonstration of memory, remembering the ritual shared with your deceased husband, is instructive: Keeping up such bonding routines with companion animals, after the caregiver has died or gone away, may be beneficial in many ways. Nonhuman animals do grieve, as David Alderton has shown in his book “Animal Grief: How Animals Mourn.”

ANIMAL ABUSER AND SCHOOL KILLER

A statement from Stephanie Bell, senior director of cruelty casework at PETA, in response to reports that the suspected gunman in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting previously used animals as target practice:

“It is no surprise to PETA that before he allegedly massacred 17 people at a school in Parkland, Florida, Nikolas Cruz is said to have talked about shooting small animals, including lizards, squirrels, frogs, and a neighbor’s chickens, and reportedly sent his dog to a neighbor’s house to attack the pigs there. The FBI has identified cruelty to animals as a warning sign of more violence to come, and many school shooters and serial killers have a history of abusing animals. While the issues of gun control and mental health rage on, one simple way to prevent future acts of violence is for local law-enforcement officials to pursue the strongest penalties possible in cruelty-to-animals cases -- for everyone’s sake -- and for those who hear about or witness animal abuse to report it.”

Regrettably, using animals “as target practice” is the norm across America. We need to identify and rectify those factors in society today that can create such nihilistic psychopathology, and address all epigenetic and cultural triggers of violence for the good of all.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: An Alabama court recently ruled that Nosey the elephant can remain at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, rather than being returned to her former owner. Here is a statement from the president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, Steven Wise, on the verdict:

“We are thrilled Nosey will finally have the chance to rediscover her autonomy at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Like Beulah, Karen and Minnie, our elephant clients in Connecticut, she has spent most of her life being forced to perform in circuses, fairs and other forms of human entertainment without the ability to choose how to live her life. May Nosey’s story energize all elephant advocates even further, to demand what, as a matter of justice, equity and scientific fact, these extraordinary beings are long overdue: recognition of their legal personhood and fundamental right to bodily liberty.

“Congratulations and our thanks to all the individuals and organizations that tirelessly worked for this outcome -- true sanctuary for Nosey -- over a period of many years.”

ABOUT THE NONHUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT

Founded in 1996 by attorney Steven M. Wise, the Nonhuman Rights Project works to secure legally recognized fundamental rights for nonhuman animals through litigation, advocacy and education.

Their mission is to change the legal status of at least some nonhuman animals from mere “things,” which lack the capacity to possess any legal right, to “persons,” who possess such fundamental rights as bodily integrity and liberty.

Current plaintiffs are members of species of great apes, elephants, dolphins and whales. The team works with attorneys on four continents, developing campaigns to achieve rights for nonhuman animals that are suited to the legal systems of these countries. The group filed its first cases in December 2013, and its work is the subject of the 2016 HBO documentary “Unlocking the Cage.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I read an “Ask The Vet” article with great interest about using a soft carrier, as we have experienced the same problem traveling with our cat. It would be great if we could make our cat comfortable on road trips (ranging from two to eight hours).

When on a long drive, how do you know when the cat has to relieve itself? And what actions do you take? -- C.F., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR C.F.: Good question. On a long ride with a cat, it is difficult to know, without feeling the cat’s abdomen to gauge how full the bladder is.

The best rule of thumb is to feed the cat only a small meal before a journey scheduled to last four hours or more. Allow no water beforehand, and put the cat in the litter box at home to evacuate before departure. For longer journeys, I have found cats will evacuate in their litter boxes during a rest stop, when set next to them inside the vehicle. With easily spooked cats who might accidentally get out of the vehicle during stops, make sure they’re always wearing a collar and ID tag. Ideally, they should also be microchipped.

BOOK REVIEW: “The Guide To Humane Critter Control: Natural, Nontoxic Pest Solutions To Protect Your Yard And Garden” by Theresa Rooney

This informative, sensible, practical and compassionate book should be read by all gardeners and every home- and property-owner, and garden supply centers should have a stack for sale. This beautifully illustrated, 143-page book will inspire generations to find ways to live in greater harmony with wild creatures from wasps and aphids to moles and rabbits.

The author is a self-taught Master Gardener and has turned her small urban yard into a Certified National Wildlife Habitat and home to an increasing number of critters. She has written articles for Minnesota Gardener Magazine, and teaches gardening classes.

Regardless of the vernacular, if not demeaning, use of the word “critter” -- which might actually be a draw for those who still wage war against fellow creatures -- I give this book a “Two Green Thumbs Up” salute! This kind of book reminds us that we are not apart from the land; the land is part of us -- just as the Earth does not belong to us, but rather we belong to the Earth.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m writing to you on the topic of pets’ remote sensing of death. Our male cat (Spooky) lorded over our female (Sheba), always eating first and never allowing her onto the furniture. This continued for several years. Even if he was out of the room, she stayed on the floor.

One day, we brought them both home from a brief boarding stay. Noticing that Spooky seemed off his feed, we immediately took him back to the vet. His condition did not appear to be serious, and he was a strong, young cat, but he was kept overnight for observation.

In the morning, as we were preparing to go pick him up, Sheba suddenly jumped onto the sofa and began preening and grooming herself. We were watching her in amazement when the phone rang: Yes, it was the vet, calling to inform us that Spooky had suddenly and unexpectedly turned critical and had died from a massive infection.

Sheba lived to a ripe old age, and no one in our family will ever believe that she did not know of Spooky’s death before we did -- if indeed she didn’t somehow cause it! It is also possible that the subordinate cat had previously sensed the illness, undetected by humans, in her dominant housemate, and simply knew its outcome. The recent work with the ability of some service dogs to detect cancer or predict seizures supports that possibility.

There may be other explanations as well. The one thing that seems certain is that animals sometimes know things that we don’t, and we should not dismiss it simply because we can’t explain it. -- J.W., Bonita Springs, Florida

DEAR J.W.: Your observations and account of how the subordinate cat seemed to know that your other cat had died is intriguing.

There remains the possibility that it did not take long for the subordinate one to gain sufficient self-confidence to get up on the sofa and that there was no psychic or remote sensing involved. But in my opinion, this could well have been such a phenomenon, considering the fact that the dominant cat was only out of the house for such a short time.

I appreciate the many accounts of readers over the years documenting this phenomenon in their animal companions, some of which I published in my books “Cat Body, Cat Mind” and “Dog Body, Dog Mind.” With open hearts and minds, we, too, may rediscover this natural power and have greater respect and compassion toward fellow creatures whose sensitivity and awareness so often seem to surpass our own.

DEAR DR. FOX: I enjoy reading your column in our local newspaper, and recently read your excellent book, “Dog Body, Dog Mind,” in preparation for becoming a first-time dog owner. Our family is about to rescue a wonderful dog, a German shepherd mix, whose previous abusive owner left him tied up outside during Hurricane Irma here in Florida last fall. We are so excited to provide a safe, loving home for this wonderful and special dog.

I have a couple of questions for you about diet after reading your book, and also looking extensively at your website and your homemade dog food recipe. Our family eats a whole-foods, plant-based diet that is mostly organic, and I cook all of our food. We eat whole grains, sweet potatoes, squashes, potatoes and a wide variety of legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and herbs/spices. We consume animal products a couple of times per year, at most. Ideally, most of our dog’s food will be home-cooked as well.

It is unclear from my reading if dogs can thrive on a vegan, plant-based diet, or a largely vegan diet supplemented with occasional sardines, canned Alaskan salmon and a few other organic animal foods (if necessary). I am not thrilled about the contamination risks associated with bringing uncooked meat, fish and eggs into the home, but will do it if that is what dogs require.

I am concerned about both the health consequences of eating animal products and also the bioaccumulation of toxins in meats, even if they are organic -- this is not good for humans, and so it is probably not good for dogs, either.

What are your suggestions on ensuring that our new family member gets proper nutrition? Can he eat a largely vegan diet? If so, what additional supplementary foods or items would you suggest? -- B.P., Palm City, Florida

DEAR B.P.: I am glad that you asked this important question, because there are nutrigenomic (breed-specific nutritional) factors in canine diets, which can make a big difference in dogs’ health and longevity.

German shepherds are especially vulnerable to pancreatic enzyme depletion and insufficiency when fed too much carb-heavy, starchy food, and also to colitis, possibly associated with high gluten content. Some fruits and vegetables are fine, while nuts are less digestible. Too much broccoli (and related cruciferous vegetables) could lower thyroid function.

The home-prepared recipe on my website is one option, others being freeze-dried, grain-free dog foods such as Sojos and Honest Kitchen, available in some pet-supply stores and online. As far as raw foods go, never feed raw fish to a dog, because of parasite risks.

I applaud your family’s dietary choices: They’re good for you and for planet Earth, but not for all dogs -- yours in particular.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)