Dog mom Joeann Knights is no stranger to companionship. Her beloved pit bull mix, Poppy, stayed by her side for over 13 years, and their bond was unlike any other.
From raising two of Poppy’s babies to adventuring around their hometown, Lowestoft, United Kingdom, Knights and Poppy loved experiencing life together. The duo celebrated every happy moment with a tail wag and snuggle. And on hard days, Knights found comfort when she’d look down at Poppy’s speckled face and one mostly-black ear.
“I never ever left her in her 13 and a half years of life,” Knights told The Dodo. “She was amazing and clever.”
In her lifetime, Poppy developed a reputation for being smart, loyal and full of surprises. Once, Knights arrived home to find Poppy missing. Poppy’s sons led Knights to the backdoor, where she found their playful mom waiting to be rescued on the other side.
“She had opened the living room window and jumped out into the back garden, and she could not jump back in,” Knights said.
Knights opened the door to let Poppy inside, then greeted the hilarious, mischievous girl with a warm hug.
Sadly, Poppy fell gravely ill just shy of her fourteenth birthday. After more than 13 years of adventures, Knights had to make the heart-wrenching decision to help Poppy cross the rainbow bridge. She held her beloved dog one last time, promising to remember her forever.
Knights was gutted from losing Poppy so suddenly. Although she still had Poppy’s two sons to cuddle with, nothing could replace the bond she had with the sweet girl.
Then, she started receiving signs that suggested Poppy was still around. First, she noticed an unusual object in her pantry.
“I found a feather in my cupboard,” Knights said. “I was shocked. It was a weird color.”
Knights kept the dark-gray feather, though she wasn’t quite sure where it’d come from. A while later, she discovered another strange sight outside her door.
“Six months later, I opened my front door, and there was a picture of my girl on my fence done by snails,” Knights said. “I cried … I thought I was going mad.”
Along the fence in front of Knights’ door was a white residue that looked exactly like Poppy’s face. The portrait, crafted generously by a local snail, remained vivid for five days before the rain washed it away.
But Poppy’s signs didn’t stop there. Her face later appeared in Knights’ window, discovered in a photo Knights had taken of her house.
Then, six months later, someone knocked on Knights’ door with a surreal gift. The woman held a puppy in her arms, whose fur happened to match the gray feather in Knights’ cupboard perfectly.
“I went and saw the puppy, [and] she was the same as the feather,” Knights said. “I took the puppy. I don’t care what anybody says or believes — my girl sent me the puppy.”
The puppy, whom Knights named Amber, instantly became a part of her loving family. Knights now spends her days showering Amber and Poppy’s last remaining son with love.
It’s been three years since Poppy passed away, and Knights misses her more than ever. But she’s comforted to know that her sweet, silly girl is still around in spirit — constantly sending signs from across the rainbow bridge.
