Crossing the Rubicon: Celebrating the Human-Animal Bond in Life and Death (Paperback)

by Julie Kaufman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover
When Caesar crossed the Rubicon there was no going back; he was committed. How like the bond we create once an animal companion enters our lives. We are irrevocably changed.

Crossing the Rubicon: The Human-Animal Bond in Life and Death celebrates these changes. A collection of stories, poems, interviews and exercises, the book is helpful to anyone coping with the loss of a dear animal friend. It is also pertinent to the reader who wants to help someone grieve their loss or better understand the full meaning of the physical, psychological and spiritual roles pets play in our lives.

And as the animal messengers in these pages tell us, it is not only our pets lives that enrich us, but their deaths and their message from beyond death that affect us as well.

To help the ones left behind, a series of exercises is provided as an aid in the grieving process. These exercises show how we can ease the sorrow, renew the spirit and celebrate the lives of our pets through ceremony, ritual and memory recollection.

This moving anthology depicts the tenderness, frailty and joy of the human-animal bond in a way only true stories can. Cross the Rubicon and you'll never be the same.

About the Author
Dr. Julie Kaufman lives with a Boxer named "Evander", two cats, "Nikolai", and "Natasha," two canaries, two finches and her pregnant mare "Pasha."

Dr. Kaufman is a Doctor of Chiropractic and a Certified Animal Chiropractor. She graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1989, and has worked for the past ten years on large and small animals throughout Wisconsin. She was a senior instructor and board member for the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association from 1989-1993, where she currently guest lectures. She earned the second Animal Chiropractic Certification awarded in the world; there are now approximately 600 certified animal chiropractors worldwide.

Dr. Kaufman founded the Wisconsin Professional Animal Chiropractor's Association, WIPACA, and developed the holistic equine education program, Equinox, for horse owners, professionals and trainers.

Recent articles include: "Animal Chiropractic, Realigning the Human-Animal Bond," The Holistic Health Journal, Sept. 1997, and "Equine Althenative Therapy: Chiropractic Care," The Sentinel, by Carol Perkins, (Libertyville IL), Vol. 24, No.4, July 1996.

Dr Kaufman has been interviewed on CNN, and on the nationally syndicated radio show, Here's To Your Health. She has also been interviewed for Equus Magazine, Natural Pet Magazine, Farm Show Magazine, and Doris Day's Animal Guardian Magazine.

She currently lectures throughout the country to horse and dog clubs, veterinary schools, and holistic groups. Dr Kaufman is committed to communication and actions that enhance the quality of life for animals and nurture the human-animal bond.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Xenophon Pubns (October 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967208505
• ISBN-13: 978-0967208503
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,046,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing New Perspective on Pet Bereavement, December 18, 1999

By	Dr. Wallace Sife (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

Crossing the Rubicon: Celebrating the Human-Animal bond in Life and Death. 1999. By Julie Kaufman, DC.

This is a very well-written and heartwarming anthology of real stories and experiences with pets. As the title indicates, it is intended to offer the reader new perspectives on the loss of a beloved companion animal. It also conveys the important message the bereaving pet owner is not alone, in this grief.

The author has succeeded in transcending the usual view and fear of death that we all have been raised with. In her wisdom and perspective she perceives death as a natural phenomenon, and offers gentle guidance to her readers, in developing this theme.

Each chapter begins with a self-help approach to meditative visualization and healing. In addition to the many heartwarming memorial poems and stories, this helpful book presents a positive philosophy of undying love, that enriches and enhances the life of the surviving owner.

In presenting new viewpoints on pet death, Dr. Kaufman has also added five interviews of special people, in this wonderful collection. These include a counselor in pet bereavement, two forward-looking holistic veterinarians, and the last two with a spiritualist and animal communicator.

Although the recent emergence and popularity of holistic medicine is starting to prove its hitherto undiscovered values, the suggestions that some people can communicate with animals - living as well as dead - can be too extreme for many. But it is still very interesting to read what these people have to say.

Overall, Crossing the Rubicon is an excellent new literary experience in pet love and loss. We recommend its reading, and trust that a future edition will include the APLB website with the others listed as Internet resources.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the book is a 'must' for anyone who has ever lost a pet., October 15, 1999

By	Bobbi (US) - See all my reviews

As I had recently lost a dog, I must admit that I cried through the first third of the book. I was compelled to read on, and I'm so grateful that I did. By the end of the book, I felt so uplifted that I decided to read it again. I find that each time I read through Crossing the Rubicon, I glean something new from it. I must say, "this is the bible of dealing with the emotions of the human/animal bond."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Softens the Pain of Losing a Pet........, February 27, 2002

By	Margaret "fugirl" (NYC) - See all my reviews

.....having just lost a cat that I'd had for fourteen years, I can tell you that the pain is terrible and that the one thing that can reduce the pain is someone who has been through it and who understands. Dr. Julie Kaufman, an animal chiropractor, has compiled a collection of wonderful stories written by people who have lost pets, be they cats, dogs, a horse or a beloved goldfish. It helps relieve one's own grief to read how each individual dealt with the loss, memorialized a pet and in some cases wrote poetry or even attempted to contact a departed animal spirit. She even includes relaxation and breathing techniques to engage in while thinking of one's beloved lost companion. This book was recommended to me by a friend and is wonderful for anyone dealing with the terrible grief that accompanies such a loss.