At Her Father’s Funeral, Her Dog Wouldn’t Stop Barking—So She Opened the Casket… (3 of 3)

Someone screamed. The funeral director stumbled forward, stammering that there had to be some mix-up, that the bodies must have been switched.

But all I could see was Bella, standing guard, chest heaving, eyes locked on me. As if to say, I knew. I always knew.

The next few hours were a blur of apologies, paperwork, and phone calls. Eventually, the funeral home located my father’s body at another facility—he’d been mislabeled during transport. If it hadn’t been for Bella, we would have buried a stranger that day.

I’ve heard people say dogs are just pets. But after what I witnessed, I’ll never believe that again.

Sometimes, the heart knows what the eyes can’t see. And sometimes, it has four legs, golden fur, and a voice determined to be heard—no matter how many rules it breaks.