From the book, The Master Speaks, by Garth Fisher

The house holder came to the master with a perplexed look on his face, saying I am approaching the end of this lifetime and I find myself having a strange wish for something when I pass over and have breathed my last breath.

The master, smiled, and said continue:

Well, I have known many individuals and had many loved ones proceed me and I know they are waiting to greet me, but they are not the ones I first want to see. I want to see all the animals who have been close to me during my life time. This surprises me, long have I looked forward with reconnecting with my dear ones, but this longing perplexes me.

The master said:

Those animal’s consciousnesses you attached to with love, and connected with your heart energy and your own consciousness. They changed your body and its chemistry at a deep primal level, so that your connection goes deeper than the “mind” it goes to the “heart” and “soul” and the energies of the earth itself.  They gave you unconditional love. They gave you forgiveness, and never held it against you when you did them wrong. Thus, you opened your heart to them in a special way, sometimes more than you have done with your fellow humans. Your tears at their loss speaks to your level of attachment you shared with them, and speaks well to your ability to connect to other life forms. Through them you, “touched the face of god.”