I cry all the time when I watch Long Island Medium but it’s usually over the people in dire need of closure and their gut-wrenching stories of loss, not over an animal. Larry and Theresa Caputo’s dog Petey was the focus of the “Prayers for Petey” episode (original air date 4/27/2014), an episode that reminded of a real-life version of “Marley and Me.”
The episode “Prayers for Petey” saw Larry’s longtime best buddy and the Caputo’s faithful family dog, Petey, see his final curtain call. It started with Petey not eating and requiring a trip to the VCA (Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury) where they learned he was going through kidney failure. Prior to his departure to the hospital, Larry and Theresa face-timed Larry Jr. and Victoria where the kids gave Petey a tearful sendoff of well wishes.
While in the waiting room at the vet, Theresa makes friends with a woman named Stacey and her mother. As we know, spirit is never silent (despite the situation) and Stacey’s deceased father interrupts the wait time. He too was an animal lover so we learn. Theresa describes him as a “dog whisperer” of sorts, where she can see him whistling and all the dogs come and stand around him, that is — until he brings a cat forward. “Did you have a cat that died?” Theresa asks Stacey, explaining that she’s getting a vision of a baby book with saved hair clippings and lost teeth. Stacey perks up claiming it’s her beloved Miss Kitty, who she misses so much and had saved some of her fur and a tooth (it’s wrapped in a napkin at her home). OK, just a bit odd. Right? Well, Theresa gets messages from dead animals too and turns out that Miss Kitty is doing just fine. “Even animal souls go to heaven.” While that was more on the lighthearted side, Theresa’s scheduled clients were not.
Also featured in the “Prayers for Petey” episode were Liz and George, from Garden City, New York, who hoped to connect with their son George, who was just 20 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Theresa tells them that their son is showing her the “red velvet ropes,” which in medium language means everything has been kept the same; nothing has been changed in terms of the departed’s belongings. The couple confirm sharing that it’s been six years since the accident but all of his things remain the same, in fact, George Sr. still has the clothes his son was wearing at the time of the accident. “I kept the clothes because to me they have meaning.” Although Liz believes the reading with Theresa is meant to help George Sr. it really becomes more about her. Theresa tells them that their son wants to “talk about the trip?” The trip was an idea George Sr. had to go to Vegas, but Liz didn’t want to go. Theresa affirms to them the message their son was trying to share with them: “This is about giving you your life back … His soul is with you whether you are here or if you are in Vegas.”
Next, Theresa meets Susan from Long Island who hoped to connect with her son Brian, who died from a rare form of leukemia at age 23. Nine months after he had a bone marrow transplant, when they thought he was cured and in the clear, Brian passed without Susan being able to say her final goodbyes. She told Theresa that she goes to his grave every day, because she doesn’t want him to be alone.
Theresa validates Brian’s presence by asking Susan if when he was born if the cord was wrapped around his neck (Theresa was getting that choking feeling). Susan confirms that to be true. Theresa tells her that Brian just “snapped his fingers and showed me the whispering of the ear” and apologized for going so quick. Theresa questions Susan on the meaning of “till we meet again.” A shattered Susan gasps explaining that it was the last line on Brian’s mass card. Grateful and relieved, Susan described the reading as one of the most positive experiences she’s had in her life.
