Thread:Wilesjeffery2152/@comment-4273152-20141207061110/@comment-3270170-20141215003809

Lemme check smethin'... ah, it was in the Harry Potter series. Specifically, the dog I described is called a "church grim". May also appear as a horse, lamb, or pig. Acording to my copy of the Sorcerer's Companion (which is updated up to Order of the Phoenix), the creature you described would typically be the first person buried in a new graveyard, and so that person would be allowed to have peace, a pure black dog would be buried in the northern section, allowing the soul to go free.

As a side note, its position during a funeral was said to determine whether the recently deceased was headed for Heaven or Hell.