The most dramatic experience of this happened some years ago, when a client who is a holistic vet in Albuquerque, New Mexico referred Maggie and Sylvia, an elderly couple, to me for help with their dog Tiki.

At the start of our session, all I knew was that Maggie and Sylvia were concerned that Tiki, a little female Shi Tzu, may have neurological problems. However their vet couldn’t find anything wrong.

So they wanted to hear from Tiki, to learn more about what she was experiencing.

Tiki began by sending me the following:  “I feel a lot. I am a Queen. I have a very strong presence and am very particular about my environment. I do things that my people think are odd, but I HAVE MY REASONS.”

I encouraged her to continue, “Tell me more, Tiki.”

Tiki went on, “I am very protective of Maggie. I like to be near her when she sleeps, to protect her, to keep her in her body. She is getting older.

“Please tell Maggie that she has a fragility in her body that she doesn’t recognize, but I feel it with her. I feel things sooner than the people because I am so sensitive.”

Tiki said more:  “I worry about Maggie. Maggie is in denial.  When she goes about her day, she forgets things.  She is not as aware as she was before.”

I got the sense this had been going on for about 4 years, from Tiki’s sense of things.

The little white dog continued: “Things have gotten serious. I was light-hearted when I was a puppy but now I worry a lot.”

Then Tiki shared with Maggie and Sylvia more directly: “I love my life and I am happy to be here with you. When I was a puppy, I had a glow around me and you sensed it when you saw me and that let you know that I was yours. This is who I am. I have come to help you and I have a strong message for you:  I do not like the television, and I would prefer that you both ignore the television and be present with me instead.”

At this point, I had been translating for Tiki for some time while Maggie and Sylvia were just listening. So I asked them what made sense and what needed clarification.

Maggie responded, “Everything makes sense.”

I had the feeling she was in amazement of all that Tiki had said.

Sylvia jumped in, “This is actually the very reason we called you. We want to know if Tiki has neurological problems. She lunges and bites the television, especially during the evening news.”

I turned my attention back to Tiki, who responded: “I have a lot to say about this.”

Tiki shared, “The television is ok when it is off. But when the tv is on, there are jagged / harsh energies that come through (she showed me noises, feelings, thoughts), and I can feel them hurting Maggie’s heart.

“I do NOT have neurological problems! I am protecting my person.”

Sylvia then asked why does Tiki get especially upset when intense episodes of violence come on the television?

I sent this question to Tiki, and she explained, in images, knowings and feelings: “The violent episodes in the tv are the worst kind. They make Maggie’s heart feel intensely heavy.” 

Then Tiki became very emphatic and addressed Maggie specifically. “You don’t realize this is damaging your heart! You are more sensitive than you know!

“I want you to spend time outside with me in the grass and the flowers. This is my favorite thing. It lightens everyone’s heart, and the heaviness goes away.” 

Tiki must have felt my own skepticism, because she added, “It is simple, being with the grass and flowers, but it works.”

Then, Tiki said to Maggie: “I feel you more than you feel you.”

Tiki continued, “I have no neurological problems. Sometimes I feel palpitations in my heart. But I am feeling them with Maggie. Our hearts are connected. Sometimes I feel them for her.”

Maggie jumped in the conversation, “Tell her to stop taking on the stress I feel in my heart.  She doesn’t need to do this.”

I showed this message to Tiki. Tiki responded, “I can’t help it. I love you. It is who I am and what I came to do.”

I could feel that Maggie and Sylvia would need to make a decision around the amount of television they watch.  Tiki wasn’t budging, and honestly, her insight and sensitivity were amazing us all.

So I asked Maggie and Sylvia, “What do you want me to tell Tiki that you will do about the television?  Get rid of the tv?  Watch only programs that are non-violent?  No more news?  Or that nothing is going to change with your television watching and she just needs to get used to it?”

Sylvia added, “We primarily only watch the news.”

Maggie answered, “Tell her she needs to get used to it.”

I have to admit, I was in shock in that moment. 

Sylvia tried to offer a solution: “I try to distract her while the tv is on and play ball with her in the other room. Does this help?”

Tiki responded, “It helps but I am always connected to Maggie, it is my job, and I have to be present with her and protect her.”

Then I offered a possible solution to Tiki, “Tiki, would a homeopathic remedy help you?”  And I showed Tiki an image and the feeling of what this would be like for her.

Tiki said, “Yes, but Maggie would need to take the same remedy. Our hearts are in sync.”

I continued with Tiki, “Do you understand that your people want to continue to watch television? They like feeling connected to the outside world.”

Tiki responded, very willfully, “They don’t need to be so connected to the outside world. The outside world is the flowers and the yard. They need to be more connected to that.”

We were all taken aback by this little dog’s stubbornness, born of her devotion and love for Maggie.

Tiki must have sensed this, and began to soften a bit: “I will try to honor your wishes, I love you dearly and am so grateful to have the home that I do. Just know that I have reasons for what I do. It is a calling to be with you, I take my job very seriously, I am meant to be here.”

Maggie then opened up more and shared that she had had a stroke four years ago, and that Tiki is always by her side and very attentive, just as Tiki had shared. I asked Tiki what she knew about the stroke, and a whole new level of this conversation opened up. 

The little dog said, “I feel like a failure, like I could have prevented it. I am sorry that it happened. I blame myself for Maggie’s stroke. I could have alerted her somehow.”

I could feel that Tiki carried an immense sense of grief and guilt about this. And the pain of this guilt was at the heart of the little dog’s stubbornness. I offered, “Tiki, your devotion is beautiful, but maybe you are taking your job with Maggie too seriously. Maybe the love and joy you bring her is enough in itself, and it is a kind of protection, in a way.”

Tiki didn’t really take my suggestion. Talking about the stroke put Tiki in a very deep, sad space in herself, and she just shared more.

She showed me a terrible fear of losing Maggie, and that she just can’t let that happen. I could feel a memory come forward in her, like an imprint she was born with, from another time when she was in a different dog body. In this memory, there was someone she needed to protect, but they died. She felt so bad, so terrible that she let that person down. It felt as if she were a service dog in that lifetime, and her person died on her watch and she felt like a failure. 

I could feel that Tiki needed some help for her grief, and some support to forgive herself for what happened in this memory, and for what had happened with Maggie too.

I suggested they consult their holistic veterinarian to find a homeopathic remedy for Tiki. And because I knew this vet was trained in homeopathy for people also, I let Maggie know she might be able to help her too.

About a week later, I received an email from Maggie, saying how much she appreciated the session, that it was a moving experience for all of them. And that they had an appointment the following week with the holistic vet to get a homeopathic remedy for Tiki and Maggie.

Maggie also shared that since the communication, Tiki seemed much more relaxed and had not attacked the television at all.

 

 

Did you know that animals need to feel like they have an important job in their lives with you?

We call our animal friends pets and think they live these lives of comfort and ease, but in truth animals enjoy having a sense of responsibility, and want to give of themselves in meaningful ways in their family’s lives.

A few months ago I adopted a wild rescue donkey, and named her Daisy. Shell-shocked and confused from the BLM round-up* and transport experiences, she arrived at my property acting skittish and feeling uncertain.

But within 36 hours she was eating carrots out of my hand and realizing that she really likes it here; she feels at home.

Then once she decided she belongs here with me and my other animals, Daisy wanted to know what her jobs are, so that she could feel part of it all and contribute.

The next day she got the memo, before I even had the chance to communicate with her about it:  one of her jobs is to protect the chicken house. I didn’t have to tell her, she just sensed it from the space around us.

Soon I found her taking up her post guarding the run.

Above and beyond her guarding job, she is also a friend to the chickens, kind of a counselor, for lack of a better word. When I was integrating the new chickens into the existing flock, I would often find Daisy standing up near the run, sharing her deep, calming presence. The anxiety in the chickens was palpable, and so was Daisy’s sweet, loving heart. She made this transition so much easier for us all.

I imagine you may have an understanding of what your animal friends’ jobs are in their lives with you. Maybe you know from their behavior, from your own empathic connection with them, or maybe you have heard from them in an animal communication session with me, what they perceive as their jobs and purpose in your life.

If you feel inspired, please email me photos with two or three sentences about your animal friends’ jobs in your family. If I receive enough contributions I may post yours along with others in an upcoming newsletter.

It is so fun to see and feel how our animals brighten our days and share their gifts with us. It can be as simple as sitting on your lap to help you unwind after a long day of work, or as intense as herding the cattle on your farm. Whatever is true and real and you think others might enjoy reading.

*BLM is short for Bureau of Land Management. This government organization rounds up wild horses and donkeys, in an effort to decrease the number of animals competing with beef cattle for grazing on public lands. A percentage of these wild horses and donkeys get adopted, and others end up in much worse circumstances.