I think  that when you speak to any Reiki Practitioner who has worked with animals, they can always tell you about an animal who has helped them on their Reiki path. I feel blessed to write this months blog  as it’s about my beloved dog Megan.  She was my Reiki teacher and taught me so  many things. Sadly I had to have  Megan put  to sleep three weeks ago, it was such a shock as she had been just diagnosed with a tumour which was inoperable.

Megan came to my home at an early age, from someone who did not want her. At that time I was not into Reiki so unfortunately she could not benefit from the wonderful energy. It was when she was around five years of age that I found Reiki and was attuned to level I.  As clear as if it was yesterday I remember her showing me how much Reiki she would like. I remember returning from my level I Reiki and how she would not leave my side, I knew she could sense this new energy and was keen to be part of it. I offered her healing and she loved it, but when I offered her healing the day after she refused it and did so until my Reiki Level II. Again she followed me around the house waiting and looking for healing which again I was delighted to offer. Over the years Megan always refused Reiki except when ever I had been attuned to a new Reiki level. I always respected her wishes even though I would get disheartened by her refusals. (I was so keen at that time, finding it hard to understand why an animal would refuse this wonderful energy but she taught me so much about how important it is for an  animal to choose and wish to be part of a Reiki healing. Forcing Reiki because you think it is for the animals good is not the right way to approach Reiki)

I wrote in my last blog about how whilst doing attunements Megan refused to leave the room and just seemed to soak up all of the beautiful energy. Looking back, I feel perhaps I should have taken more note of this, as it was a rare thing for Megan to do. She was always so definite about what or what she did not want. I have to say that I do feel guilty as I did not see the signs and notice a change in her behaviour. When I look back now and think about it I can see a definite change in her demeanour. She would not leave my side, which I thought at the time was because she enjoyed having me at home. Her last nine weeks were spent with me as I had just had an operation. She loved having me at home and was the happiest I had seen her. I saw no signs of her tumour, my sister who had come over from Ireland in fact to help me convalesce had said how well she looked and it was the best she had seen her looking in a long time. A week before she had to be put to sleep  she started to go off her food and seemed unstable on her feet. I took her to the vet and the feedback from the vet’s still remains a shock to me, my beautiful dog was very ill and would need to be put to sleep. From that diagnosis she went down hill almost immediately, it’s almost as if she hung on until the last day of my sick leave. Being a Holistic Animal Practitioner I felt so guilty and lavished her with Reiki, Bach Flowers and Aromatherapy oils, hoping against all odds that there would be a miracle.  How could I have missed the signs of her tumour? I spend so much of my time offering Reiki to other animals  going the extra mile to help them, not being there for my own dog has been tough to come to terms with.

Megan was put to sleep on the 21st of  June, I stayed with her and gave her Reiki for 30 minutes, being there for her was so important. She trusted me so much and lay quietly as the vet had instructed. It was so emotional but I tried to remain strong as not wanting to worry her. As she breathed I watched each breath, each one more laboured. The Reiki was really helping her as I felt the energy was very strong, I believe I helped her to come to terms with her death, as she took her last breath I felt her spirit leave her body. That was such an amazing feeling as I knew her soul was somewhere beautiful.

My family were devastated, especially my younger son, he refused to believe that she was dead. I phoned the vet to see if I could take him to see her body. They were lovely about it and let him spend some time with her, it is so important to have closure for both humans and animals. I also brought Tara my other dog to see her, she sniffed her a few times and I knew in that moment that she had acknowledged the death of Megan. Dogs grieve and certainly Tara has been, she has been open to Reiki every day and it is only now that she seems ready to move on.

Megan taught me so much about Reiki, she taught me to respect each animal and to treat each one as an individual. Reiki is a gift and animals are  here to teach us. If only we can listen, we will be amazed by what we will learn.

…posted by John Sawyer

It seems that Animals in Distress has a never-ending supply of teachers to show up and give me my lessons. Every animal I work with has something to teach me. Sometimes it takes me a while to get the idea, but that’s never the fault of the teacher. It just means I wasn’t paying attention!

My latest “mentor” is a senior black Chow dog named Tulip. She arrived at AID a few weeks ago badly matted with some physical injuries that needed tending to. She is now sporting a lion cut, but her coat is growing out and will soon be back to its full glory.

Tulip is very shy around people she doesn’t know. That would be me. When I first met her, we decided I would take her for a walk. Tulip went outside with me, but made it clear she was not going for a walk with just anybody! She did her best to get around behind me and stay there while eyeing me suspiciously.

We went back inside and she reluctantly stayed with me as far away as the leash would allow her. I knew she would not like being closed in the introduction room with me, so we stayed in the hospitality area near the front desk. She was quite happy to see Lori and other kennel staff as they came by, but kept her distance from me. After a short while, I turned her back over to Lori.

I know not to take it personally when an animal reacts this way at first. They are not sure what I’m all about and given the history some of them have, it’s not surprising that they’d be leery of anyone new. Typically, it takes a few sessions in cases like this for the animal to decide I’m harmless and possibly even beneficial!

We had a couple sessions that went pretty much the same way until last week. I realized that I was trying to get Tulip to accept Reiki, which is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. It’s all about creating a healing space and inviting the animal in, as opposed to continually offering Reiki like a treat they don’t want to accept.

Last week I sat in the hospitality area with Tulip and simply focused on creating a healing space, a Reiki bubble, if you will. My attention was on Reiki flowing into the bubble instead of on Tulip and what she was or was not doing.

Tulip stopped trying to be elsewhere and sat down at the end of the leash. Over the next 15 minutes or so I got a half dozen hearty yawns out of her, which was a clear indication that she was relaxing and accepting Reiki. She even lay down once or twice for a minute or two.

Lesson learned! Going forward, I will create the space and let Tulip decide what she wants to do with it.

I find working with animals in a shelter environment to be extremely rewarding, as do many others. Those of us in SARA have made it our mission to bring Reiki to as many animal shelters as possible. Of course, there are more shelters than there are SARA members, so it’s very important for us to find other Reiki practitioners willing to share Reiki with shelter animals.

This is not as easy as it might seem. It’s not difficult to find a Reiki practitioner who will offer Reiki over distance to a shelter or a particular animal if requested. The difficulty arises in finding those Reiki practitioners who are willing to visit shelters and work with the animals and staff directly.

I’m sure you have encountered people who say things like “Oh, I can’t go to the animal shelter. It just breaks my heart to see those poor animals!” Many can’t bear the thought of animals in some shelters being euthanized. Still others find themselves frustrated because they “can’t take them all home.” At the heart of all the reasons people give is the fear of their own emotions.

Reiki practitioners are not immune to these fears. We as healers have as our first duty to heal ourselves. We can’t create a healing space for others if we do not have the ability to create that inner space for ourselves first. That does not mean we have to be completely healed in order to offer Reiki to others. If that were the case, virtually no one would be offering Reiki! What it does mean is that we must be able to recognize when we are out of balance and practice bringing ourselves back to a more grounded place.

The more we practice offering ourselves Reiki, the better we’re able to achieve the balance we desire. The more confidence we gain in being able to balance ourselves, the less fearful we are of our emotions running out of control. The key is to practice before putting ourselves into potentially stressful situations.

If you are considering offering Reiki to shelter animals, but have had difficulty in the past coping with the shelter environment, you will need to research the shelters in your area to find one that is a good fit for you. Not everyone can work in a euthanizing shelter. For them, a no-kill shelter is obviously a better choice. Fortunately, there are more no-kill shelters today than ever before so the chances of finding one nearby are much greater.

Once you have found a shelter that seems to be a good fit, start slowly. Visit the shelter occasionally and get to know the environment before making a commitment. Observe your reactions to different situations and evaluate them as objectively as you can to see if you’re simply reacting or if there’s something deeper going on. Often we react to things based on past history instead of seeing each experience as new and different.

Don’t expect to be devoid of emotion. We humans are emotional creatures. If something upsets you, acknowledge it and remove yourself from the situation as much as possible. Try looking at it another way. For example, many people say they feel great sadness about all the animals in the shelter. Rather than being sad for the animals in the shelter, be grateful that they are safe and cared for and have a place to sleep. Appreciating the shelter’s service toward its residents will help turn the negative view into a positive one.

If you or someone you know would like to help shelter animals, but are hesitant, I hope the above will help convince you to give it a try. The animals and shelter staff can use all the help they can get!

…posted by John Sawyer

Last month, I introduced Larry, a senior boxer dog with advanced cancer. Not unexpectedly, Larry has since made his transition leaving behind more lessons for those of us privileged to offer him Reiki.

A week or so after my previous post, I was visiting AID as usual. I noticed Larry going outside with another volunteer. Larry loved to go outside in the courtyard between the dog and cat wings. He would “investigate” the area, soak up the sun, and of course, make sure that those coming after him were aware that they were on his territory!

The volunteer took a blanket with her for Larry to lay on. I tended to my “regulars” while she and Larry were outside. After a half hour or so, they came back into the building. I was holding little Lucy, the long-haired Chihuahua, at the time, so couldn’t go over and greet Larry, but he looked directly at me and I got the sense he wanted to spend some time together with me. I resolved to do so on my next visit.

The following week, I asked to see Larry. We had a nice walk around the courtyard after which we sat in the hospitality area and “helped” Lori go through old medications to discard those that were out of date or for animals that were no longer at AID. Larry watched Lori intently while occasionally backing into my hands and soaking up Reiki. His curiosity about Lori’s activities was typical Larry while his acceptance of and even request for Reiki was not. I wasn’t surprised given his “message” to me the previous week. It was interesting how much energy he drew during our session, especially compared to our previous meetings.

Lori and I both knew Larry’s time was coming sooner rather than later and Larry was evidently preparing himself for his transition. As always, he was accepting Reiki on his terms and in his own way. The decision was made to call the vet and have her come out the following week to assist Larry’s journey home.

When I arrived that Thursday afternoon, Lori told me Larry had gone home that morning. It was a beautiful day so they were able to take him out to the courtyard he loved so much and free him from his broken down physical body.

Lori and another staff person reported that Larry was very peaceful and obviously ready to go, demonstrating his awareness of his eternal nature. He knows he will have many more rides on this merry-go-round so he easily accepted the end of this journey.

…………….………… By Caroline Thomas

I am writing this blog from my sick bed. Unfortunately I have had to have an operation recently so I am feeling a little sorry for myself. I have had lots of lovely Reiki sent to me, which has really helped me to feel better and inspired me to write this blog as best I can. Whilst in hospital I received some beautiful texts from Sue at Remus, they really showed that she cared about my well being. I started to think about the relationship and bond I have formed with Sue over the last three years. It has been a wonderful adventure which has only got better since Remus and myself became members of SARA, my professional relationship has grown enormously.

A relationship can be termed as a association or connection, I definitely feel connected to all those at Remus. It has been a journey of respect and honesty in every sense. It is so important to have a good relationship with the staff at the Sanctuary you volunteer at, making sure there is no tension or misunderstanding; good communication is the key to a successful relationship.  Sue had not heard of Reiki when I first met her, I explained to her that it was a ‘spiritual energy’ which when an animal is sick or stressed can bring about healing. I think she  found  the concept of energy work very difficult to understand and I think she thought me a bit wacky.

Sue told me of past experiences she had had with holistic Practitioners and how controlling they had been at the Sanctuary, telling her what she could and could not do. Their ego’s too big to get through the stable door, this had put Sue off holistic Practitioners for a long time. I had agreed with Sue that I could commit 3-4 hours each week, Sunday being the best day for me.  Sue noticed changes in the animals that I worked with, so bit by bit I earned her respect. Each week we always meet together in her office and discuss the animals who need Reiki. During these meetings we would often talk about things that have  happened in our own lives, things happening in my family and my very boring job.  Sometimes the stories would be funny and we would both laugh but as is the purpose of a Sanctuary they would often be sad as they would be  about animals that have been mistreated. I am always in awe of the passion and love Sue has for animals who are in need.  I  love going to offer Reiki to the beautiful animals but also feel blessed to be part of the team, Sue is so knowledgeable and interesting, I always appreciate the time Sue has for me.

My relationship with the Staff at Remus has grown too, from the early days of me sitting in the middle of a field, the staff wondered what I could be doing, it was completely new to them. Creating a calm space in a busy Sanctuary can be sometimes difficult, filling of water buckets, movement of horses, cleaning of stables can and have distracted me in the past. I have noticed the staff now are very careful not to make any noise when I am working with an animal. I have never asked them to be quiet, yet some how over time they just knew. I feel respect is such an important part of this relationship.

On the upside, the relationship  I have with Remus has helped the start of my Reiki bussiness. I will be running SARA workshops from Remus soon where I will donate 50% of my profits back to them. It benefits both of us as I am helping the Sanctuary and also helping to get SARA on the map. Giving my time and skills for free, has come round in full circle as now I will be earning money!

…posted by John Sawyer

Larry is a brindle boxer of indeterminate, but apparently advanced age. He came to Animals In Distress several months ago riding in the bed of a pickup truck along with another dog with whom he’d been wandering in a rural area nearby. An elderly woman saw them and ordered her sons to go get them before they were hit by cars or otherwise harmed.

Larry and his traveling companion had obviously been dumped out in the country and had no idea where to go or what to do. It’s fortunate for them that they were seen and brought to AID. Both were emaciated and full of sores. They were taken for veterinary care and afterward, with the love and support of the AID staff and volunteers, began their healing process.

Larry did well, putting on weight and gaining a healthy shine to his beautiful coat. Then, after a time, Larry began to limp on is right foreleg. X-rays and other tests determined that he has bone cancer which has spread to his lungs and elsewhere. He now has a pronounced bulge in his right shoulder that continues to grow. The cancer is aggressive and resistant to known treatment methods. The vets gave him a very poor prognosis and estimated he would live another three months.

I began working with Larry shortly after his diagnosis. After being introduced, we went into the introduction room to get better acquainted. Larry was interested in me for a few minutes, but then was distracted by conversations and laughter going on out in the reception area. I quickly learned that Larry is a very curious fellow and likes to know what’s going on at all times!

It’s not unusual in the beginning of my relationship with animals at the shelter for them to be interested in Reiki for a very short time. Many of them grow to enjoy it more as time goes on. Others love it from the first moment and soak it up. Still others are receptive at first, but then make it clear that they have better things to do that receive Reiki.

My first session with Larry was perhaps 5 minutes. He was becoming more agitated and clearly wanted out of the room to go see what was going on out in the reception area. So, out we went and Larry thoroughly investigated the situation.

After several sessions that played out essentially the same way, I came to the conclusion that Larry simply wasn’t receptive to Reiki. I stopped seeing him on my weekly visits and focused on other dogs and cats that were referred to me by the shelter staff. I always ask about Larry and the report iss always the same: he’s doing fine with regular pain management and is as curious as ever.

One day one of the shelter staff, a Reiki student of mine, pulled me aside and told me of an experience another of my students on the staff had had with Larry recently. She had been sitting with Larry in his run petting him and had gone into a sort of meditative state. She felt Reiki begin to flow through her and realized that Larry was drawing Reiki energy! She said she felt a wave of sadness pass over her and had the feeling that it came from Larry. He continued to draw Reiki for a few minutes, then it stopped.

Clearly, Larry had set his own criteria for his Reiki session. It was completely in his control, as it should be. My student had created a healing space and Larry chose to enter it, albeit for a brief time.

I was reminded when hearing this story of how we as practitioners must remember to simply create the healing space and let the animals choose to enter it or not. I had to admit that I had not done as good a job of that as I could have when working with Larry. I had let my expectations that he would gradually accept Reiki more readily take precedence over my primary task. Larry had been trying to tell me not that he wasn’t interested in Reiki, but that he wanted it on his own terms in his own time.

All the animals, our own and those we work with, are our teachers. It is our obligation to honor their wisdom and acknowledge their spiritual being. If we may offer them Reiki, so much the better, but that is for them to decide.

…….by Jodie Brenner

I noticed during one of the Reiki I classes at Synergy Animal Hospice that  the Sheriff’s department had placed a pregnant mare and two other horses on the shared property of the Animal Hospice.

We were told we could offer Reiki to the horses, but we were not allowed in the gated area, which led to their locked paddocks.  The second day of class we offered Reiki to the horses and positioned ourselves  along the back fenced area.  The wire fence was about 8 feet tall and the horses could see us and actually touch us if they came down to that part of their paddocks.  The horses seemed very curious and accepting of 5 people offering them Reiki.  We felt the pregnant mare was totally immersing herself and her unborn baby in the Reiki.

A couple of weeks later one of my students, who is also my friend and I went to the property, we went to the same area in the back of the paddocks and sat on the earth next to the fence.  We both were totally in our Reiki space and could feel the energy vibrating as all three horses were licking and chewing and doing the involuntary head bobs.  She only had her new Reiki hands for a couple of weeks and was amazed at the heat and energy she was feeling.

I was distracted when I heard a truck coming up the driveway to my left.  It was a member of the Sheriff’s department, most likely coming to feed the horses and check on them.   My friend and I looked at each other wide eyed as if  “Oh no”.  Although we had permission to be there and it was my understanding the Sheriff’s department was aware that “people may be offering Reiki to the horses” I still felt like I might have some explaining to do:).  We watched him enter the locked area and begin to throw hay into the three paddocks.  The horses did not seem to be in a hurry to eat and slowly began to move towards the now filled hay tubs.  We wondered why the man did not acknowledge us, surely he could see us.  My friend said “maybe the Reiki makes us invisible” we both quietly laughed. He walked towards us to the water pump and began to turn it on.  He was  about 20 feet from us and still did not appear to see us!  My friend said “Hello”  he looked around and then spotted us on the ground.  After his reply of “Hello” I felt I needed to add something so I said “we are with the Animal Hospice and are giving the horses Reiki”  he replied “oooh, OK,  well have a good day”  he continued with his chores and then left.

We laughed as to wondering if he knew what Reiki was or if he thought we were just a couple of crazy women sitting on the earth looking into the horse pens and humming:)

..posted by John Sawyer

One of the many wonderful things about Reiki is its ability to heal the healer, so to speak. As we offer Reiki to others, the energy flowing through us benefits us, as well. This is one aspect of Reiki that makes it ideal for shelters and rescue organizations.

As I mentioned in my last post, when we offer Reiki to the animals in the shelters in which we volunteer, it is equally important to be mindful of the staff and volunteers who care for the animals. As anyone who has worked with animal rescues knows, it is a never-ending task. There are always more animals in need than resources available. As a result, overwhelm and burnout are very common among rescue workers. This is one reason SARA is dedicated to teaching Reiki to shelter workers.

Reiki is as much a way of living as a healing technique. The Reiki Precepts guide us to balance in our lives on many levels while the Reiki energy we offer to other beings helps to balance our physical bodies. Balance is very important for rescue workers as it is easy to lose perspective when faced with the grim circumstances that are all too common in shelter and rescue work.

SARA’s mission is to bring Reiki to animals in shelters and rescues for their highest good. An important part of that is helping the caregivers do the best job they can as they care for the animals on a daily basis. Ultimately, supporting the caregivers supports the animals, which is what SARA is all about.

As SARA defines its teaching curriculum, emphasis is placed upon techniques that shelter workers may use to help themselves stay grounded and to maintain a healthy balance physically and emotionally. Traditional Reiki teachings are the basis of this curriculum with additional resources added specifically for that purpose.

For example, meditation is a wonderful way to quiet the mind and bring it back into balance. Teaching shelter workers specific grounding meditations gives them an important and powerful tool for maintaining their equilibrium.

Teaching shelter workers to recognize signs of burnout in themselves and their co-workers is important, as well. It is easy to get so caught up in the daily details that we don’t notice the imbalance until it becomes a real problem. Even something as simple as taking 5 minutes prior to each shift to get grounded can make a huge difference!

Expectations and intentions play major roles in our daily lives. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day to set our intentions can make all the difference between a “good” day and a “bad” day. In the case of shelter staff, simply setting the intention to do the best they can be of significant benefit.

Finally, following up with students after their intial Reiki training is vital. It’s not enough to hold classes and leave students on their own afterward. Many will have questions and encounter situations they don’t know how to handle. Making a point of asking how they are doing with their Reiki practice and being open and available for questions and just listening to their experiences will help them become better practitioners more quickly.

..posted by John Sawyer

One of the things that we as animal Reiki practitioners sometimes forget is that the people who care for the animals in the shelters in which we practice sometimes need Reiki as much or more than the animals do. Having been in animal rescue in one form or another for about 15 years now, I’ve seen many rescue people burn out from the overwhelming nature of the task. The same syndrome occurs in shelter staff and volunteers.

This was brought home to me recently when one of the people I’d trained in Reiki at AID had a very difficult time with the passing of one of her charges. The dog crashed suddenly and was rushed to the vet, where she went into cardiac arrest and was unable to be revived. A necropsy showed massive internal problems so she would not have lived long even if she had been revived.

One thing that made her transition so difficult for my student was that no one had seen it coming despite the dog’s age and a recent trip to the vet for another incident. More importantly for her, my student told me that during the 36 hours or so that she cared for the dog during this crisis, she “forgot Reiki.” It dawned on her after the dog made her transition that she’d simply forgotten to offer her Reiki. This combined with the shock of the dog’s unexpected passing really knocked her for a loop.

We had a conversation about the incident and her distress over it during which I silently offered her Reiki. I asked her why she thought it had upset her to that degree and she replied “Maybe I could have done more.”

I knew the answer before she spoke, but wanted her to come to that realization on her own. I told her that she didn’t need to worry about turning Reiki on and off, that she being Level 2 now is Reiki and flowing Reiki all the time. Had the dog wanted more Reiki, it would have been drawn from her to the degree where she would have noticed it.

I explained that we have all been through that sort of “maybe I could have done more” or “I could have done it better or differently” remorse. It’s the nature of healers to want to see those with whom they share their healing to heal on a physical level. What we need to remember is that we can only offer healing. It’s up to the recipient to do with it what is for their highest good.

One of the many beautiful things about Reiki is that it heals on levels other than the physical. Most of us don’t have the ability to see the healing take place on those non-physical levels, so we simply have to trust Reiki and know that what we have offered has been used for the highest good. In the same way, we honor the recipient’s free will to remain physically focused or not.

I think all of us when we first began learning and practicing Reiki wanted to be able to cause healing to happen. Especially those of us raised in Western culture where medicine is believed to cause healing. It’s a major paradigm shift to go from the notion of “zapping” beings with Reiki to make them better to offering Reiki and allowing them to do with it what they wish.

It’s especially difficult for practitioners like my student who had a good deal of success early on with their Reiki, “success” being defined as having outcomes that matched her expectations. To paraphrase an old adage, one doesn’t learn from success, it’s failure that carries the real lessons. This outcome (the dog made her transition) was perceived as a failure by my student, even though it was not by any means a failure on her part.

It’s easy to see how she could fall into a negative spiral from thinking this way. I simply reminded her of what we’d discussed in her Reiki 2 class about how the animals are sentient beings in control of their own lives and we don’t get a vote as to whether they choose to heal on a physical level or not.

I also gave her what I call the “Mantra of the Rescuer”:

All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough.

I don’t know who first said that. I read it long ago and it has been a touchstone in my life when I’ve felt overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable obstacles in my path. It fits well with the Reiki philosophy, in my view, and is completely appropriate for shelter or rescue personnel as they deal with the never-ending stream of animals needing their help.

…posted by John Sawyer

It’s been quite a year for me at AID. I’ve met and worked with many animals and learned from all of them. Animals are such wonderful teachers!

I wrote about Allie previously. Unfortunately, Allie made her transition several weeks ago. Her condition had worsened to the point where she was harming herself despite the best efforts to keep her safe. There was no joy in Allie’s life aside from the time she spent sleeping in the arms of myself or another volunteer. During our last session together I got the strong sense that she had had enough of the struggles and was ready to return her focus to the non-physical.

Allie’s transition was more difficult for me than usual. We as practitioners know that Reiki heals on all levels and always hope for a physical healing as well. At least in my case, I think the more “hopeless” the case is, the more hope I have that a “miracle” will result. Sometimes we get those miracles, and often we don’t. In all cases, though, there are lessons to be learned.

In Allie’s case, the most obvious lesson was to release my emotional attachment to her healing. I looked forward to spending an hour or so carrying a slumbering Allie around the shelter. I felt, or at least hoped, that our Reiki sessions were helping her to maintain status quo, if not make visible progress, but that was not the case, at least not on a physical level. I’ve come to the realization that the contrast between her Reiki naps and the rest of her life became so great that she could no longer abide the latter.

When we sleep, we are connected to our Source. I’ve noticed that older animals sleep a lot more and a lot more heavily which indicates that they are preparing to make the transition to non-physical. While they are sleeping, they are exploring the non-physical and coming to terms with their transition. I’m sure this same process took place with Allie and that she finally decided she had fulfilled the purpose of this chapter in her eternal life.

Honey was another Pomeranian I met briefly. I had seen her while working with Allie in the kennel wing one day. She was a beautiful buff color with bright eyes and a lovely energy about her. During one of my recent visits to AID, I heard that they had found Honey unconscious and rushed her to the vet.

Two days later I was visiting AID again and learned that Honey’s blood sugar had dropped too low as a result of her diabetes, but that she recovered quickly at the vet and was back at the shelter. They suggested I offer her Reiki and I spent about 20 minutes carrying her around the shelter while she soaked up Reiki. She appeared bright and perky and none the worse for her earlier ordeal.

As it turned out, that was the only session I was to have with Honey. She had a setback shortly thereafter and was taken back to the vet where she went into cardiac arrest. The vet staff was unable to revive her. A necropsy revealed a number of problems with her internal organs.

The fact that she was able to function so well given the internal mess she was is yet another testament to the ability of our animals to focus on the moment. Someone once said to me that animals compensate until they can’t any more which explains why they often seem fine, then crash suddenly. Basically, animals “press on regardless” as long as they are able, a lesson many humans should take to heart!

There were many bright spots this year, as well. I’ve written about Button, the little Jack Russell terrier pup who recovered from her broken back. I recently met Larry, a “senior” boxer and a delightful gentleman who was rescued off the street a few months ago. Larry and I have only had one short session thus far, but I’m sure there will be more.

Finally, to show that I haven’t neglected the feline contingent at AID, I spent time this year with many in the cat wing including Spook and Eli, the two paralyzed cats who occupy adjoining playpens and keep watch over the comings and goings in the cat wing. Their current project is the supervising of two guinea pigs across the hall from them.

Bogie, Silky, Jet, Robert, Chloe, Geraldo and several other cats live together in a room just off the infirmary. Bogie took about 6 months to decide I was a friend. He now accepts Reiki and petting for short periods of time when I come to visit. His favorite activity is laying in his basket by the window soaking up the sun.

The Cat of the Year is GT, a grey tabby kitten I found near a farm while on my way to the vet with two of my dogs one evening not long ago. I saw her cross the road in front of my car and it was apparent that she was having difficulty. She lay down on the grass off the side of the road and was still there when we returned from the vet an hour or more later. I took the dogs home, got the smallest carrier we had, and went back to see if she was still there. She was, so I picked her up and put her in the carrier. I called the vet and took her there.

Ten days later, she was declared healthy although she has some neurological problems probably a result of panleukopenia, a condition not unusual in feral cats. Her eyes had been pasted shut when I found her, but had cleared up as a result of medication. The vet believed her to be blind, but we have since determined that she can see, at least to some degree.

GT appeared to be about four months old, but had her adult teeth so was at least 6-7 months old. No doubt the lack of regular meals contributed to her tiny size.

AID agreed to take her in and she has been there several weeks now. She’s grown noticeably, plays energetically with her toys and has endeared herself to everyone. She has at least two people interested in adopting her so she will find a forever home soon.

Reiki has played a great part in all of the above stories and many more. Many more stories end happily than otherwise, in physical terms, because Reiki is an integral part of AID and the care of their animals. A number of the staff and volunteers have at least Reiki 1 and we will certainly add to that contingent in the coming year.