One day in early spring, I walked into RCHS and noticed a cage on a table with a towel over it. Jess, the manager, told me there was a cat under the towel. He had been trapped and brought to the shelter. He was traumatized by the event and the towel was to help him feel secure. He was a long-haired orange boy whose fur was all matted and dirty.

My first session with Jared took place before I even got a look at him. I sat outside the cage wanting to lift the towel a bit and take a peek. I resisted and began offering him Reiki sitting quietly in meditation and focusing on the flow of the energy. I found it a little difficult at first, not being able to see him, but I felt the Reiki moving through my hands and relaxed into the session.

The next time I came in, the towel was lifted on the front end and I got a look at Jared. Because of the condition of his fur he had been shaved and he looked like a little lion! He huddled in the back corner of the cage. The staff thought he was a little embarrassed by his new do. I settled down for the session, careful not to face him directly. I offered him Reiki, letting him know he was in charge of how much he would receive, set the intention and began. I checked in with him periodically, taking quick sidelong peeks. He never took his eyes off of me and seemed to relax a bit.

I was looking forward to working with him again and checked on him first when I arrived at the shelter. To my surprise, he was dressed in little blue sweater. The staff was concerned that without all his fur he might be cold and they put him in a cat sweater. He was adorable! I began the session as before, only this time I sat facing him. He was very receptive to the Reiki and seemed to be coming out of his shell. He came forward, curious about the energy.

We worked together every week, continuing after he had been integrated into the cat room. Naturally, the introduction caused him some stress and he continued to be shy with the other cats. He enjoyed Reiki when I offered it for a few weeks, although unlike other cats, Jared wasn’t likely to get in my lap in those sessions. His hair was growing back nicely and he seemed to be gaining confidence. Then one day he declined my offer of Reiki.

The next week I was told he had been moved next door to the office where he was free to roam the building with another cat. This suited his loner personality, I think. Shortly thereafter Jared was adopted and found his forever home!

Kelly McDermott-Burns

Macy is a beautiful brown Cocker Spaniel with a bit of white on her. She was recently brought to Animals in Distress having just had a litter of seven puppies. One of the puppies had made its transition by the time they got to AID. The other six seemed to be doing all right.

When I arrived at AID for my weekly visit two weeks ago, Lori, the kennel manager, had just left for the vet with one of Macy’s puppies. She returned just before I left for the day and asked that Reiki be offered to the pup as well as Macy and the rest of the litter. In the ensuing week, that puppy made its transition and was followed by three more. The fifth puppy was rushed to the vet shortly after I arrived last week.

I began my visit by asking for Lucy, the little Chihuahua who is one of my regulars. Lucy likes to snuggle in her towel in my arms soaking up Reiki as we make the rounds of the hospitality center and the cat wing. This time, we stopped at Macy’s enclosure and offered Reiki to her and her remaining pup from outside the enclosure.

I performed a healing attunement on the pup and on Macy, as well. Of course, I hope the pup survives, but it is now in the hands of Reiki and the universe. The cause of the pups’ illness has been identified as a herpes virus. According to information I’ve researched, pups contract this virus through the mother who is an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Most pups who contract the virus do not survive and those who do typically become carriers, as well.

The point of this story, however, is to illustrate yet another situation where we as Reiki practitioners must detach ourselves from the outcome. Naturally, the staff at AID has taken the pups’ transitions hard. They want to save every animal that comes through their doors and it is their dedication to this mission that keeps them going day after day and on weekends and holidays when the rest of us are enjoying family time and time with our own animals.

We offer Reiki to the animals and to the staff and then we must let go and let the outcome be what it will be. This is another example of “getting out of the way” and letting Reiki do what it will do. We never know the “big picture”, so to speak, so we accept that whatever happens is the “right” thing in the eyes of the universe, our personal opinions notwithstanding.

The blessing is that as we learn to step out of our judgments and let be what will be, we are better able to serve the animals and people to whom we offer Reiki. We also find that we become more grounded and peaceful ourselves, which benefits all connected with us.

Update: the 7th and last puppy made its transition the Saturday night after I was there last. I saw Macy today and got the picture above. She’s a very sweet little girl. She’ll stay in the cat wing a short while longer, then move to the dog wing to await her forever home.

Tara and me

The start of this Summer had not been how I had expected, in April I had to have a major operation which took the wind out of my sails. For the first few weeks I was bed ridden which was something that I found very difficult to cope with. It was during this time that I was  able  to reflect on my own Reiki Practice. I decided to use my time in a positive way, I had all of the time in the world to read Reiki books and to do self healing. I started with The Reiki Sourcebook which I have to say is a good place to start for any Reiki beginner. I learnt so much more about Mikao Usui and the type of person he was, who he met and how his Reiki journey began. The Reiki Sourcebook chronological history of Reiki was fascinating and demystifying of so many misconceptions about Reiki. It explained beautifully how Reiki in the West was very different from the way Mikao first taught Reiki at the beginning of the centuary.

I have had a lot of time to reflect on the Five Precepts too and to think how I was living my life and how important it was to live ‘for today only; ‘ living in this very moment in time I  started not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. I was able to get through my days where the precepts became no longer targets to be reached but became absorbed into each of my actions, their influence on my thoughts becoming automatic. I made sure I had a copy of them, which I could meditate on and I also placed copies around my home so I could focus on them on a regular basis. The precept which I found hardest to meditate on was ‘for today only, I will not worry’ as I was worried about taking time off from my job. By living in this very moment in time I was able to let any memories or worries of work be a fleeting thought and let the worry float over me.

Having had my big operation, this was the perfect opportunity for  my self healing to be a big part of my life. To self heal I feel, is taking responsibility for everything that happens at all levels to my body, mind and heart. To self heal is my inborn ability which  should be an important part of any daily Reiki Practice. Each day since my operation I have spent half an hour daily giving myself a self treatment. It has also been a time when I have been able to look at what I eat, drink and how I live my life. I have enjoyed being reflective and having the time to spend being kind to  myself has been wonderful. I have also been lucky to receive Reiki which has been sent to me from other Reiki Practitioner.

My sister came to visit me too, which was lovely as she lives in Ireland and we usually only get to meet once a year. We had a lovely time and enjoyed lots of laughs and hugs. I used our time together to practice attunements. The energy created was beautiful. What I found most interesting was that my older dog Megan, who does not usually like reiki would not leave the room when I was practising my attunements. She infact sat under the chair soaking up as much energy as possible, my other dog Tara loves  Reiki and is definitely a Reiki sponge.

The weeks have flown by and I am due to go back to work soon, although having an operation had been a set back. Having the time at home with my dogs and family has been so precious to me. I feel so lucky to have been able to go back to the basics with  my Reiki and feel so much better for it. I went to Remus last week where I was able to offer Reiki to people at their open day to raise money for the animals. It was the final jigsaw in my Reiki Practice where I was able to get out and meet people and the animals and to feel part of the world around me. Reiki is an amazing gift which I am truly grateful for.

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

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 Caroline Thomas

The biggest conversation topic in England is the most definitely the weather, in one day there  can be sunshine, rain and snow. So in order to be prepared, I often carry different types of clothing, to suit any type of weather that may occur. It was a cold Sunday morning, as I looked outside all I could see was the rain and wind lashing against the trees. This was certainly a day where I needed to be in touch with nature.  As I drove to Remus, the roads were flooded and dangerous. I did consider turning back, as I was worried that my car would get stuck and I would have to call my husband to rescue me. As I carefully made my way along the road I could not help but notice the height of the river Wid, this river runs beside the road leading to Remus. Driving along the narrow track, the Remus fields were flooded, I could see that all of the horses were being kept in. The fields were empty, puddles of water filled the grassy area where the horses would usually be.

Arriving at my destination I could see all of the staff and volunteers all seeing to the needs of the animals. The rain was still pouring, the wind was still blowing yet everybody were busy with their tasks. I met with Sue to see which animals were in need of Reiki. Sue explained that Remus had been cut off a couple of times during the week. When the river flooded it caused numerous difficulties in the running of the Sanctuary, the biggest problem being that the vets were unable to access the Sanctuary.  It is at times like this when Reiki can support the staff and care givers,  they give so much to the animals, making it easy for them to become burnt out.  I have suggested this to Sue before, but she is just so very busy, it would be so benificial, but her attention today was firmly on the running of her Sanctuary.

First on my list  was a horse called Pippa, she is a horse I have been working with for about three months. She was first brought to my attention when she attacked another horse called Apollo, she broke Appollo’s leg. She has been very aggressive to both the staff and the other horses at the Sanctuary. (She had been put into stud by her previous owner and had been raped by numerous stallions) I have been offering her Reiki each week; as I stood outside her stable the rain continued to pour. I set the  intention that the Reiki flow for whatever healing Pippa would be open to at that very moment. If anything, or nothing at all that would be fine. This setting of intention is a form of asking permission. As the rain dripped from my nose, Pippa closed her eyes and started to yawn, she took in the Reiki energy that she needed. It was only when she moved to the back of the stable indicating that she had taken enough energy that I realised how wet I was. Almost at this exact moment, Sue called me to quickly move my car to the church at the top of the road as the river Wid had started to over flow. As  I drove I could see the river almost touching  the road. Once at the church, I was asked if I wanted to go back or make my way home. Of course I decided to go back to Remus to carry on offering Reiki to the other animals.

I went about my work and offered Reiki to the sheep, Marigold and Star, each animal taking only the energy that they needed. Marigold lay down, the sheep came and went and Star stood indicating with her head that she wanted hands on Reiki. As I stood in the main stable block, I started to offer Reiki to Apollo, the beautiful grey mare who had been kicked by Pippa. There was a lot of noise in the main buildings as all  of the stables were being mucked out, however this did not put me off. Asking Apollo for permission and letting the energy flow, I felt a real connection. In this deep meditive state I felt a tap on my shoulder, I was asked to leave immediately as the river had  over flowed onto the road and to phone Sue when I got to the church, only the staff were to stay. The only escape route was through the fields at the back of Remus, I was shown the path and asked to make my way through the muddy fields, using only a hawthorn hedge as my guide. I have to say it felt like an adventure,  I am rubbish at map reading, so felt scared and a bit silly that I would not be able to find my way back to the church. How embarassing would that be? I did manage to find the church but forgot to phone Sue; which I was correctly told off for, I had been so wet and so relieved to find my car that I had forgotten all about the phone call.

I think this blog shows that every Reiki experience is different especially when volunteering at a Rescue Centre. My Reiki had got interupted but I continued in the best spirit I know. I was wet I was cold, but knew that the Reiki would be for the highest good of the animals. Sue has told me that there has been a definite change in Pippa, she is a lot calmer and less aggressive with the staff and other horses, who knows she may one day be able to be re united with Apollo.

…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.