Rachel Alexandra Has Proved Enough

I must admit that I had a lot of trepidation about new owner Jess Jackson's decision to run his stellar filly, Rachel Alexandra, in the Preakness, with only two weeks' rest after her glorious victory in The Kentucky Oaks.

She was magnificent in victory today, becoming the first filly in 85 years to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown, but she was also exhausted. She certainly didn't look like the same horse whose feet barely touched the ground in her 20-length Kentucky Oaks tour de force. Her jockey, Calvin Borel, knew it, commenting that she "didn't handle the track" in the stretch, so much so that he actually hit her ten or twelve times (not twice, as he initially claimed) to keep her in front of the flinty Mine That Bird, who sped through traffic to nip at her heels at the wire. And so did Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. I don't think Blasi even flashed a smile, as he whisked "Rachel" away from the winner's circle and back to the privacy of her barn. He immediately understood that though the young filly in his care ran a brave race to win the Maryland classic, she also ran a tough one.

While everyone else was celebrating, the people closest to Rachel Alexandra seem to have grasped that she was tested to her limit today. I'm sure they are cringing at the thought of Jess Jackson running her back in The Belmont in three short weeks. And so am I.

After Rags to Riches beat Curlin in The Belmont two years ago, in a gritty stretch battle, she was never the same again. It took every ounce of her strength and heart to persevere against a great Champion.

I pray that Jess Jackson will decide not to squeeze Rachel Alexandra dry by asking her to match Rags to Riches' Belmont performance. If Rachel is managed carefully and conservatively, with an eye toward what is best for her, rather than what her single-minded owner believes is best for racing, Rachel Alexandra will return to thrill us again. For her sake, I hope she gets that chance.

My New Barn Visits Program Brings Animal Communication to New England Stables

I'm so pleased to announce that as part of my new onsite "Animal Communication for Horses" program, I'll be traveling to stables within a 90-minute driving radius of Sterling, Massachusetts for one-hour consultations with individual horses. Thirty minutes of each session will be devoted to telepathic communication with the horse, and another half-hour will be spent with the human client for followup discussion. I'll furnish a typed transcript of the session within seven days after the visit.

We don't often stop to think about the fact that telepathy is a horse's natural language. Horses are capable of transmitting vivid images of their preferences and life experiences, and of communicating their innermost thoughts and feelings about their people, their stablemates, their surroundings, their training routines, and even, their aspirations. It's not necessary for me to be in a horse's presence in order to communicate with him, but many people seem to prefer this type of in-person experience, so I am very pleased to be able to offer this new service.

My work as an animal communicator is firmly grounded in real-life details, and I am often able to supply concrete answers to puzzling situations that have not been able to be resolved via conventional methods. Because telepathy is not bound by time or space, I conduct most of my consultations "remotely," without ever having met the animal with whom I'm communicating. But in response to requests from local equestrians, I have decided to expand my services to include stable visits, requesting a minimum two-horse commitment to make the trip.

Clients who are interested in booking onsite stable consultations will receive a questionnaire to complete before the visit, with an opportunity to list questions and concerns that they would like me to address with their horses.

As part of my commitment to the casue of protecting off-the-track thoroughbreds from slaughter, I will be donating a percentage of my fees from onsite visits to The New England Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Deerfield, New Hampshire.

An Animal Communicator's Valentine

As my Valentine's gift to animal lovers everywhere, I'm offering my mini-primer, "10 Tips on How to Communicate with Animals," available at no charge, just for the asking.

I've learned that people are endlessly curious about what their animals are thinking. As an animal communicator, I use telepathy to transmit and receive messages from animals about an almost infinite variety of subjects. I always encourage my clients to "Believe, Be Open, and Be Willing to Be Surprised" about what their animals can tell them. I hope that my "10 Tips" will help people to begin to develop their own telepathic abilities and to discover what it takes for them to really hear what their animals are saying.

If you'd like to receive a copy of "10 Tips on How to Communicate with Animals," just send me a note with your Email address and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Saturday at Maple Leaf Stable

I was privileged to spend the day communicating with four lovely horses, including the pretty Quarter Horse mare, Moe (pictured here) at Maple Leaf Stable in Holden.

Until now, I have done virtually all of my telepathic animal communication sessions remotely, from my home office. I typically work from a photograph of an animal, just to focus my attention, though the visual image is not necessary in order for me to make an energetic connection.

But I've had several requests from local stables to come onsite to do in-person sessions with horses, and today's visit to Maple Leaf was the start of what I hope will be an ongoing program.

I spent about 30 minutes or so with each horse, taking careful notes of the information they relayed, in response to questionnaires that had been submitted by each horse's person. When I felt that the session was complete, I sat down with the human client and discussed the horse's personality, preferences, and his or her feelings about how training was going and whether they liked their current routine.

I explained to each client that animal communication works because the horses themselves use telepathy as their primary language, sending and receiving thoughts and images as naturally as we speak English. If we understand this, we can use the horses' telepathic prowess as an integral part of their training, visualizing what we want them to achieve and sending that visual picture to them.

The Magic of Animal Telepathy

Whether you know it or not, your animals are communicating with you all the time. You may not be “hearing” them, because their language is a silent one. It’s the language of telepathy, and though it doesn’t necessarily express itself in familiar words, it’s our animals’ native tongue.

As a professional animal communicator, my role is to translate animals’ telepathic messages into everyday language, and to open a window into their minds and hearts so their human companions can better understand how profoundly their pets understand them. By listening to the silence of the animals, I am almost like their therapist: someone who can really hear their thoughts and sometimes, literally feel their pain.

The stories they tell me can be funny or amazing, but they always demonstrate that animals have a sensitivity and sensibility that exceeds anything we might have imagined.

A few months ago, during a session with a black cat named Manny, who has cancer, I perceived that he was showing me an image of a bridge. I assumed that perhaps he might be able to see a bridge from the window of his urban apartment, and mentioned that to his person, Lisa.

“No,” Lisa said, “we can’t see a bridge from our window, but I have been reading the poem, ‘The Rainbow Bridge,’ to him, to let him know that it’s okay with me if he needs to go there.” Even though Manny had never actually observed an actual bridge, he “saw” the bridge that Lisa had described in this poignant poem, and let me know that he understood her message.

All I knew about another cat, Marcie, was that she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Her person, Sandy, had not shared with me the nature of her cat’s physical ailment, but as soon as I connected with Marcie, she showed me that she was receiving subcutaneous fluids. I was astonished when Sandy confirmed that in fact, Marcie was suffering from Chronic Renal Failure, and that she received the sub-q fluids every other day!

But Marcie wasn’t feeling sorry for herself, not one bit. She had a lot of other things to say, including the fact that she liked pizza! I honestly thought that I must have misinterpreted this part of Marcie’s message, and was hesitant to share it with Sandy. But I always try to accurately convey the information I receive from an animal, even if it doesn’t always seem to make sense, so I told Sandy about Marcie’s pizza vision. She laughed, and said that at her house, Friday is “pizza night,” and as soon as the steaming pie is served, Marcie jumps into the warm pizza box and luxuriates there, while everyone else is eating!

My conversations with animals have taught me that it’s virtually impossible to keep a secret from them, and conversely, that they will confide your secrets if given the opportunity!

A few years ago, a young couple, John and Carol, asked me to communicate with their two cats, Joe and Vito. Joe was very sick, and the couple wanted to get his, and Vito’s, perspective on what was happening in the household.

During my session with Vito, he told me that he was worried, because he knew that John and Carol were thinking about getting another cat. When I told them about it, John and Carol were in disbelief. They acknowledged that they wanted to introduce another cat into the family, but told me that they had been extremely careful never to talk about their intention in front of Joe or Vito! In fact, they had only discussed it on the phone, from their respective offices, or when they were outside the house.

I explained to them that it didn’t matter one iota that they had never actually talked about the new cat out loud, because Vito had done what cats are so good at: he had read their minds. He was completely aware of their plans, in spite of their efforts at secrecy!

When it comes to keeping your own secrets safe, I’ve learned that animals won’t necessary cooperate. We all know that animals have incredible memories, but what most people may not realize is that animals can describe, in very vivid terms, situations in which they were abused or badly treated, even when the mistreatment happened months or years in the past. The perpetrator who hits a dog in the privacy of his own home or yard may assume that no one will ever know anything about it, but given a chance, the dog will tell all.


One of my canine clients, a feisty Scottie named “Freddy,” told me that he wanted desperately to play with his human “brother,” Chad, and his friends, but he showed me that when he tried to join their games, the boys smacked him on the nose or on the side of his head, in the hopes that it would make Freddy so away.

I realized that this was a potentially dangerous situation for all concerned, and I knew that I had to share Teddy’s story with Chad’s mother. When she received the transcript of my session with Teddy, she printed it out and showed it to Chad, who seemed very surprised at being “caught in the act,” and exclaimed, “I’m busted!”

Chad had never stopped to think that he might really be hurting his dog, but when he read Teddy’s uncannily accurate description what had been happening, it touched his heart. By revealing their “secret,” Teddy had helped Chad realize that he deserved to be treated with respect and kindness, just like any other member of the family.

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This article appears in the current issue of The Animal Print.

Tell the University of Michigan to Stop Killing Dogs!

I was horrified to learn about the University of Michigan's unspeakable practice of having their students practice emergency trauma intervention techniques on live shelter dogs, and then, after the dogs have been cut open, injected, and thoroughly used up, killing them.

The University's use of perfectly healthy dogs for this purpose is not only unconscionable, it is illegal, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which has filed a formal complaint against the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor facility with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, alleging that the practice is a violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act "because the principal investigator provided false information about alternative nonanimal technologies to justify animal use in his protocol."

Philadelphia Examiner Dog Advocate Megan Drake wrote an excellent piece exposing this horror on January 15th, where she points out that of 150 Advanced Trauma Life Support teaching facilities surveyed, "more than 90 percent use exclusively non-human models and no longer inflict injuries on dogs for practice." Why, then, she asks, is the University of Michigan continuing to use living dogs for this purpose when it actually has its own state-of-the-art simulation lab? Why indeed!

The PCRM poignantly identifies two of the hapless dogs who were victims of the University of Michigan's barbaric techniques: "a silver-and-black malamute named Koda and a wandering golden retriever picked up while still wearing his blue collar." These were not sick or unloved dogs, and the heartache that their people must have experienced upon learning the fate of their canine friends is almost unimaginable.

We can prevent other dogs from being seized and similarly tormented. Please take a minute to add your voice to those who are determined to Save Dogs From Trauma Training at the University of Michigan.

A Final Memorial to Casey

I was very touched to receive a letter from The Winn Feline Foundation, letting me know that Casey's primary veterinarian, Dr. Brian Holub of the Countryside Veterinary Hospital in Chelmsford, had made a donation in Casey's memory.

Amidst all of the hurt that I still feel at having lost Casey, it helps to know that her death may in some way contribute to the well-being of other cats. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Holub for remembering Casey in this way, and for everything he did to enhance and preserve Casey's quality of life, often under trying circumstances.

The Winn Feline Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports studies related to cat health. To-date, it has awarded more than $3 million in grants for research to benefit cats suffering from a variety of conditions, including many types of cancer, upper respiratory problems, and kidney disease.

Dr. Holub himself is a Veterinary Advisor to The Winn Feline Foundation, helping to review grant applications submitted for funding.

Counting The Birds

For the second year now, I was privileged to participate in the Concord Circle of the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. It's an exhilirating experience and I wish I had gotten involved a long time ago.

Teams assigned by our area leader Steve Morse embarked from the Sunlite Cafe on Rte. 117 into the cold clear morning around 7:30am, and the winds initially made our treks over open frozen areas in the Gardner Hill area of Stow a bit challenging. But the sun warmed us as the morning aged, and my partner, Wendy Miller, and I were pleased to identify 25 species in total, including a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

For three and a half hours, we diligently scoured every inch of our assigned territory, and in addition to the thrill of finding a respectable cache of species, the experience heightens one's senses and clears one's mind. Every ounce of our attention was intently focused on hearing or espying the sought-after avian residents, regardless of whether they might be hiding or just waiting to be discovered in plain view.

It's a wonderful exercise to sharpen one's intuitive senses, too. Sometimes, birds are found simply because a team member has a hunch to look up a particular tree, or over her shoulder, or into a certain hedge of brambles.

I can't think of a better way for an animal communicator--or anyone who wants to feel a closer bond with the creatures of the natural world--to have spent a glorious winter Sunday morning.

Filling the Empty Seat Next to My Heart

Something interesting has happened since Casey died.

Casey was my heart cat; she was literally engulfed in my aura and it felt like she was a part of me whenever we were near. And when we were in the same space, we were almost always in the same place. Literally. Casey slept next to me, and even sat on my chair as I worked. We were almost inseparable.

When Casey was in her physical body, there just wasn't room for my other cats, Neil and Glenda, to get that close. But now, it feels almost like I am in a theatre and there is an empty seat next to me. But not for long. My beautiful, empathetic, charismatic orange tiger, Neil, has slipped into that seat and seems determined to claim my heart. It feels like he is succeeding.

Introducing The Animal Communication Book Club!

I'm so pleased, on this auspicious Christmas Eve, to announce a project that I've been working on for the last several months: The Animal Communication Book Club!

The Animal Communication Book Club is my new companion blog, with a focus on reviews of books that I hope will be of interest to my clients and to everyone who is blessed with the companionship of an animal. The topics will include telepathic animal communication, of course, but I'll also highlight authors who bring a fresh perspective to all of the ways we interact with animals, and they interact with one another, to enrich our life on this planet.

My biweekly reviews of both new and trusted volumes will be published in print and via podcast, to enable blind and sight-impaired animal lovers to participate and enjoy our conversations.

As Editor-in Chief of The Animal Communication Book Club, I'll also be conducting live interviews with animal authors that will be available via Mp3 for later listening. Watch for more details of my Internet Radio debut on the BlogTalkRadio platform.

The best thing about The Animal Communication Book Club is that it's free! There's no obligation to do anything, but enjoy the experience. I look forward to sharing it with you.

Casey's Last Gift

On the terrible day in November that I had to bring Casey to the vet's office for the last time, something unusual happened.

At my request, Dr. Gifford had administered a sedative, prior to the final injection, so that Casey would be relaxed and calm before she drifted into her permanent sleep.

As the relaxant took effect, Casey laid on her side, without moving, and I looked deeply into her eyes, stroking her and whispering how much I loved her.

Casey began to slowly and deliberately blink her eyes. I had never noticed her doing that before, and I wasn't sure why she was doing it now, at this fateful moment. As I struggled to keep my turbulent emotions in check, my telepathic prowess deserted me; there was no time to ask Casey or intuit what she meant.

So it was with tremendous gratitude and wonder that I stumbled upon a moving explanation of this gesture in Dusty Rainbolt's engaging book, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits (which I will be reviewing in the December issue of my monthly eNewsletter, "What's Up With Animals?"):

"A slow blink is one of the ways that cats communicate affection--sort of a kitty kiss."

I now realize that Casey was saying, "I love you," one last time. She was saying, "good-bye," in the only way she could, and I will always treasure that memory.

Spend Quiet Time Together

We are all so maddeningly busy that the time we spend with our animals tends to be taken up by the "must do's."

Your cat, dog, horse, bird, goat or hamster must be fed, watered, exercised, groomed, trained, and seen by the vet for periodic checkups. There are occasional cuts and bruises that must be attended to, and trips to the pet store or grain mill to pick up food, bedding, and supplements.

It's our love of our creature companions that motivates us to spend our time and money and energy to ensure that they have a comfortable, happy life, and it's gratifying to be able to accomplish this much.

But if you aspire to open up the telepathic channels of communication with your animal, the best thing you can do is to stop.

Sit with her, breathe with her, and let silence reign for as many precious minutes as you can afford. Consciously open your heart, and your mind, and then let what will be, be. You may be surprised at what you hear.

Why Dogs Can Sense Fair Play

Here's a fascinating article about how dogs experience a wide range of complex emotions, including jealousy, based on research conducted at the University of Vienna and reported by CNN:

"LONDON, England (CNN) -- Dogs appear to experience a range of complex, unpleasant emotions such as jealousy and pride, scientists have discovered.

Dogs hate their owner showing affection to other dogs.

Until now, this type of behavior had only been shown in humans or chimpanzees, but researchers suspected that other species that live together could be sensitive to fair play -- or a lack of one.

'We are learning that dogs, horses, and perhaps many other species are far more emotionally complex than we ever realized,' Paul Morris, a psychologist at the University of Portsmouth who studies animal emotions, told The Sunday Times. 'They can suffer simple forms of many emotions we once thought only primates could experience.'

Scientists noted that dogs hate to see their owners being affectionate to other dogs and can suffer if a new baby or partner arrives on the scene.

To test the theory, Friederike Range and colleagues at the University of Vienna in Austria asked 33 trained dogs to extend a paw to a human. The animals performed the trick virtually all of the time whether they were given a reward or not -- when alone or with another dog. But the dogs' enthusiasm waned when they saw other dogs being rewarded but received nothing themselves.

Dogs that were ignored extended their paws much less often, doing so in only 13 out of 30 trials. They also showed more stress, such as licking or scratching themselves. 'They are clearly unhappy with the unfair situation,' Range told New Scientist magazine.

She also suspects that this sensitivity might stretch beyond food to more abstract things like praise and attention. 'It might explain why some dogs react with 'new baby envy' when their owners have a child,' she said."

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More Details About the Animals Seized in Vermont

According to the attorney for the couple whose animals were seized last week, any neglect of the animals was "not intentional."

Cristina Kumka of the Rutland Herald reported yesterday that criminal defense attorney Peter Langrock, who has been retained by the Hegarty family, said, "This isn't a case where you have a woman who doesn't care about her animals." The Hegartys operate La Chandolaine Farms in Brandon, VT.

Thirty-two "house pets" belonging to the Hegartys are currently in the care of the Rutland County Humane Society in Pittsford, while 60 horses, ponies, and donkeys are being housed and fed by the Spring Hill Horse Rescue in Clarendon.

More Than 110 Neglected Animals Seized from VT Farms

According to reports in the Rutland Herald, WCAX, and on Pet-Abuse.com, more than 110 neglected, malnourished, and physically compromised animals were seized from farms in Hubbardton and Brandon VT on Friday, December 5th, after what the Rutland County Sheriff's Department termed as "the largest animal cruelty investigation in years."

The animals included dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, chickens, a dove, horses, ponies, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

The small animals have been placed in the care of the Rutland County Humane Society in Pittsford, VT, which had announced last month that it could no longer accept stray or owned cats or kittens because its facilities were already strained beyond capacity.

The approximately 50 equines that were removed from the farms are currently being cared for by the Spring Hill Horse Rescue in Clarendon, which was also housing more horses than its facility could properly handle before the emergency seizure last Friday.

Both rescues are in immediate need of contributions and supplies, and each will be seeking foster homes for the animals in its care as soon as they can safely and legally be moved to temporary placements.

Backyard Birds: The Cedar Waxwings Arrive

When I moved here 13 years ago (almost to the day), I was determined to create a backyard habitat that would be welcoming to native birds.

With this in mind, I have never used pesticides and I purposefully planted trees that would produce berries at this time of year, when pickings are scarce, to feed my avian visitors.

So I was simply delighted this morning to see that a small flock of Cedar Waxwings had joined the robins to feast on the red berries of one of the trees I had planted as a seedling, so many years ago. I'd never observed them here before.

"Casey's Legacy" will Benefit Cats with Cancer

After my cat, Casey died, I wanted to do something concrete to keep her spirit alive--something that would help other cats and their people.

And so I've decided to create "Casey's Legacy," a virtual "fund" that will underwrite more than a third of the cost of telepathic consultations for cats with cancer.

Because cats can be masterful at disguising pain or disability until it has progressed beyond control, it can be useful to approach them telepathically, to tune into their aches and sensations and to assess their emotional and physical energy and their will to persevere. But when pet owners are facing sometimes extraordinary costs for the very best medical treatment to keep their cats alive, the idea of calling an animal communicator can seem like an unaffordable luxury.

I want Casey's Legacy to change that, by making routine telepathic "check-ins" for cats with cancer affordable for anyone who wants them. When we understand our cats' perspective, we can make better decisions about managing their care, and we can better support them if and when their condition deteriorates.

As of December 1st, 2008, owners of cats who have been diagnosed with cancer will pay only $40.00 for animal communication consultations with me, through Animal Translations. The usual fee is $65.00 for a non-emergency session.

I sincerely hope that my small contribution will make a difference to cats with cancer, and the people who love them.

Adopt A Turkey, Don't Eat One

More than 45 million turkeys gave their lives for America's Thanksgiving diners this year. But not for me.

I stopped eating turkey last year at this time, on Thanksgiving Day, 2007, wanting to do my small part to stem the slaughter of these sensitive birds.

For several years now, I have participated in Farm Sanctuary's "Adopt A Turkey" project, making a small contribution to sponsor one of the refuge's big birds, all of whom will have the opportunity to live out their lives in safety and comfort. This year, I "adopted" Faye (pictured here). For her, and for her hundreds of compatriots at Farm Sanctuary, it will truly be a Happy Thanksgiving.

A Sad Farewell to a Beloved Feline Friend

My dear beloved Casey's earthly journey ended peacefully this morning, shortly before 10am. I truly feel that I have lost my soul's sister.

Casey and I shared an unconditional love, and a bond that death may bend, but will not break. She had beautiful, intelligent, wide green eyes, but when they lost their lustre, I knew that I could not ask her to linger any longer in her physical body.

In one of the last photos I took of her, just 8 days ago, on November 18th, 15-year-old Casey still retained the spark and curiosity and joie de vivre of her younger days, even though she had become more pensive and deliberate as a result of the cancer that had wracked her little body for many months.

Casey had been diagnosed with an unspecified adenocarcinoma at the beginning of March, when a large growth was removed from one of her anal glands by Dr. Brian Holub of the Countryside Veterinary Hospital in Chelmsford.

Henceforth, I chose to support her by a combination of homeopathic remedies prescribed by Dr. Charles Loops, coupled with supplements and acupuncture treatments by Drs. Randy Caviness and Carol Gifford at the Integrative Animal Health Center in Bolton. Casey seemed to be thriving and doing very well until the end of August, when I noticed that she had developed a slight limp. An ultrasound confirmed my dreaded suspicions: the cancer had spread throughout many areas of Casey's body, and the prognosis was deemed to be "very grave."

But I did not give up, and neither did Casey. We dug in together, as a team, and increased the frequency of her acupuncture appointments, working primarily with Dr. Gifford to stimulate Casey's immune system, tempt her with a variety of foods, and keep her as balanced and as comfortable and as healthy as we could, given the circumstances. And Casey held her own for three more months, until just a few days ago, when her breathing became labored. On Monday, X-rays revealed that the cancer had invaded Casey's lungs. We had finally reached a mountain we could not climb.

Casey never felt sorry for herself, no matter what challenges the cancer threw at her. When an enlarged lymph node pressed against her spine and ultimately led to the loss of feeling in her left hind leg, Casey soldiered on, undeterred. She deftly ran up and down the stairs, and was able to claw her way to the top of my bed until just a few days ago.

I had known that we would not defeat the cells that were marching out of control throughout Casey's body, but I had hoped to keep them at bay a little longer. As Casey and I faced her health challenges, we became even closer than we had ever been before, and I knew, as I single-mindedly devoted myself to her care, that it would make it even more painful when I had to say good-bye.

Paws for Purple Hearts

On the heels of my post about the wonderful work being done by NEADS: Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, including its Canines for Combat Veterans program, last night's NBC's Nightly News aired a terrific piece on the "Paws for Purple Hearts" project at the Bergin University of Canine Studies' Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, CA.

According to its website, Paws for Purple Hearts "helps heal our returning combat veterans by teaching those with psychological scars, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), to train service dogs for their comrades with physical disabilities."

What a fabulous idea.