Susan has been volunteering her services as an Animal Reiki Practitioner to lessen the fear, stress, anxieties of temporary residents staying at the shelter.

On Behalf of the Animals

Part One Mindfulness

Take a moment of time and follow what I describe to you by shutting off the over-thinking and reasoning of your human brain. For example you are now a 3 year old black Lab cross zig zagging through noisy traffic of a city, sirens blaring, hydro-poles buzzing with energy running through the wires. Human made Kaos !

Suddenly, a human ( OSPCA OFFICER) with assertive posture capturing you and placing you in a metal crate with unfamiliar scents. Unknown to you this human is protecting you from harm. Now crated in the back of a vehicle like what you had been running away from in a panic. You are panting as fear sets in realizing the unknown and unpredictable moments ahead.

Your adrenaline heightens. Fear and flight response triggered; heart pounding. You hear the vehicle's engine ignite then feel this entire metal contraption move. Your nose tilted upward sniffing the air mixed with vehicle exhaust. You begin to spin in panicked circles in this metal crate; the fear and anxiety has mounted.

The metal contraption stops and shut down. Then the human guides you into a concrete and chain-link kennel structure (OSPCA, Animal Shelter) unlike you are familiar with. The concrete is cool if it is summer, damp and frigid on the feet in the winter months in this human structure. You sniff at the intermittent heat blowing downward into the kenneled wing. A cushy pet bed with a few toy offerings laying on top and bowls of fresh clean tap water and kibble all with unfamiliar smells. A dogs nose is very sensitive.

You hear other members like yourself on each side of you . Pressing your nose straining against the chain-link to smell them to understand who and what they are. You join in on the barking protests. A neighboring incarcerate paws repeatedly at the chain link door causing it to bang and rattle loudly.

A human enters the noisy wing. The barking amps up another level filled with heightened anxieties. One incarcerate quietens and wags wildly communicating I want to be friends and to be accepted while another incarcerate growls, his pupils dilate to full blackness with heckles up and the other barks non-stop barely taking breathes between.

Can you imagine and feel what this experience must be like for an animal?

How about a scenario where you were jogging through a beautiful park Aliens materialize suddenly surround you, stopping you dead in your tracks. The Aliens not seeming to understand your verbal pleas for freedom then instantly beam you up into their space ship where you are held captive in an foreign futuristic cell. With fear and flight response in auto-pilot, are you fearing the unknown and unpredictable?

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* Our gratitude of the loving care and dedication of protection of animals by the shelter staff and OSPCA Officers acting as guardians of these wonderful animals. Also, Thank you to volunteers, those who donate helpful means to support the care of these wonderful living beings we share the earth with.

Mindfullness

Part 2

As I walk into the noisy impound wing of barking protests and one consistently taking a muscular paw pulling on the chain-link kennel door causing it to bang loudly and rattle. This reminded me of a scene of incarcerated men in prison taking a tin cup back and forth against the bars of their cell. Maybe a scene from an Alcatraz movie.

I bring with me a chair and situate it in the aisle along front of kennels placing it so that I sit sideways preventing an imposing aggressive face to face position. I then sit. Turning on my MP3 player insert earbuds in my ears listening to specific meditative music as to help block out the nose in the kennel. I then take breathes and exhale, begin to relax, meditate, set my intention, expand my energy to fill the entire wing with eternal healing light. Being a trained and practicing Reiki Master I am a conduit of healing light energy offering this source to the animals. Animals are very sensitive and very familiar with energies and frequencies around them. And generally very accepting to Reiki.

I set my intention of offering a protective, calm, peaceful loving space inviting the animals to come into this wonderful safe space at their own willingness letting them know they can choose to leave at any time as they wish.

"Here" they have the freedom to come and go from this space. Telepathically I tell them they are loved, they are safe, and have a beautiful light energy and heart. This is where we meet heart to heart!

Such a beautiful moment, a profound moment.

Meanwhile, the loving dog wanting so desperately to be loved and accepted continues his pleading by excessive wagging of his tail and rear while whining with intermittent barks, the aggressive dog quieter than the others quits pawing and clanging the chain-link door and places himself out of sight in his kennel, and the third dog still barking his protests while pacing in his space.

I now hold an energetic healing calm harmonious space; I can tell now, the pleading softens, I hear less barking, pacing, desperate panting lessening. Lapping of water can be heard. I smile. I feel them drawing Reiki energy, then stop then begin to draw again. My hands and fingers tingle and throb as well as my whole body heats up. These are few subtle symptoms of Reiki. The panting now transition into to yawns, burps. Once standing and pacing anxiety ridden dogs now sitting or laying. The excessive barker now calm picking up a stuffed toy and tossing it playfully. All signs of the influence of Reiki healing energy. The dogs now share in a moment of just "being" in a protective, calm, peaceful loving light space absorbing healing energy. The aggressive dog sits quietly; I suspect he too enjoying the pleasantness of this energetic healing space.

The kennel now has quietened from all of its' earlier loud commotion transformed into soothing calmness.

A session offering energy healing gives these loving beings a calm, peaceful and harmonious space of comfort and may help build trust again in human's society; be it with the caring staff, being re-homed or reunited with their loving human after a harrowing experience.

Written by Susan Dalmer

A registered Animal Reiki Practitioner and member of the Canadian Reiki Association

Animal Reiki Alliance USA

DOGZ & KATZ COIFFURE

Holistic Pet Grooming and

CORNWALL ANIMAL REIKI CENTER

On Behalf of the Animals

Part One Mindfulness

Mindfullness

Part 2