Animals as Healers

Last November while leaving our small local grocery store I saw a neighbor securing her dog's leash to a post just outside of the store entrance.

I was new to the area and hadn't as yet met Ruth and didn't really know much about her.

I noticed that the dog with her had a bandaged paw and was limping badly, supporting his weight as he walked by using the top of his wrist.

His paw, which he held tucked under, had a drain coming out of it. I introduced myself to Ruth and asked what had happened to the dog. She said that Wizard had had surgery to remove a long, sharp object that had gotten deeply lodged in his paw. I told her that I was a Reiki Practitioner, and explained a little to her about Reiki. I then asked if she would like me to have a session with the dog sometime. We agreed that I would work with him on Saturday.

After arriving at Ruth's house I talked quietly to Wizard and gave him time to adjust to me before starting our session. He limped around restlessly for quite some time but finally settled down so we were able to begin. His veterinarian had said that Wizard's wound wasn't healing because he wouldn't leave it alone. He had torn off the sock Ruth had put on and had ripped out some stitches. I sandwiched Wizard's hurt paw in my hands but without touching it since animals are usually nervous about having their paws touched even under normal circumstances. I talked softly to him as I worked and he eventually relaxed and closed his eyes and seemed to be enjoying his session.

As I continued to treat him I remembered something that my spiritual guide had told me about another dog that I had treated recently. The other dog, Barney, had a growth under his front leg that didn't seem to be responding to the treatments even after three weekly sessions. The dog's veterinarian wanted to operate eventually to remove the growth, but since Barney was 16 years old the owner, Jeff, was afraid that the trauma of surgery might be too much for the dog. At present the growth was benign and not bothersome.

In a (verbal and taped) channeling session I asked my guide, St. Patrick, what else I could do to help the dog. He explained that pets are an extension of their owner's energy field, and sometimes take on health challenges in order to give their human a message. Some pets, cats and dogs particularly, actually are very high souls who have come onto this plane to be of service, to wake up their humans and give them messages. In Barney's case he was waving a big flag saying DANGER in order to show Jeff, that he (Jeff) was "growing his anger" and needed to look at what effect anger was having on his life. In his case he was being painfully strangled by it. St. Patrick said that in order to help heal the dog, I would need to help Jeff with his healing. I gave him that message and did eventually work with him.

I thought of this as I worked with Wizard. Might he be trying to send Ruth a message and if so what was it. I then asked Ruth what was going on in her own life. I was shocked and saddened to hear that she had lost a loved one that past week. Her daughter had died of cancer just a week ago and the burial had been on Thursday. I told her how very sorry I was as she wept for a few minutes and then went on to share more about her daughter.

I wasn't sure that she'd be open yet to the information but I decided to tell her Barney's story and wondered now aloud if Wizard might, by taking on his injury, be trying to show her that she too is deeply wounded and in need of healing. I explained that Reiki can also be helpful for emotional healing and asked if she would be willing to have a session. She was hesitant, but did allow me to work with her and later shared her feelings. She needed more support in expressing her grief so I encouraged her to see a counselor. She was reluctant though, she said, because she had done that before but had had negative experiences.

As I left their house I quietly thanked Wizard for the wonderful gift he was providing; his willingness to take on his wound in order to mirror his human's woundedness.

I saw them a week later. Unfortunately, Wizard had gotten the sock off and had ripped his stitches out again. He seemed determined not to allow the healing. Ruth agreed to have another session herself and I hoped that she would be helped to release some of her grief and guilt. We talked about ways for her to express her feelings. I encouraged her again to think about seeing a counselor. As I worked with her, Wizard supervised and seemed happy, wagging his tail then nuzzling me a few times before lying down. His tail thumped happily up and down on the floor as I continued working with Ruth.

This time his session went smoothly. I had gotten his message that I was there primarily to care for his human. I was distressed when I got a good look at his wound though. It was weeping and raw. The skin looked so torn up that I wondered if it could ever heal properly. I cupped my hands around Wizard's paw to keep him from continually licking it. He finally relaxed and lay still, his head resting on top of my hands as I worked. He peeked up at me shyly from time to time. As I looked down at this beautiful gentle animal I marveled at the thought that some pets are high souls, that behind those soft brown eyes there was a wise heart quietly radiating love and compassion.

In a channeling session I asked St. Patrick:

Am I correct in assuming that Wizard is trying to show Ruth that she is deeply wounded?

Yes, accept and honor that. The challenge for you is that her acceptance of the information is on her time schedule. It may be that the seed gets planted today but the soonest she can have it take root is ten years from now.

Meanwhile Wizard keeps ripping out his stitches.

That's his choice, and that's okay too. Animals are not poor suckers that got trapped in a body, became extensions of people and are stuck with these miserable lives. They are very wise souls that choose. They can leave any time they want. They can just drop their body at will and can suddenly get hit by a car or have some death that just seems to come out of nowhere. Those aren't accidents. The animal chooses. It's done, and with no regret. It's their time, so they go.

I called Ruth after Christmas to see how they were doing. It had been the family's first Christmas without Sharon. That empty chair always seems so much more prominent at holiday time. Ruth said that their Christmas had been sad and a bit stressful, but worked out well nevertheless.

Both of us had been busy with work and holiday plans and didn't see each other again until several weeks later when we met at the grocery store. I was happy to hear Ruth say "Oh, I've meaning to call and tell you, Wizard's paw is completely healed." She told me later that she had found a counselor that she was pleased with and planned to continue to work with her.

I felt blessed to have been a step on their path toward healing.

Names were changed to ensure client privacy.

© 2002 Mary MacLaren

By Mary MacLaren