The Human-Animal Connection - Pet Life Radio Original

Discover the enchanting world of donkeys with Ellie Laks, the co-founder of The Gentle Barn, as she unveils the hidden depths of these gentle creatures. Often misunderstood, donkeys are not only kind and empathic but also surprisingly playful and soulful members of the zebra family. Ellie shares heartwarming tales of the therapy donkeys at The Gentle Barn, revealing how they effortlessly connect w...

For thousands of years, donkeys have walked beside us—carrying our burdens, plowing our fields, and offering quiet companionship in times of peace, war, and hardship. These remarkable beings are far more than beasts of burden; they are deeply intelligent, profoundly social, and, perhaps most importantly, natural healers. Their gentle, steady presence is exactly what the world needs right now. In t...

What makes life in a zoo better for animals? Being able to make their own choices and bonding with individuals who care for them. In this episode we meet a warm and joyous zookeeper whose job it was among other things, to prepare crocodiles for their regular medical exams. Crocodiles, who can learn their own names, and will come when called are not only the first species you think of when you talk...

Flying animals out of disaster areas, or from shelters that are overrun is the mission of Pilots to the Rescue. Pilot Michael Schneider tells heart-warming stories of helping animals get out of bad situations and get to better ones! Michael explains that every year close to a million homeless pets are euthanized in the US, primarily due to a lack of space in crowded shelters. With their non-profit...

Penelope Smith, Author of Animal Talk, Interspecies Telepathic Communication, has been lecturing and teaching Animal Communication all over the world for decades. In this episode she explains her deep feelings and understanding of Animal Consciousness. She more conscious than we are about love and life. This is a delightful conversation that will inspire you to open your own heart and mind to the...

Healing is in your hands when you learn the art of Tapping, which is like acupuncture without needles. This gentle and friendly technique, called EFT for Emotional Freedom Technique, is loved by most animals and you can learn how to do it yourself to increase the bond and to promote physical, mental and emotional healing. In this episode, Jondi Whitis explains how she uses tapping to bring calm, r...

Nobody wants to think about euthanasia. It is one thing if an animal is ill, suffering, and has reached the end of the possibilities of medical intervention. It is quite another thing to consider putting a physically healthy animal down who has mental illness and behavioral issues that are dangerous to themselves or others. This is a difficult subject to face, but thousands of people live lives of...

Animal Chaplains help people through all stages and phases of their animal’s life. Many times, when people are preparing for the transition, there are so many complex emotions, and you really want to talk to someone who understands the depths of the experience of pet loss. Animal Chaplains are non-denominational and accept people from all faiths, no faiths, and belief systems. Animal Chaplains can...

Kate Hawkes was raised in Australia with and by horses! Her father gave her some very wise advice when she was ten years old after a horse “threw her.” He said, “The horse didn’t throw you. You fell off. What were you doing – or not doing – that make the horse knock you off?” The wisdom of recognizing that horses are mirrors for our energy, our behavior, our deeper feelings has helped shape Kate’s...

With so many abandoned dogs in shelters, it is easy to lose hope. But for the dogs who do get adopted, lives are changed forever. Not just for the dogs -- but for the people who open their homes and hearts. Katherine Carver is the author and photojournalist of the beautiful book: Abandoned: Chronicling the Journeys of Once Forsaken Dogs which has been endorsed by Jane Goodall. It shows heartfelt p...

Spot is a rabbit. But not just your “everyday rabbit.” He is a philosopher who has narrated a book on human-life to his person, Animal Communicator Paloma Baertschi. The book is called “You Set Your Own Limits” and offers much practical wisdom to those of us living in human bodies. This book tells the remarkable story of how Spot insisted that his person needed to learn more before he would speak...

When was the last time you had a serious conversation with a Turkey? For Ellie Laks, co-creator of the Gentle Barn, this is a regular occurrence. At her rescue barn, the female turkeys love to cuddle with kids and adults. Looking the person in the eye, they spread their wings, exposing their hearts, and meet people at such a pure and profound level that it often brings tears to their eyes – the hu...

If you’ve never been hugged by a cow, you haven’t been fully loved. Ellie Laks, the cofounder of The Gentle Barn rescues farm animals and cows and some of them become therapy cows. Cows are matriarchal, and their priority in life is their family. This might explain some of their compassionate, calm, empathetic, gentle nature. The cows at her barn love to love. And people are transformed by thousan...

Debbie McGillivray has been a professional animal communicator for over 25 years. She is the author of three books and has worked with clients across the globe, and with wild animals in sanctuaries. She has learned about the deep wisdom and love that animals who share our lives have for us. Hear about horses who are capable of great forgiveness, animals who have come to both learn and teach us les...

If you are ever faced with an emergency, are you certain you could call your dog’s name and he or she will instantly return to your side? That is an essential and trainable skill – that can save lives. Lisa Waggoner is an all-positive dog trainer who created a method called Rocket Recall where a dog instantly and happily rushes back to you the moment they hear that cue. She explains why this train...

Billie Groom has been a canine behavioral consultant and “dogologist” for over 30 years. Looking beyond training methodology, she gets to the core of behavior through understanding canine emotions. Working with her methods of changing how dogs perceive reality, and changing their decisions about how they react to common stressors, she has been able to help thousands of rescue dogs in many countrie...

Sometimes mysterious behavior is the result of Soul Loss in an animal. A part of their soul has been separated from them, perhaps due to trauma, complex grief, or extreme reaction to the loss of a human or animal companion. Judy Ramsey is a Shamanic Teacher and Practitioner and professional animal communicator. She helps people and their animals with a Shamanic Journey to help animals who have los...

After being a nurse for thirty years, Karen Thomas followed her childhood dream of creating a sanctuary for dogs with terminal illness. Her goal was to create “the best last days of their lives.” And, since she was an energy healer, and animal communicator, she was able to ask the dog, “What do you want to do today?” Their answers always surprised her and will inspire you. One dog asked for a ride...

We all have the ability to give healing touch to our animals. Dr. Edward Bassingwaighte, an Australian veterinarian who is both trained in traditional medicine and holistic veterinary medicine explains his method of Whole Energy Body Balance, which he teaches in person and online. His unique perspectives on “Animal’s Invisible Pain” shed light on many mysterious health issues and even behavioral i...

Once in a lifetime, we experience love with an animal unlike any other kind of love. Michelle Slater tells the true story of her soulmate dog, Brady, and how profound their connection was at every level. Anyone who met them could feel it and would say, “He’s your soulmate.” When Brady faced a life-threatening illness leading to kidney failure, Michelle worked with an animal communicator, to guide...

There is nothing more adorable than kittens playing and cuddling. Have you ever thought about fostering kittens from the shelter? You can help give them love, comfort and security to make them ready for adoption. Shelters are overrun with kittens, and fostering kittens is the only way they will survive. Listen to Kathleen Roscher, a seasoned Kitten Fosterer to learn what you need to do to understa...

Using the power of the sound of the human heartbeat combined with lullabies has a remarkable effect on dogs! Terry Woodford, a hit record producer, who worked with the Supremes and all the top bands, created lullabies with human heartbeats. These recordings were tested in neonatal baby cardiac units, and the music restored normal heartbeat in fifteen seconds. Parents with premature babies discover...

When we have dogs inside our homes, we give them so much love and care. But we also take something important away from them – the feeling of autonomy, the ability to make decisions that impact their life. We control what they eat, what they do and when they do it. This has a price in their quality of life and can lead to boredom and behaviors we don’t appreciate. Bryndan Golya, CDBC, is a certifie...

Energy Healing can reach places that haven’t responded to traditional medical methods. Carol Komitor is the creator of Healing Touch for Animals, a systematic method to reverse illness and trauma. Since 1996 she and her team have worked with over 15,000 people and their pets. This method is safe, gentle and works with the body’s natural healing wisdom. Carol reveals how working with trauma means r...

Is commercial dog food making your dog sick? Find out why and what you can do about it! Michele Broderick, the daughter of famous veterinarian Dr. R. Geoffrey Broderick, explains how her father began in intense study into why animals were not healing – and fifty years ago began researching the value of organic foods and essential nutrients. His company Cornucopia Pet Foods makes 100% organic dog f...