PODCAST NOTE:

This Podcast was recorded the day before the assault on our Capitol.  There is no mention of that or what all of us have gone through since that day. I hope this podcast on how animals can heal our souls is a comfort to you now.

Stay safe, Shauna

WHAT THIS EPISODES ABOUT…

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman,

Happy 2021! We made it!  We actually made it! 2020 Kicked off this podcast and all of the wonders that went along with it! I talked about it in the last episode of 2020, The Gift Of Time. I hope you had a chance to listen to it and realize the many gifts that you got in that last crazy year. If you haven’t listened to it yet, go for it! Because definitely, the pendulum is swinging!

And now I wish for you 2021, a year filled with so many wonders!  Today I am talking about one of my most favorite wonders!  Animals. Pets and their healing power in our lives. Many of you know that I am a mad crazy animal lover and rescuer. My social media feed is filled with lost dogs and forlorn cats needing homes. Or humans who are searching desperately for their lost animal or on the search for their forever new family member..four legs, tripod, scales, wings! I am really honored to say that I am the Area Coordinator for Southland Collie Rescue. Saving all the lassies in Southern California. So as you can imagine I have wanted to do this podcast all year.

We have all heard this one before, “I thought I rescued this dog, but it didn’t take long to realize that he was the one that rescued me!”

I have owned dogs and cats all of my life…or are they the ones who owned me?

I believe in reality neither is true.  We have come into each other’s lives to share the love of human to animal and animal to human.

Isn’t it funny this thing called owning an animal?  Sure, we are responsible for their upkeep, their health, food, medicine, keeping them safe with a comfy place to lay their head at night. But in all truth, their job is much harder. They make us feel loved with no judgment, they calm our hearts when they look in our eyes. They fill our homes with crazy antics, zoomies, upside-down cat sleeping, and hours of modeling for us that we can just take a nap if things get out of hand! They try to understand what we humans want from them when it truly is another language! And mostly, they make us feel worthwhile.

Animals don’t think about what we look like or our abilities, or our careers, or how big our yard is. All they care about is how you show them love.

I have so many rescue stories I could share of human saving animal and animal saving human. I have stories about my clients who have been in the midst of huge loss and the only way out of the sadness was with the love of an animal.  I have stories of clients stuck at home alone in covid times whose only companion is that of a cat or a dog. And I know many of you have your own stories of how you saved some amazing animal and how they, in turn, saved you. And that is what brought me to this podcast today!

OK, let’s start here with some medical facts of how animals heal us every day. Let’s share a little science!

I am pulling these facts from pets.webmd.com.

Let’s start with what they say about Mood boost-

It only takes a few minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim to feel calmer and less stressed. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that time that make a difference in your mood. The level of cortisol, a stress hormone, lowers. And serotonin, a feel-good chemical your body makes, rises.

Yup. I know that so often I can be in the midst of a chaotic day and all of a sudden I catch a glimpse of my cat, Gypsy all curled up fast asleep.  It’s like this magnet that makes me want to go over and kiss her. And all of a sudden the chaos slips away for a minute. Or I am stressed trying to get a podcast finished and my collie Treasure comes in and starts pawing me for attention. Or is it that she feels my stress and is trying to be there for me? At first, I feel irritated, after all, I am working!  Then all of a sudden I stop and look at her and realize she is not the reason I am irritated.  She is the reason for me to stop for a moment and reflect on what is important in my life. This is hysterical because that’s the goal of this podcast, self-reflection and self-awareness! Oh yes, sometimes it takes a pet to remind us of it all.

Here is another medical fact. Blood pressure.

Having a pet can help you manage your blood pressure. In one study of 240 married couples, pet owners had lower blood pressure and lower heart rates during rest than people who didn’t have a pet. Another study showed that when children with high blood pressure petted their dog, their numbers improved.  

Our first collie, Marley, was a rescue dog who ended up being a therapy assist dog. I’m going to share a few stories about him on this episode, but in regards to the medical facts about stress hormones and blood pressure, I thought this one was perfect.

One of the places we would go to do pet therapy was to the emergency rooms at the hospital. We were all licensed and cleared with tetanus shots and more to be able to be there. When we first started going I thought it would be to support the patients.  It didn’t take long for me to realize it was for the overworked, exhausted nurses and doctors. The minute we arrived they all would gather around us and start petting Marley. Being with this big furry collie was their moment to breathe, to smile, to take a moment for themselves to collect their wits to go back to the hard work they were doing. When we showed up in the ER it was like they were getting their own emergency help!

One of their survival tools is to shut off their fears and emotions to do the jobs they need to and fast. When Marley would show up it was a minute where they could allow their emotions to be felt.  Many a day I would be taken aside by a doctor with tears in their eyes and a big smile of thank you. I was like…. don’t thank me!  Thank Marley… this big furry Lassie come to life!

They say that another medical advantage of owning an animal, specifically a dog, or horse, or one that gets you out to exercise is that they can Lower Cholesterol.

pets.webmd.com

People who have pets tend to have better levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, compared to people who don’t. The reason for that isn’t clear.

OK, I don’t think it has ever stopped me from having all the carbs I love to eat.  But having two collies has sure forced me out on some amazing walks.  And talk about it changing my stress levels! Walking in forests, or beaches, or a park, or even down the street has been my life saver during these covid times! Not to mention how many calories I burn off getting up and down to let in and out my barking dogs!

I can go on and on about the medical perks of owning a pet. They Help Your Heart. web.md

People with cats and dogs may have some heart benefits.  In a 20-year study, people who never owned a cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack than those who had. Another study found that dog owners had a better survival rate one year after a heart attack.

Maybe it’s tied into exercise or lower stress from sharing a life with a pet. But I believe it’s because our hearts are fuller with the love of animals. This is true for strokes, too.  There is proof that cat owners have fewer strokes than those who have not owned a cat. For some reason, cats have a calming effect that makes a difference.

But let’s get to the best parts of having pets in our lives.  They heal our souls. They give us unconditional love. They look into our eyes like we are their heroes when we are having rotten days!

I love this quote by the American Author, John Grogan “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”

When I think of how many friends I have met in my life because of my animals or are still in my life because of them… it’s crazy.

One of the things that I have learned in rescue is the power of healing and resilience that animals have. I have witnessed some of the most heartbreaking rescue stories and have seen how with love… an animal can heal.  I have two stories to share.  The first is about Sophie. Sophie came to Mutt Scouts, a rescue I worked with, after living on the streets of Mexico.  She was part bulldog and part pit we think. When she was found she was sleeping in a pile of garbage.  Her body had been horribly abused as a bait dog and breeder dog.  People would take her off the street and breed her, take her pups then throw her back. Her teeth had been filed down so she couldn’t fight back. Her life was so sad that even Dodo did a story about her rescue when Mutt Scouts saved her. But on my life, she was one of the sweetest dogs I had ever had the joy to help find her forever home. Oh, she was definitely a work in progress.  She was defensive of other dogs from being on the street or in a fighting ring. But she loved humans.  I mean how does that happen when it was humans that did this to her? I believe there is an innate quality in animals to trust.  And with work almost any animal can get it back again. It may take time. but it happens.  Sophie ended up being adopted by the most loving huge family!  They spent thousands of dollars fixing her teeth and healing her soul. She is loved and in turn showers this huge family with so much love back.

I believe that we humans have this innate ability to trust too. Just like so many animals, many of us have been hurt.  When I work with my clients I help them to realize that with love and safety they will learn to trust again. It is so much of the work that I do.  And often the thing that helps a human gain trust again is having an animal in their life that shows them it is ok. Often this is the tool I assign to help them get past the sadness.  Get something to love that shows you how lovable YOU are.

Let me repeat that….Get something to love that shows you how lovable YOU are.

Here is my favorite story about trust. It’s about our first collie Marley.

When we got Marley from Southland Collie Rescue he had been neglected and abused. When his owner moved he left him locked in the backyard alone.  Somehow he got out and wandered the streets for months.  He was finally saved when he walked into a shopkeeper’s store.  He was dreadlocked and filthy.  But by the length of his nose, she knew he was a collie. So Southland Collie Rescue was called. When we got Marley he was afraid of any loud noise, or a big stick. A baseball bat terrified him.  And he refused to go into our back yard for fear he would be locked outside again. But every human he met he loved.  We would go to the park and he would stand there and let ten kids pet him at once.  So after lots of love, so much help from neighbors and friends to not be afraid of sticks, or rakes or sounds and with kindness and consistency, he flourished.  Then one day we knew his path.  He was to be a therapy dog. There is nothing like the soul of a collie for therapy work. Their herding breed instincts are to protect the little lambs of the world and that’s what they do with their humans. The show Lassie was not far off from the truth.

One day we went to a hidden home for abused women, mothers, and their children. I would always bring a short leash for the kids to walk Marly, while I actually had him attached to a longer one as I followed behind. There was the sweetest little 3-year-old boy who we met that had been terribly abused by his dad. His mom asked if he could walk Marley.  Of course, I said!

So we started on a nice gentle walk around the house.  After about 10 minutes the little boy stopped, kneeled down, kissed Marley on the head, and said: “I love you, Marley”.  All of a sudden the mom grabbed him and started crying! The other women in the place came running over. I had no idea what was going on. Then they told me. Abuse had scared this little boy into silence. He hadn’t spoken a word in the 4 months they had been there. The first words he spoke were, “I Love You Marley.” Well then I started crying and smiled the biggest proudest smile at Marley ever. They kept thanking me!  Again, I said, don’t thank me. Thank Marley.  You see the soul of an abused now healed dog just started healing the soul of an abused little boy.

Ok, I admit that every time I tell that story I cry all over again.

There is a book by Jennifer Skiff called The Divinity of Dogs: True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man’s Best Friend. In it, she writes this.

“Dogs, for a reason that can only be described as divine, have the ability to forgive, let go of the past, and live each day joyously. It’s something the rest of us strive for.”

The resilience of animals can teach us so much about life and forgiveness and hope. And truly about love. They can drag us out of depression by bringing us that damn ball over and over again until we finally just laugh and give in! They curl up with us when we are lonely and make us not feel so lonely any more.  They make us feel wanted and deserving and adored even when we can’t find that for ourselves. And when they are sick and we feel so helpless… they teach us what is really important in life!  We pray to a God we may have forgotten about for a while. A sip of water or a spoon of food that they eat makes us filled with hope and joy!  And when we lose them to the animal heavens or rainbow bridge, or wherever else we believe they have gone… they teach us one last lesson. That love is so much deeper than possessions and titles and money and things. And the love of an animal is one of the purest kinds of love you can have. And we give thanks for the precious time we shared.

Emmy Lou Harris said this: “Animals have a much better attitude to life and death than we do. They know when their time has come. We are the ones that suffer when they pass, but it’s a healing kind of grief that enables us to deal with other griefs that are not so easy to grab hold of.” Thank you, Emmylou Harris.

And that’s why with time and with our own resilience and in memory of our beloved pet we choose to do it all over again!

Aaah the healing power of animals!

For many of my listeners, your life is not conducive to having pets right now.  But if you still crave an animal hit then volunteer with a rescue. Whether it’s a dog, cat, horse, wildlife, bird sanctuary or any animal that steals your heart, try to volunteer. And you don’t have to go and be with them.  So many rescues need people who are internet savvy and can network dogs or accountants to oversee their spending… or or or! There are so many animals that need the help of loving humans.  And you may find that there are so many humans that need the help of that one very special loving animal. And most importantly you may find that by giving back to animals it fills a piece of your soul that you didn’t even know was missing.

If you need some extra animal-loving hits grab a book like Cat Tails or More Cat Tails by my rescue friend Jeffyne telson, founder of Resqcats in Santa Barbara. Or one of my favorites. The Art Of Racing In The Sun by Garth Stein. Then there are classics like Black Beauty and my all-time favorite collie stories ever written by Albert Payson Terhune, Author of Lad A Dog and so many more. All of his books were the inspiration for my undying love of collies.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Charles Yu, “If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.”

Happy New Year, everyone!!!  Remember to be good to yourself. Drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods, get lots of sleep, and surround yourself with loving beings. And remember, just remember that those loving beings may have 4 legs and a tail.

Thank you for letting me into your lives this week and I look forward to popping back in again…next week!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes

• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…  
January 16, 2021