KSCO Pet Radio David Coursey and Laura Pakis

Cindie Ambar

PODCAST (15:38) -- I think both Laura and I both expected upfront that this segment with Cindie Ambar of Heartsong Animal Healing here in Santa Cruz County would be a bit "out there" in a cosmic, New Age Journal (remember that?) sort of way.

Yes, what Cindie provides involves communication with animals and therapeutic modalities we may not fully understand. Yet, if you feel a deep connection with animals, none of it seems too far-fetched.

Cindie is a Reiki Master, and an expert in Animal Reiki and animal communication. Reiki is an Asian healing technique that is so "out there" that well-respected Johns Hopkins Medicine has a page about it on its website and will make appointments for its patients.

What is Reiki?

Here's what the Johns Hopkins site says:

"Reiki is a very specific form of energy healing, in which hands are placed just off the body or lightly touching the body, as in "laying on of hands." Reiki can also be done "long-distance," as a form of prayer.

"According to many versions of its origin, Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese seeker of spiritual truths, brought the Reiki method of healing into human awareness in 1922 after a deep spiritual experience. He is said to have begun teaching others after a serious earthquake hit Japan, and he felt urged to spread his knowledge."In a Reiki session, the practitioner is seeking to transmit Universal Life Energy to the client. The intention is to create deep relaxation, to help speed healing, reduce pain, and decrease other symptoms you may be experiencing."

I've had Reiki a few times about 30 years ago, and it was a positive experience. Many people -- including myself -- accept the spiritual concept of laying on of hands as potentially healing. Prayer has helped, so far, beat my cancer, though I don't claim to know precisely how it works.

If you are a "believer" in animal communication, holistic, natural, and spiritual health, then Cindie may well fit into what you seek.

She is knowledgeable, well-trained, and sincere about that she does, both for animals and people. I cannot prove she gets results, but I believe she does. She is also very clear that she is not a veterinarian or a substitute for one. 

Using Animal Reiki and Animal Communication Together

"When I learned energy work could be performed with animals,  I was ecstatic," Cindie says. "When I first became trained, my dream was to return to the shelter and work with the dogs and cats.  I learned that the shelter was not yet ready for energy work, and a friend suggested I volunteer at Pregnant Mare Rescue in Watsonville, California, just a few miles away from my home.  My intention was to volunteer until opportunities at the shelter opened up.

"On my first visit, I experienced an opening of my heart so profound that it brought tears to my eyes, then overwhelming joy.  The following day it was all I could do to force myself to go into work.  The energy was so powerful, I felt like a very strong magnet was pulling me back to the rescue.  I saw images of a horse named Dually all day long and felt him wanting to connect with me."

​At the end of the half-hour we spent on the radio with Cindie, Laura and I both felt she made sense, and we took her and the Animal Reiki services she offers seriously. I cannot directly endorse her work, but I like Cindie, and my feeling is she does good things for her patients. 

Listen to this podcast, visit her website, and tell me what you think?

Reiki and Animal Communication with Cindie Ambar will be the topic of a future KSCO Pet Radio program. Have any comments? Please feel free to post them. We love hearing from you.

PODCAST (2:31) -- Red&Howling, in a video cartoon, says it best: FIREWORKS ARE LIKE THE APOCALYPSE TO ANIMALS!

It's true. The 4th of July is the largest single occasion when pets go missing each year. Frightened by loud noises and strange, sudden bright lights, dogs escape and can quickly end up dead. 

On our 6/28/20 KSCO Pet Radio program, Colleen Combs of Green Dog Rescue in Windsor (Sonoma County) joined Laura Pakis, Josh Stephens, and myself to talk about July 4th pet safety. 

Colleen brought up an idea I'd never considered. And it's one that should make us all as more conscious of how we react and not just of our pets' reaction. The two-and-a-half-minute podcast deals with just this aspect of our conversation.



Pets fireworks fear can be magnified by their humans' reaction to the fireworks. Thus, our over-the-top concern for frightened dogs and cats can actually frighten them even more on top of the explosives themselves.



When fireworks go off, and especially when and after pets react to them, some people also "go off," sometimes screaming and cussing about the fireworks and the POS neighbors who set them off year-after-year. And complaining about the real stable geniuses who fire off illegally large fireworks that generate explosions "boomy" enough to trigger car alarms.

Animals react to their owners' emotional states and you getting all upset about these events can directly transfer to the animals. Dogs are especially prone to this.

You don't mean to, but your reaction to fireworks can validate your pet's decision to run fast and try to hide. 

A Better Reaction to Pets Fireworks Fear

Your better reaction? Speak to your animals in a normal soothing voice and snuggle with them in a calming manner. Avoid the baby-talk voice and speak matter-of-factly in a way the animal will find comforting.

Not everyone has these problems, but this fear can prove deadly to an infirm senior, such as an old chihuahua that literally died in her owner's arms in 2018.

Be Ready to Help

There is something else you can do about pets fireworks fear, and that's be available as an overnight foster when lost, friendly dogs start turning up. Local rescues and lost-and-found Facebook groups often find dogs that need short-term housing until they can be reunited with their owners.







Fireworks Fear in Pets - Veterinary Partner - VINJun 20, 2017 ... Dogs and cats react to fireworks as individuals. Some aren't upset by the

explosions, and others get hurt by panicking and jumping through ...







How to keep your pets safe during Fourth of July fireworksJul 4, 2019 ... Dogs, cats and fireworks often don't mix. These are the steps you can take to

minimize the fear and risk to your pets on the 4th of July.







Fireworks Fear: Noise Aversion in Pets - Ervets4PetsMay 31, 2020 ... Does your dog cower in fear under your bed when you run the vacuum, or cling

to you if a car backfires? Pets who suffer from noise aversion ...







a id="b_4" class="sq_news" href="https://ervets4pets.com/fireworks-fear-noise-aversion-in-pets/" title="Fireworks Fear: Nois...

Bonnie Harlan







This is a 12-minute podcast taken from the 7/15/2018 program. Here is some information from the preventpetsuffocation.com website:

Chip bags and other food packaging pose serious risks to our dogs and cats. Too many animals, especially dogs, have died from suffocating in chip bags, cereal boxes, snack bags, treat bag liners, and cat/dog food bags.

Many of these bags are made from a strong mylar-like material (like a balloon) which helps keep snacks fresher. When a curious dog puts his head into the bag looking for leftover crumbs, the bag creates a vacuum-like seal around the dog’s neck. 

As he tries to breathe, the bag tightens around his neck, cutting off the oxygen.  When a dog cannot remove the bag from his head, he will usually start to panic, desperately running around until he collapses and dies from asphyxiation, often losing his bowels, as well. This happens within minutes.

What You Can Do to Stop Pet Suffocation

We can reduce the number of accidental deaths by educating the public about the dangers of these types of bags.  Most people do not know that these mylar bags are a hazard to their animals, and they often do not find out until it happens to their beloved companion.

Many an owner has arrived home or walked into another room of the house and found their dog lying motionless with a chip bag or other type of bag on his head.  The more people are aware of this risk, the more owners can do to ensure their pet is safe. Awareness is our best defense against pet suffocation!

Please read on the “Information” page what you can do to prevent this from happening to your beloved companion.

















Prevent Pet Suffocation – Know the risks of pet suffocation.HELP PREVENT PET SUFFOCATION! Chip bags and other food packaging pose

serious suffocation risks to our pets. Too many pets, especially dogs, have ...







Prevent Pet Suffocation - Home | FacebookPrevent Pet Suffocation. 22K likes. A registered 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to

preventing pet suffocation by educating the public on the suffocation...







Petition · Frito Lay: Add pet suffocation warning labels to your chip ...Blue, my beautiful rescue dog, suffocated in a Frito Lay Cheetos chip bag. After

dragging an empty Cheetos bag out of the trash and putting his head in to lick up

 ...







Snack bags pose suffocation risk to pets | American Veterinary ...Apr 25, 2018 ... The dog or cat puts its head inside a bag of chips or another snack, and the bag

tightens when the pet inhales. The pet can suffocate to death in ...

Anticoagulant rodenticides, specifically, brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum, diphacinone and chlorophacinone, pose a serious threat to wildlife and ecosystems.

Our campaign aims to stop the sale and use of products containing any of these six poisons.

We are currently petitioning state and federal agencies to suspend their use.

Please join us.



Source: Rodenticide Campaign – Wildlife Emergency Services

Rebecca Dmytryk was on the 6/28/20 KSCO Pet Radio program and spent five minutes talking about this issue, which I have attached as a podcast.





RodenticidesRodenticides can harm wildlife. Throughout California, the use of poison baits to

control rodents has injured and killed hundreds or thousands of wild animals ...







Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have Safer Alternatives | AudubonA second generation of ultra-potent rodenticides creates a first-class crisis for

people, ... But even a little second-generation rodenticide kills nontarget wildlife.







Rodenticide Toxicity | Cornell Wildlife Health LabRodenticides are toxic to many species of birds and mammals including pets,

farm animals, and wildlife species. The time between exposure and development

 ...

UPDATED PODCAST (16:39) -- I'd like for everyone to meet Lisa Brown, a rescuer whose senior chihuahua literally died from stress caused by 4th of July fireworks. I want everyone to hear the story of how this old female Chi died from her heart condition because of having to listen to the loud explosions on the evening of July 4, 2018.

I want you to be able to tell people that you heard Abby's owner describe this poor animal's horrible, frightening death. Maybe if we tell people that we know the person and dog this happened to, we can convince people to take the needs of animals seriously.

Lisa Brown announces that her Chihuahua Abby died from fireworks-caused anxiety





How to Keep Your Dog Calm During Fourth of July FireworksJul 1, 2019 ... “First of all, don't take your dogs to fireworks shows,” says Morgan. “And don't

leave them outside during fireworks.” Keeping your dog inside in ...







Why are Dogs Scared of Fireworks? | PurinaMost fireworks make some kind of loud sound. Dogs have a more acute sense of

hearing than humans, so those loud booms, crackles and whistles are alarming ...







Helping Dogs Cope with Loud Fireworks | Hill's PetJun 20, 2019 ... Does your dog struggle with the loud noises from fireworks? Read information

about canine noise anxiety, and get tips on how to help them ...







How to Prepare Your Dog for Fireworks - YouTubeJul 3, 2019 ... Fireworks are supposed to mean celebration, but for many animals and pet

owners, it can mean stress and anxiety. It's time to put an end to that ...







Why Are Dogs Afraid Of Fireworks? 6 Ways To Comfort Your Dog ...Jul 4, 2019 ... A 2013 study by the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences found

fireworks were the most common trigger for fearful behavior in ...







Survey Shows Which Treatments Are Effective for Fireworks Fears in DogsAd-hoc counter-conditioning and relaxation training work, say owners, but many other treatments

PODCAST (11:05) -- Tomorrow, June 26, 2020, is the Friday after Father's Day and marks the annual observance of "Take Your Dog to Work Day."

On last Sunday's KSCO Pet Radio, vet tech and blogger Christy Caplan offered her best taking your dog to work ideas.

Not to be outdone, my co-host, Laura Pakis, who in decades as a trainer has never taken a dog to the office, had ideas of her own. Our professional canine walker, Josh Stevens, added his thoughts about what happens when work is located at someone's home.

The podcast is a mere 11-minutes long and the ideas are good anytime you want or need to take your animal to the office, regardless of the occasion. Some of the preparations might best be made well in advance. (Take your cat to work day was Monday and is the topic for a future and even shorter podcast episode).

Here Are Some Our Best Dog to Work Ideas



* First, make sure your office is safe for your best friend. Trash cans that can be tipped? Electrical cords to chew? Garments to destroy? There are so many potential hazards that the safety check is the first and most important idea to implement.

* Harnesses are better than leads -- this idea isn't in the podcast but how you restrain the animal, especially in and out of your vehicle, is also a safety concern.

* Is your canine cool with strange humans? Including coworkers and your boss? Or does he take a while to warm up?

* Will a crate or pen solve canine management issues?

* How about being friendly to the other animals she'll meet at the office?

* Don't forget snacks and treats for both of you.

* A portable water bowl ought to be in your doggy car kit already.

* Where will he poop? What about accidents? Bring poop bags and cleaning supplies for the inevitable accidents. How do you get the canine to poop central? How long will that take?

* Will there be any kids around then office?

* Never leave the animal alone, and convince someone to help if/when you must leave it alone "for a few minutes." 

* Bring a favorite dog bed so your friend has a familiar-smelling spot to sack out.

* Talk to coworkers who have done this before and see what dog to work ideas that they recommend.

* Know where the nearest emergency-capable vet is located, just in case.

* Thought about limiting this to a half-day, at least the first time? That may be our best idea for taking your canine to work ideas of all.



Those are some ideas that we hope will make any time the animal goes to the office a happy experience for everyone involved.

If you find these canines to work ideas useful, please share on social media and feel free to leave a comment here.







'Take Your Dog to Work Day': Ideas to celebrate and keep your dog ..."Take Your Dog to Work Day" was started in 1999 to promote pet adoptions. By.

ABC News. June 22, 2018, 1:01 AM. 9 min read. 9 min read. Share to Facebook







How to celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day | Kelly ServicesJun 21, 2019 ... Friday, June 21st is Take Your Dog to Work Day. ... For more ideas and

inspiration, download this Take Your Dog to Work Day toolkit. Source:.







Please share this post with your friends. And if you have any great dog to work ideas, please leave them as a comment. We love to hear from you!