How My Dogs Helped Me Make New Friends

I was recently invited to Las Vegas with my Animal Communication Collective colleagues to represent our work as Soul Level Animal Communicators® and fundraisers to some really cool people attending SuperZoo. This work and collaboration of hosting events to raise money for animal welfare organizations has introduced me to amazing people devoting their lives to the well-being of animals, like Karen Dendy Smith, Jody Crotty, Meredith Tollison as well as Jae and Adrienne from The Two Crazy Cat Ladies (who also have a West Michigan and Knoxville, TN tie! Synchronicity!)

Front L-R: Adrienne Lefebvre (2CCL), Karen Dendy Smith (ACC), Back L-R: me, Meredith Tollison (ACC), Jae Kennedy (2CCL), Jody Crotty (ACC)

None of this would have ever happened if it hadn’t been for Bono, India and Lukas - my dogs on both sides of the veil. As many of you know, when Bono and India passed within 6 months of each other back in 2017, I feel into a deep depression. And four months after they transitioned (India to run with the white wolves - more on that another time) they brought Lukas in my life. What a force of nature, our Lukas Kincaid of the Chugach!! (his full name created by him, me and my husband in honor of our favorite park in Anchorage - full of moose, btw - and our favorite mountain range).

I am an introvert which, for me, means I get my energy from being quiet, alone, reading and via walks with my dog. And in creating this business, I have to use that energy to switch into extrovert mode. After decades in Advertising as an Account Service Director, responsible for account growth and numerous client presentations, I can easily do it. It just saps my energy faster than those who are naturally extroverted which tends to keep me quiet and at home during my off-hours so I can recharge.

Enter Lukas - who never lets me be completely alone. From the get-go of our time together, he has been out there on walks - saying “Hi!”- unabashedly asking for treats from strangers - giving them a leg bump to wiggle said treats and/or head-pats loose - and telling not-so-cool-energy beings to respect his boundaries. He is like “Hey World, meet me! And look at that fabulous human at the other end of this leash! Meet her too!” For six years he has been working with me to foster a stronger belief in myself. By breaking my leg (another story), being the first animal I ever formally “read,” to establishing trust that I’m sexier than any moose - he’s been working hard to help me find my voice and feel worthy about a lot of things.

Which leads me to Vegas! Had it not been for the passing of India and Bono and the arrival of Lukas, I wouldn’t be an animal communicator, let alone an intuitive coach. And had it not been for Lukas, I would have never been a part of the Animal Communication Collective. I would not have met this whole slew of amazing humans who are helping animals through holistic care, behavior work, storytelling and animal communication. I get to be a part of an incredibly rewarding movement helping both animals and humans find wholeness together.

Gratitude to all of you for being here! And much love and gratitude to my dogs and how they have helped me grow and make so many new friends.

So many super cool people creating a better world for and with the animals!