As animal lovers, most of us firmly believe that puppy mills operate for the sole purpose of making a profit, with little or no concern toward the animals that are bred. Even though these shady operations have come under scrutiny for their mistreatment of animals, too many are still in operation. When dogs are lucky enough to be rescued from puppy mill situations by caring individuals, there can be a happy ending. Healing Touch for Animals® practitioner Jean Baugh of Aurora, Colorado, shares one such story of trauma release:
Poodie is a beautiful little white male poodle who came to me through my volunteer work with a rescue. His previous life in a puppy mill left this gentle boy fearful and isolated, and unable to connect with people or the world.
Time after time he was overlooked at adoption fairs as he tried to be as small as possible and avoid any eye contact. When he came to me, he did bond closely although he still cringed at a gentle touch, retreated from reaching hands, and remained very wary of males. On walks, he stayed so close to me I had to be careful to avoid tripping over him. He constantly looked at me with huge eyes as if searching for clues.
I took Poodie to a level 2 Healing Touch for Animals® workshop where Carol demonstrated Trauma Release on him. Poodie quickly melted into a little pile of fluff under Carol’s touch. As he allowed the energy to flow, his eyes fluttered shut and he totally relaxed. When the time came for the release, he refused to take a deep breath for several minutes but it finally came.
We went for a walk while the workshop attendees practiced the release techniques. Poodie trotted out with new energy, head held high, with his eyes and nose taking in everything around him. Several times he left my side to explore. As we entered the hotel to rejoin the group, we followed a couple checking in. The strange man was pushing a huge luggage cart piled with bags but Poodie trotted right in behind him with no problems. As I was filling Carol in on the changes I was already seeing, Poodie left my side again curiously approaching a group working nearby on the floor. He greeted both humans and dog. He allowed several attendees to pet him without shrinking from their touch. When we returned to our chair, Poodie took his first nice long drink of water that day, put his paws on my knees, gazed up with happy soft eyes, and allowed me to pick him up—a new behavior that he performed repeatedly!
Healing touch truly healed Poodie and has allowed him to move forward, with a newfound engagement with the world around him.
Do you have a story about energy healing? We would love to hear from you. Contact us here.