Soul Healing with Our Animal Companions: The Hidden Keys to a Deeper Animal-Human Connection

Billups, founder of the Sundance Healing Center, presents practical advice on how to develop a deeper connection with pets in this cheerful book. She starts by sharing stories of her experiences working as a therapist to heal pets’ emotional trauma. One story is of Labrador retriever mix Buster: “[with] consistent patience, compassion, and love, he softened, healed, and began to trust again.” Billups stresses that pets will mirror their owners’ emotions and behavior, so when owners are feeling sad or tense, their pets will too. Billups’s advice is sensible and includes practices such as giving pets more independence (even when the owner is at home) and allowing them space to grieve a loved one. As for humans, she recommends “placing your hands on your heart and imagining divine love” on a daily basis. Because pets offer unconditional love, owners can feel a sense of the divine and God through them, Billups contends. Written in uncomplicated, inspiring language, Billups’s fun book will be appreciated by pet owners with a spiritual bent. (Apr.)