Our Pets: Woman liason between pet owner

Hi friends, Obie here with information about a new Salem business for pets and their people.

Speaking here from a pup's perspective, there are many, many times that I do not have a single clue as to what my moms are trying to tell me. But I understand that the reverse is also true: That people often wish they knew what their dog was thinking.

Now you can find out!

Terri Sides has opened an animal communication business in Salem called "Walking Heart."

In addition to phone consultations and private appointments, Sides is seeing pets and people from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday mornings at Nature's Pet, 4555 Liberty St. S in Salem. It's in the Sunnyslope shopping center and happens to be one of my favorite stores because the bins of yummy treats are just at my nose height. I got pretty distracted when Mom took me to meet Terri; I really wanted to shoplift ... er, shop. Anyway, enough about me.

Sides has years of experience at helping people and pets communicate. She has worked primarily with dogs and cats but also has experience with horses, ferrets, goats and other animals.

"If it lives with a human, I can work with it," she explained.

Common issues include pet behavior questions, such as anxiety, biting or destructive acts, or barking.

"A cat that's peeing all over the house, that is very common," she said.

The second most prevalent questions concern health issues.

"I'm naturally drawn to that as a registered nurse, so I have that intuition to help with those issues," Sides said.

Another common concern is about death and dying, either when a pet is reaching the end of its life or after an owner dies, leaving a bereft or bewildered pet.

"I worked as a hospice nurse, and during that time, I was always drawn to the pets who were freaking out that their owner was dying," she said.

"For people who are losing a pet, it's such a loss. A tremendous loss. You are losing a relationship of unconditional love," Sides said.

One of her more unusual cases involved some mohair goats that were struggling after the death of the herd's matriarch. The animals were fractious and unable to get along, the owner told Sides. Working with a single animal that had stepped up as the new top goat, Sides was able to communicate to her in a way to take over leadership "in a more benevolent manner," which helped the goats again form a cohesive unit.

Sides grew up in Michigan, and as a child, she said she always loved animals. "But I had no idea that I had this gift," she recalled.

She was working as a nurse in 1999 when an experience in Hawaii with dolphins revealed her ability to communicate with animals.

"I was a registered nurse. I thought I was crazy," she said. "I didn't tell anybody!"

After accepting the idea, Sides spent two years working with a teacher on the topic. She studied at The Center for Healing Body, Mind and Spirit in Northern California.

"I had to know it was real, had to know I was accurate," she said.

She now has clients from coast to coast, as well as in Canada, England and South Korea. Sides does not need to be in the presence of the animal, she said. A photograph is enough. People send her pictures of their pets, often through email, and she works from those pictures. The sessions can be recorded for later review, she said, and pet owners should be prepared to take notes.

When she is working, Sides prefers to communicate with the pet before hearing from the human.

"I want to connect with the animal first, then I include the owner in the conversation to address their questions," she explained.

She plans to offer group classes in animal communication in Salem in the New Year.

"My experience shows that we can all communicate once we learn the technique," Sides said. Though some people become more skilled than others, she added, "Any level is a success in our pet's eyes! They always appreciate the effort."

Statesman Journal, Oregon. Published 12:48 p.m. PT Dec. 5, 2016