Ever since I can remember, my love and sensitivity for animals has been the focal point of my life. Some of my best childhood memories are of the quiet moments I spent with my first dog Bruno, who introduced me to animal communication. We just had a way of understanding each other. I believe he is back with me now in a cat body — when I first researched pet psychic communication on the Web several years ago, he started rubbing all over the monitor, actually “pointing” me to many helpful resources!

Dreams have also played a vital role in my life. Even as a child, my dreams were filled with powerful, symbolic, precognitive, and recurring themes, just waiting to be decoded. Thankfully, my Mom encouraged us to listen to our dreams and gut feelings and to respect inner guidance, yet as I began to discuss my dreams with others, I was surprised me to learn how few took notice of theirs. Why?

In time, deceased family members began to visit my dreams. My Grandma and I were very close, so it makes sense that she was the first. Grandma always supported my passion for horses…she was a small-town doctor, and when people faced hard times, she often kindly accepted promises to take me riding as payment.

At the beginning these dream visits from passed relatives made me cry, but it wasn’t too long before I was looking forward to our journeys. Eventually, I invited them to visit on specific nights, and they did. So exciting!

I began to experience dual consciousness. I could take mental notes on how my relatives appeared, where we went, who we visited, and what it looked like, knowing how meaningful it would be to recount it all for loved ones. I was on an information gathering mission, and felt like a reporter relaying a breaking story. My dream experiences proved that it was entirely possible, it was real, to engage with the spirit of someone whether they are alive or had crossed over. And, if we could connect with people, why not animals?

Two months later, within just minutes of Grandma’s passing, Steele arrived at my home in Northern California along with this sweet message: “Enjoy your horse, and goodbye, for now” . . . delivered, of course, by a cheery bluebird. As usual, Grandma’s loving, final gift was perfectly timed.

Steele has taught me how much of our essence is taken on by our pets, especially how they often mirror us so we can learn, grow and heal each other. Over time, I realized that Steele continued to speak when we were apart, sharing vital, easily verifiable information and confirming I was reading more than just body language. He began to serve as a bridge between two worlds, and now my relatives and spirit guides communicate through him.

So many animals, especially my paint horse, pygmy goat and cats, also assist daily in my continuing education and spiritual growth. I’m especially grateful for my cats, house and barn, who, like Steele, are my master teachers. It is an honor to be their student! I appreciate their love, wisdom and perception of non-physical beings.