By Kim Betts …..
Kyrenia Animal Rescue …..
Mardo has been with KAR a long time. She has always been a very timid dog who didn’t like mixing, with people or the other dogs, despite careful coaxing and encouragement. She simply wasn’t happy unless she was in her own safe space on her own – staff were not even sure if even then she was happy. She is such a sad dog, she would run away if anyone approached her, she would turn her whole body away from the other dogs and would visibly shake, her head was always down and her tail was rarely ever seen untucked from her body. Even feeding times for her were an ordeal.
As she got older staff and volunteers became even more worried about her as they simply didn’t know how to help her as they had tried everything – or so they thought!!!!
KAR had an offer from a local Reiki Master, Teacher and Practitioner, Anibal Pedroso. He volunteered to go to the Rescue Centre to see if he could help any of the cats or dogs there. He explained that Reiki, which is a natural healing technique, can help treat animals (as well as humans) with emotional and physical problems, pain, anxiety and behavioral issues. Reiki healing can be used alongside veterinary treatment as a complementary energetic therapy. Anibal explained that all animals (domestic or wild) are intuitive to Reiki healing and will know what healing they need and will choose the distance between themselves and the healer, some prefer for the therapy to be hands on others prefer not, but the animal will indicate when the treatment has finished. He also warned that it doesn’t work for all animals but he hoped that some of the centre dogs could be helped.
It was a concept/therapy of which KAR staff and volunteers had little or no knowledge but they couldn’t see that it would do any harm – maybe just maybe it might help.
Anibal visited the Centre and was introduced to Mardo …as usual she shrank to the back of the kennel. But within a short period of time she had moved to be closer to Anibal. A calmness seemed spread over the kennel and Anibal and Mardo just sat together, in quietness, with him gently laying his hands on her.
Staff and volunteers (including Mardo’s previous foster carer) were totally amazed, after just one session, at the change in Mardo. She was much calmer and just seemed in general happier with herself and her surroundings.
After 3 sessions the change in her is remarkable – she jumps up at the kennel fence to greet staff, she comes out of her bed willingly to see staff and volunteers, her tail is up and wagging, she loves walking and looks to people for encouragement. She is happy and she is happy to see people around her.
Reiki Therapy has worked a miracle for Mardo.
Anibal continues to visit the KAR Rescue Centre and is continuing to help whichever animals he can.
If you would like to know more about Reiki then he can be contacted at anibal.healingarts@gmail.com
