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Many of us pet owners think we have a decent idea of what our dog is trying to tell us through their body language and vocalizations. But what if you could know exactly what your pup is thinking and feeling? Pet psychics claim to do just that. Often called animal communicators (the preferred term for many in the profession), many have carved out a lucrative business for themselves, but are pet psychics for real? Whether you’re a believer or skeptic, I’ve got the lowdown on this beyond-science phenomenon that’s captured the interest of countless pet owners.
What Is A Pet Psychic?
Pet psychics are similar to psychics who do readings for humans, with the obvious difference that they’re channeling your dog, cat, horse, exotic pet, etc., rather than you. They claim to be able to tap into what our pets are feeling, thinking, and experiencing, and then they share this information with owners. Some of the most common reasons pet parents seek out an animal communicator include:
- Behavioral concerns: Psychics seek to understand the reasons behind a pet’s behavior and offer guidance on how to improve it.
- Health issues: They may detect if a pet is unwell or in discomfort and recommend a trip to the veterinarian.
- Communication with departed pets: Certain pet psychics assert they can connect with pets that have passed away, allowing owners a chance to say their final goodbyes.
- Missing pets: When pets are lost, pet psychics claim they can sense their location and assist in their recovery.
- Energy healing: Some animal communicators practice reiki to encourage relaxation, alleviate stress, and promote overall health. Reiki practitioners believe they can channel “universal life force energy” to pets, helping to restore balance within their bodies.
Techniques Pet Psychics Use To Communicate
Most pet psychics and animal communicators claim to have the ability to communicate telepathically with pets or read the energy of animals to understand their innermost thoughts that most owners can’t fully comprehend. However, the techniques pet psychics use can differ. In general, this kind of animal communication is considered a paranormal phenomenon (or a pseudoscience to some).
Telepathy And Clairvoyance
Some animal communicators say their skills lie in a combination of telepathy and clairvoyance, which are forms of extrasensory perception (ESP). This involves a mind-to-mind connection where the psychic claims they can “hear” an animal’s thoughts and feelings without verbal communication. They receive messages (some claim to also see visions) from pets about their emotional state, physical well-being, unmet needs, past traumas, etc., and convey them to owners.
Energy Reading
Many pet psychics explain their technique in terms of reading electromagnetic energy, similar to reiki practices, saying they can use energy to contact animals, no matter how far away the animals are or whether they are still living. By sensing and interpreting these energies, they say they can understand an animal’s emotions and overall well-being. This method is used to assess both physical and emotional states without physical contact.
Tools To Assist In Readings
While the two primary gifts of animal psychics fall into telepathy and energy reading, some of these professionals use adjacent techniques to channel their abilities to communicate with animals. These can include the use of tarot cards, crystals, acupressure, EFT, Tellington T-Touch, hypnotherapy, and more. While some of these tools can only be used in person, pet psychics can use others remotely to help them tap into their abilities.
How Do Remote Sessions Work?
Most animal psychics say they don’t need to be in person with your pet to do a reading. The types of remote sessions offered vary by each animal communicator. Some offer sessions by phone, live chat, or video. Others can simply do a reading on their own time using a photo of your pet and then send you an audio recording of their session.
Are Animal Communicators For Real?
First off, it’s imperative to understand that there’s no scientific evidence that telepathic or energy readings with pets or humans, for that matter, are valid. Therefore and understandably, skeptics abound. However, it really comes down to your personal beliefs and experiences about whether animal psychics are legit.
What do veterinarians and animal behaviorists think about pet psychics? As you might imagine, there are many skeptics. However, the most critical concern among pet experts is that owners should never replace veterinary treatment or behavioral therapy with a reading from an animal communicator.
As long as you get expert treatment for your dog’s health or behavioral problem, some experts believe there’s no harm in consulting an animal psychic as a secondary means to help you understand what’s going on with your pet. The exception to this concerns lost pets — some find it unethical to give owners “false hope” about the whereabouts of a missing furry friend. In fact, many animal communicators do not do readings about lost pets.
Even if you’re a believer, I recommend you do your research into any animal communicator to find out their reputation, how much experience they have, the techniques they use, and how their process works. Also, I encourage you to read pet psychic reviews from customers about their experiences. As with any service you’re looking into, there are those who are reliable and those who aren’t.
Who Are Some Of The Most Famous Animal Communicators?
Pet psychics have appeared in TV shows and various online publications for over 30 years. In case you’re wondering, here are some of the most celebrated animal whisperers around the world. Many still offer individual readings for your pet.
Sonya Fitzpatrick
Back in the early 2000s, Sonya Fitzpatrick had an hour-long show, The Pet Psychic, on the Animal Planet network and continues to offer readings for individuals over the phone. Visit her website to schedule a session. See the video below of when she appeared on TheEllenShow in 2003 and read Ellen DeGeneres’ dog Lucy and some audience members’ pets from photographs they brought to the show.
Jackie Weaver
A former veterinary nurse, Jackie Weaver is one of the U.K.’s leading pet psychics. She has made multiple TV appearances over the years and authored eight books, including Pet Grief: How to Cope Before & After. She was a 2024 winner of the Pet Products and Services Awards from LUXLife Magazine. Weaver currently offers phone and Skype readings. In the brief video below, she describes how she communicates with animals.
Pea Horsley
Pea Horsley is a globally recognized animal communicator, author, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Animal Thoughts. She is dedicated to fostering connections between different species. Her work has empowered thousands of individuals worldwide to reconnect with their intuition and enhance their abilities in animal communication. She works remotely from a high-resolution photograph of your animal and up to 10 questions or messages that you email her. You can get on her waiting list, but her consultation fee is pricey!
Lydia Hiby
Lydia Hiby is known for her extensive experience as an animal communicator, with over 60,000 clients across the U.S. and Europe. She works with all types of animals, from dogs and cats to llamas and tortoises. Hiby has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, etc., and has appeared on 48 Hours, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View, and more. She currently offers 30-minute phone consultations.
How Much Does A Pet Psychic Cost?
Animal communicator rates vary widely depending on their reputation, experience, whether the session is in person or remote, and many other factors. For example, the most renowned pet psychics, like some that I featured above, will charge up to $500 or more for a 1-hour reading — and many of these famous animal communicators have long waiting lists.
If that’s too hefty for your budget, you have other options. Some websites that offer human readings also have pet psychics you can contact. These sites are essentially marketplaces that feature hundreds of different psychics, mediums, etc., and the session fees are typically less expensive.
Affordable Online Pet Psychics
I spent over 20 hours of research trying to find the most renowned pet psychics online and the following sites that are more affordable but highly regarded in the psychic world to help you narrow down your options.
Charles Peden
Although Charles Peden arguably belongs in the section above about celebrated animal communicators, I included him here. I’ve seen Peden’s name pop up numerous times recently on Reddit pet psychic review threads more than any other animal communicator. He seems like the real deal, and his rates are surprisingly affordable compared to other renowned animal psychics.
Peden describes his animal whisperer skills perfectly on his website. “I did not set out to attempt to communicate with animals, instead they began popping in during readings where the goal was to communicate with past loved ones – the spirits of our human family and friends. After having a cat jump into a conversation that I was having with someone’s deceased father, it became clear that they wanted to connect with us too. Pretty soon I found myself providing my services to such groups as the Humane Society, the SPCA, and other animal rescue and shelter organizations.”
Psychic Source
Psychic Source has over 35 years of experience as a reputable psychic service and is known for its rigorous screening of psychics. They only accept a small fraction of applicants for their service. Psychic Source has around 25 different pet psychics to choose from. All offer phone readings, and many also give you the option of live chat and video sessions. You can click on each psychic’s profile to learn more about their experience and special techniques. New customers can get readings for as low as $1 per minute.
California Psychics
Perhaps the most recognized brand for online psychic services, California Psychics has over a dozen animal communicators available. Each has years of experience, and you can view their profiles for more information. One drawback is the lack of video readings, but they do offer phone and live chat sessions. Each psychic sets their own rates, which range anywhere from $1-$15 per minute.
How To Become A Pet Psychic
If you’re wondering how to become an animal communicator, you have several paths you can take to perfect the abilities you’ll need. Some of these options also give you guidance on how to turn your new mastery into a business. Some top animal communicators make three-figure “salaries” per year.
Online Courses
Several highly successful animal communicators now offer online classes to teach you how to become a pet psychic. Courses vary in content and pricing, but here are some of your best options.
- Nikki Vasconez, the world-renowned lawyer turned animal communicator who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, offers an online program that teaches everything from how to master telepathic animal communication skills to how to set up your own business as an animal communicator.
- The celebrated Pea Horsley (see above) offers a course of 8 video lessons that allow you to tune in to your senses, shift your energy and consciousness, and hone your intuitive abilities to become an effective animal communicator.
- Check out Danielle MacKinnon‘s wide array of online courses about how to become a telepathic animal communicator. MacKinnon is a long-time pet psychic based in Maine who has been featured on numerous podcasts.
- Udemy provides a highly rated, affordable course, Animal Communication Mastery, that includes 7 hours of on-demand course time to help you hone the skills you’ll need to tap into your inner animal whisperer.
Books
Pea Horsley strikes again with her book Animal Communication Made Easy: Strengthen Your Bond and Deepen Your Connection with Animals. While it doesn’t give insight into how to form a business as a pet whisperer, this book gives you a ton of insight into how to channel your pets’ communication.
You may also want to consider reading Everything You Need to Know to Become a Pet Psychic: How to Master the Secrets of Animal Communication. The author, Beth Lee-Crowther, has been a professional animal communicator/pet psychic, psychic medium, and reiki master for over 20 years. She regularly teaches animal communication workshops and hosts live demonstrations around the United Kingdom.
While the book The Amazing Afterlife of Animals: Messages and Signs From Our Pets On The Other Side by Karen A. Anderson isn’t a guide to becoming an animal communicator, I want to mention it because it may be helpful for those of you who are grieving a deceased pet.
How Else Can I Deal With Difficult Pet Situations?
If you’re a skeptic of pet psychics, you have many other ways to handle the sometimes grueling aspect of being a pet parent. Our dedicated team at Canine Journal is comprised of long-time pet owners, and we’ve suffered through many of your similar concerns. That’s why we write about so many of the issues you can face with your dogs and other pets. Please check out our articles below, which can give you advice for some of the problems you may be experiencing.
- Behavioral problems: From anxiety to aggression and everything in between, pets can suffer from numerous behavioral issues. Read our article to learn more about whether your dog needs behavioral therapy and how to find a behavioral therapist.
- Health issues: Our dogs face SO many different health problems. I encourage you to head over to our dog health issue articles and do a search for what your pup could be experiencing.
- Lost Pets: See our tips on what to do in the first 24 hours after your dog goes missing.
- End-of-life: If you’re wondering when it’s time to end your pet’s life, please read my article about how to know when to put your dog down, which includes a quality-of-life analysis to help.
Why Trust Canine Journal?
As a public relations and communications specialist with the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Sally worked with experts in the school’s Division of Perceptual Studies, including Dr. Ian Stevenson and Dr. Jim Tucker. Both of these world-renowned scientists are well-known for their extensive research and sound evidence into reincarnation and past lives. This work experience helped to solidify Sally’s already well-held belief in psychic phenomena. Sally has also been a researcher, writer, and editor with Canine Journal for over a decade, specializing in dog health conditions, treatments, and nutrition, as well as the best services and products for our furry friends.
