'Animal Communicator' Describes How She Works to Alter Pet Behavior

Ever wonder why your dog refuses to go to the bathroom in the proper place?

Ever wonder why your cat insists on treating your coffee table like a scratching post?

Dawn Allen dove into these issues and more Monday night in a seminar sponsored by the Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut. An "animal communicator," Allen said she has the ability to speak with pets and assist with a wide array of problems ranging from behavioral issues to health concerns.

“My goal is not to make [animals] into tiny little people,” Allen said. “They are who they are and I treat them that way.”

The relentless thunder and lightning forced the event indoors, but did not deter animal enthusiasts from packing the conference room of the Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut in West Hartford. Allen spoke for an hour about her profession, and how she goes about establishing a telepathic connection with your pet.

“I am not a psychic,” Allen told the attendees. “I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. Telepathy is a way to speak mind to mind with the animal.”

Allen began her career as an animal communicator when she studied different types of body work with animals at Goddard College. She has owned her own business, Dawn’s Animal Connection, for 13 years.

Allen, a resident of Westfield, Mass., deals with her clients mainly over the phone. According to Allen, all she requires is the name and appearance of the pet to be able to communicate. By this fall, she will have conducted 20,000 sessions.

“I tune into [the owner’s] connection with their animal,” Allen said. “I like to think of it as a skill more than a gift.

Allen treated the audience to a crash course in animal communications by asking everyone to close their eyes and think of their pet. Next, Allen said, focus on a negative behavior and how it can be fixed.

“Pretend that your thoughts are like a movie, but with feelings and emotions,” she said. “Now send out that movie package of how you want your pet to behave. [Animals] hear your thoughts, they just choose to ignore you most of the time.”

Catherine Hoyser of Hartford likes the alternate approach to caring for animals that Allen takes, and was one of the many who stayed around after the seminar concluded to speak with Allen one-on-one.

“I think it was important to point out the different perspective,” Hoyser said. “I hadn’t thought about putting yourself in the place of the animal and seeing it from their point of view.”

Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut regularly schedules speakers such as Allen to educate and inform pet lovers about many different subjects. Dr. Deidre Galbo, a staff veterinarian, coordinates the seminars that have also included an animal behaviorist, a nutritionist, and even an acupuncturist.

While all seminars have been well attended, Galbo said, none garnered nearly as much interest as Allen.

“We were trying to reach out to topics that our clients are interested in and we have many clients who have used animal communicators,” Galbo said. “It sounded like a great topic and it has brought a lot of attention.”

Before the conclusion of the seminar, Allen offered her final piece of advice. Her message did not harp on the telepathic connection with animals, but rather a more “hands on” approach.

“I don’t want to be a telepath who just sits there and talks back and forth with my pets,” Allen said. “My message is to enjoy the physical aspects of being with animals. Live in the moment with them. What I do is a bonus way to enhance that experience.”

For more information on Dawn Allen, visit her website  www.dawnallen.org. For more information on Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut, visit www.veterinaryspecialistsofct.com.