Resources Around the Web
… and Other Interesting Stops on the Information Superhighway
Health and Welfare for Your Animal Companion
One of the best things about animal communication is the validation that your pet is always with you - whether or not they are still in their furry body, have a wagging tail, or a can still squawk, meow, or bark at you. Consciousness survives. But let’s face it: we want our loved one curled up in bed, riding shotgun, and walking next to us for as long as possible. Here are a few people who helped Tucker keep his body healthy for as long as he did, and who will help Skip (pictured above) be by my side for just as long.
Going to the doctor is stressful. Going to the doctor and being sent ‘to the back’ without your mom and dad can be downright traumatic. Fear Free is a website of vets, groomers, and other animal professionals trained to respect your companion’s emotions, ask for consent, and use tools and procedures to make your pet as comfortable as possible while still getting the job done. Not every fear-free clinic is the same, so call ahead and ask questions like what tools they use (e.g. lick mats and treats or medical restraints), what procedures you’re allowed to be present for, and what has to be in done in the back, if anything.
Your beloved companion is priceless, but veterinary care is expensive. When it’s time to make decisions about their treatments, the last thing you ever want to consider is the cost. But the reality is we all don’t have an endless pot of gold for our pet. This link is just a starting point in finding financial assistance, grants, and other solutions to funding your beloved companion’s health care. Always check with your local animal shelter first, as they may have local financial assistance, a pet pantry for food, and even free training classes to help keep pets out of the shelter and with the people who love them.
If you like alternatives to mainstream flea & tick preventatives, you want to lighten the load of toxins in your companion’s environment, and you lean toward a more naturopathic ideology and DIY home health system, Dr. Judy provides tons of resources on the latest studies, gives ancedotal evidence of her own, and talks about how we can make the world a safer, less toxic place for our beloved animal friends.
Dr. Becker is the fulcrum of either side of the debate of Western meds versus holistic naturopath. Co-author of The Forever Dog and advocate for responsible hormone-sparing spay & neuter, she holds the middle line: Science gives us some amazing gifts, but so does Mother Nature. She believes in using critical thinking skills in your research to make the best choice for your pets. She takes into account financial and logistical accessibility and believes that you don’t need to be “all or nothing”. Her youtube videos are easy to understand and are a wealth of knowledge backed by science.
During my first rush of research online after Tucker was diagnosed with his first mast cell tumor, I stumbled across this poignant line: “When your dog is diagnosed with cancer, it’s like trying to get your PhD in a month.”
The internet is a much murkier place than it was five years ago, so my tip to you if you have had the dreaded “c word” uttered about your companion, is to start here. Tucker was lucky enough to be one of Dr. Sue’s first U.S. Stelfonta patients shortly after the FDA approved the treatment. And while she can’t be everyone’s oncologist, she is a superb teacher, pet parent advocate, and dog mom who went through the cancer journey with her own precious pup Penelope. She no longer does vlogs, but they are still available for reference on her youtube channel, and she regularly updates her Instagram with new advances in oncology. She teaches vet professionals at conferences and her online posts are easy to understand for every pet parent panicking about their beloved pet’s prognosis.
Speaking of — and to — Your Animal Companion
I had been shopping around for animal communication courses and while I liked a few animal communicators and followed them, Nikki’s course was the right place for me. This is not a course for the hobbyist. This is for the person who will make a living from communicating with animals. Not only do you talk technique and build communication skills, but she walks your through the business end - something no other course I found did. She’s straight forward (as a New Englander I greatly appreciate this), and she creates a community of positive people sharing their journey and learning from one another. Tell her I sent you! (Full transparency: If you do, I’ll get a small referral fee.)
I first heard of Joe in the 2004 movie “What the Bleep Do We Know?” I’ve read his books throughout the years, and was reading “Becoming Supernatural” shortly before I learned about Nikki and her course. Joe teaches about the power of intention and meditation through the lens of quantum physics and neuroscience. I’ve never taken his classes or seminars, but I’ve found his books to be a solid foundation in not only speaking to animals but in bringing your dreams into reality and building the life you desire.
When Tucker and I started traveling together in 2013, I not only had to refuse jobs in towns that legislated that his very existence was a threat to humanity, but when it came to criss-crossing the country, we had to navigate around cities, counties, and even states that had legislation that could have taken Tucker from me and killed him simply for being alive within their jurisdiction.
While some cities and towns ban pit bull like breeds from residing there full time, some go so far as to ban them from traveling through. Had I been pulled over in Denver, Colorado, Kansas City, Missouri, or Council Bluffs, Iowa, Tucker could have been confiscated and murdered right then and there.
In the decade of our travels together, the United States has become a safer place for blocky-headed canines. Twenty-two states now prohibit city, county, and statewide breed specific legislation that can ban a breed entirely. However, some do allow breed specific spay & neuter policies or grandfather some cities’ bans. It isn’t fully safe, but it’s better than it was in 2013.
In an effort to give you the latest information as of 2026, I’ve searched the internet again for all you blocky-headed canine guardians to find the best sites for BSL maps, resources, and advocacy. Here are the a few I found to be helpful:
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)
Dog Discrimination Information and Advocacy
Back in 2014, Animal Farm Foundation had a comprehensive map that made it easy to see what interstates I could traverse and what towns I could stay in. When that stopped being updated, BSL Census became my go-to planner. Sadly, that, too, eventually stopped being updated. This is the best replacement I’ve been able to find. Created by Nicole Mark, a data engineer, this appears pretty accurate and up to date. You can view by state or by map, and it gives links to the actual legislation. Thank you, Nicole!
My Pit Bull is Family began as a database of inclusive housing but has expanded beyond just housing resources for pit bull families. It’s a great place to start researching home and liability insurance if you live with a pittie or other legislatively-managed breed. Their mission: to help all dogs—regardless of breed—stay with the people who love them.
If you’re a nerd like me and enjoy researching science and public policy, this is the place for you. It says the website is under construction, but the links still work. From medical studies and legal policies, it’s a wealth of facts and figures on all things dog.
Pitbull Hero was started to join the troops to end BSL. They’ve evolved over the years, but still have a plethora of valid, accurate facts along with articles and stats on breed specific legislation and its effect on the public.
Animal Welfare People We Love
Aimee Sadler tours the country, helping shelters create playgroups for dogs. Allowing dogs to spend time being dogs romping in a play yard together is better for them not only because it gets them out of the kennels for a few minutes every day, but it helps them get out of the shelter for good. Adoptions are on the rise in shelters that implement her program as people walk in and see playful pups wrestling and running--they just have to take one home!
I met this lovely, talented dog rescuer during a transport. While our charges were in the vet's office getting their health certificates, she and I built airline kennels for them in the pouring rain outside the strip club next to the vet's office. When the vet asked for the dog’s name for the health certificate, she said, “Mr. Darcy.” The vet started writing and said, “Okay… Darcy”… and Katya quickly corrected, “No, no. It’s MISTER Darcy.” And that’s when I knew I had found a kindred spirit. She's writer/playwright/actor/animal activist extraordinaire/dog behaviorist/brilliant lady, and I'm proud to know her.