As a respected art and science, animal communication has been around for perhaps 100 years, although most people may have heard of it only recently. An understanding of animal communication--interspecies communication between humans and their pets or other animals--must begin with the understanding that animals, like humans, have personalities and feelings, preferences, opinions, and misperceptions; they think and make choices; they, like us, want to be happy.

What does an animal communicator do? Think of an animal communicator (who will be a "she" here, for simplicity's sake) as a facilitator or mediator between the human and the animal. She has an intelligent conversation with this sentient being who cannot communicate through human speech--but can communicate nevertheless.

She may be called upon to assist with a variety of situations, including behavioral problems; relationships with people and other pets; stressful situations such as a move, the family going on vacation, or the death of a human companion; or, often, when a pet is lost and her skills are needed to locate it. In this case, if the pet has died, the animal communicator will be able to determine this, too.

Animal communication can occur in person, over the phone, or through e-mail; each animal communicator will have her preferred method, although other variables, such as distance from the client, may factor in. She will need the name, age, species, breed, and description; she may ask for a picture of the animal. Some animal communicators prefer to work with the pet alone, or the human client may play an active part in the communication. The animal communicates through the communicator and back to the human client in pictures, emotions, and words.

Does it work? If you need convincing, I suggest you check out the websites of any number of animal communicators and read the stories and testimonials yourself.

However, says animal communicator Rev. Nedda Wittels, M.A., M.S., on naturalhealthweb.com, "Unfortunately, no telepathic communicator--no person--is one hundred percent accurate all the time in any work. Error can occur because the telepathic connection is weak; because the human client has emotional and/or mental blocks about the situation; because the animal is lying or choosing not to communicate fully; because the meaning of the communication does not fit easily into the backdrop of information available to the human communicator; or because the telepath simply misconstrues the meaning.

Each telepathic communicator brings her own emotional and mental baggage to any session: belief systems, expectations, past experiences and emotions. Being able to drop this baggage and to be a clear channel is an important part of the process of doing the work. The best among us do this on a regular basis, but all telepaths, as all other psychics, do filter the information somewhat through their own perspectives on reality. It is part of being human."

For example, I heard of one case where a communicator was called upon to find a lost dog. As it turned out, the dog had been killed, but he was reluctant to reveal where he was because he'd run away and gotten into trouble, resulting in his death, and knew he'd been "naughty."

If you decide to get in touch with an animal communicator, it's easy to find one; simply do an Internet search for "animal communicator." You may choose one over another based upon any number of individual preferences, although distance need not be a factor; as I mentioned, most can work long-distance. Of course, an animal communicator does not substitute for veterinary care or obedience training. Have a list of question ready that you'd like to ask; if she charges by the hour, you can be sure to get your most important questions answered within your time frame.

Would you like to become an animal communicator? Anyone with a gift for relating to animals and good listening skills might choose to nurture them and become a certified animal communicator. Begin by searching for workshops and correspondence courses. Then set up your own website and tell us your success stories!