09/21/2026
Introducing my Janna 🐾❤️
This is Janna, my beautiful Japanese Shiba Inu.
Janna came from a family of pedigree breeders and show dogs. Her father was a show dog too, and she was a 100% pure pedigree Shiba Inu.
But none of that was actually why I fell in love with the breed.
Many years ago, while living in England, I was in a large pet store when I saw a lady with the most beautiful dog. I had never seen a dog quite like her before.
I went straight over and said, “Oh my God, your dog is beautiful! What breed is she?”
The lady told me she was a Japanese Shiba Inu and, as fate would have it, she bred them.
Of course, I took her number.
I went home and announced to my husband, “I’ve found a dog!”
At the time, I had convinced myself I wanted a guard dog. 😂
So off we went to meet the puppies.
The breeder had us sit in her living room while she brought several little Shibas in so we could see which one connected with us.
Suddenly there were these gorgeous little Shibas running everywhere.
My husband looked at them, looked at me and said, “You’re calling THAT a guard dog?”
“Yes. That’s my guard dog.” 😂
And that is how Janna entered our lives.
I had never owned a dog before. I really didn't know what I was doing. Janna became our first teacher.
The breeder told us that Shibas could howl, so one day our whole family sat together and started howling to encourage her.
Well, it worked!
Janna hardly ever barked. She HOWLED.
People would hear her and ask, “What on earth have you got in that house?” 😂
But she was the most beautiful, gentle and loving soul. She grew up with our children, played with them and became completely woven into our family.
Only a few months after getting her, my husband's work brought us to the United States.
Janna had to travel from England by airplane in cargo. At the time, I didn't understand how stressful that experience could be for an animal.
When she finally arrived at our home, I hardly recognized her.
She was so stressed.
That experience taught me another lesson through Janna. I knew I would never willingly put one of my animals through that kind of journey again.
As the years passed, Janna grew older with us.
Our family went through enormous changes, including the devastating loss of my son, Ross.
Eventually Janna's eyesight began to fail.
One day she went into the garden to do her business. I could hear a bird making the loudest, most persistent noise. I kept wondering, “Why is that bird making so much noise?”
I checked on Janna and went back inside.
Then the bird started again.
Something made me go back outside.
There was Janna, stuck in a little bush because she couldn't see well enough to find her way out.
I gently guided her back inside.
Not long after that, she could no longer find her food bowl.
I knew.
It was time to help my beautiful girl transition.
I personally don't like using the words “put down.” I prefer to say that our animals transition because, for me, they are moving from this life into another form of existence.
Before we left for the vet, I spoke to Janna.
I told her, “Ross will be there. He will be waiting for you, and he will take you to the other side.”
I called my sister in England and told her what was happening.
She said, “I'm going to light a candle for Janna.”
When we were with Janna at the vet, I spoke to her again.
“Ross is here. He's waiting for you.”
And peacefully, my beautiful Janna slipped away.
When we returned to the car, I immediately called my sister.
I said, “She's gone.”
My sister suddenly exclaimed:
“Oh my God! The candle just went out! The candle just went out!”
That evening, I went to my shop where my husband was working on building a room for me.
I sat quietly watching him and, without trying, I slipped into a very deep, meditative state.
Then I saw something I will never forget.
Two energies passed above me and through my shop.
To me, I knew exactly who they were.
Ross and Janna.
My son had come for her.
And what struck me most was that their energy looked the same.
Ross was light.
Janna was light.
There was no difference.
That experience became another piece of my journey into understanding the connection we can have with animals, both living and in spirit.
Janna wasn't simply my first dog.
She was my first teacher. 🐾
She taught me how to live with an animal, how deeply they love, how much they understand, and eventually, how that connection can continue even after they leave their physical bodies.
And that is one of the reasons I now teach Animal Communication.
If you've ever wondered what your animal is thinking, what they're feeling, or whether the connection continues after they have transitioned, this is exactly what we begin exploring together.
Because sometimes our greatest teachers arrive on four paws. ❤️🐾
This is my Janna. And this is where part of my journey began.
