Dr. Linda Bender & Animal Wisdom
Dr. Linda Bender: Sacred Animal Advocate & Educator
In her new book, Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals author and veterinarian Dr. Linda Bender shares her many years working, often on the front lines, to rescue and advocate for wildlife and their habitats around the world. Combining a scientist’s clear knowledge with a deep spiritual understanding of the interconnectedness of all life, she reveals the amazing power our pets and wildlife have to heal and enrich our lives.
OMTIMES: What sparked your love of animals, did you always know you wanted to be a veterinarian?
Linda Bender: My career really began in my childhood backyard. Orphaned deer, baby raccoons, to nestling blue jays bumped prematurely from their nests, managed to find their way to my doorstep. In Animal Wisdom, I describe my earliest memory of love – the overwhelming sensation that enveloped me as I cradled an abandoned, terrified baby rabbit I rescued from an encounter with a larger animal. As an extremely shy and awkward child, I discovered that to save an animal’s life made sense of my own life. This naturally led me to earn a degree in veterinary medicine.
OMTIMES: How did you get involved with working with rescued wildlife and endangered species?
Linda Bender: I managed to combine my love of animals with my love of travel, and spent many years living in countries working with organizations that supported rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife. Often in the trenches, I came in contact with rarely seen endangered species pulled from their habitats, to be sold in the animal trafficking trade. This was heartbreaking work but from it began my passion and commitment to conservation.
