Pet Talk: Oscar’s Inspiration for Being of Service
by Naomi McDonald
This story is about Oscar, a Brussels Griffon, a wise, cheerful terrier-like dog that when you look into his face you see the most human expressions and little wisps of tan and black hair that stick out all over.
This is also a story about being of service to humanity.
(for the full article and multimedia experience, click here: OM-Times July 2010 Edition)
Oscar is a therapy dog who I met through his mom and dad, Sally and Jim Whitten. Sally is often amazed by Oscar as he loves to invent new tricks on his own for the children in the hospitals. I also know Oscar prefers to wear his pirate costume when he dresses up; is aware of almost everything his mom and dad are thinking; loves his job; takes it very seriously and understands just how much he lifts the spirits of the children and the adults at the hospital.
I know these things about Oscar because he tells me. Well, actually he told one of my animal communication students he preferred his pirate costume over the cowboy suite.
Being an animal communicator has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most incredible four and two legged beings and Oscar is certainly one of them. I even included another one of his stories in my new book, They Sing to Our Hearts: A Communicator Shares Her Stories of Animal Wisdom.
Sally and Jim have brought Oscar to visit with me for the last several years. Every time they come for a session Oscar would tell me things that they had been thinking such as envisioning a swimming pool in the back yard, planning trips, or buying a new car. It got to be a joke with them, let’s go see Naomi so we can remember what we’ve been thinking.
The last time Oscar and I had a session it started me on what I call a “ponder it day.” This is when I reflect on a conversation with an animal and how it ties into the shift that is happening to all of us and what is going on globally. Now I knew Oscar went to nursing homes and hospitals but I had never really thought about the adults or children he worked with. All Oscar told me was that he loved it. On this visit I ask him to tell me about the people he helped.
Oscar: I help the children with no arms.
When I repeated this to Sally and Jim they were stumped at first. Then Jim realized what he meant. The children in the hospital are so active that when they have an IV their arm needs to be wrapped all the way down including their hand. So, it looked to Oscar like the arm was gone. With that clear I asked him what else he wanted his mom and dad to know about what he did.
