I firmly believe that animals, as well as humans, have a soul. Here I have to mention that I perceive the soul of an animal a little differently than that of humans, so I am not of the Buddhist conviction that one incarnates from an animal soul to a human soul. However, this is MY perception and every healer/energy field worker has his very own fine perception.
I believe that animals just like humans store their energies, mentally as well as physically, and I use my gift to perceive these energies to translate them to humans. This is intended to enable you to better understand the different behavior patterns of your animal or to internalize/learn certain measures to change how the animal is handled. From my energetic point of view, animals are much, much wiser than humans and have a completely different way of going through life.
Often, I also notice that many animals are entering our lives as support in difficult situations as soul buddies. Some as best friends, or as a helper in need. For example there is a reason, that some children that are going through their parents’ divorce are sometimes given a puppy. Whether you are aware of it or not, animals are often put by our side as helpers and soul friends. It´s therefor really sad that animals are often mistreated or not even recognized in their uniqueness.
I´d like to draw attention to the respect and loving treatment of our animal friends. They take a fundamental part in the shamanic world, as their importance was recognized a long time ago. They are a fundamental part of OUR life.