Category Animal Wise

Solo practitioners: Avoid payment scams

Nancy Crowe
Image by Thomas Breher from Pixabay

There was no suspicious link, no Nigerian prince, no call from someone claiming to be a grandchild in trouble. This scam was new to me, and in the end I didn’t fall for it — but there were several red flags that could have saved me some time. Maybe they’ll save you some time, heartache or money.

Long story short: A person emailed me through my website and booked distant Let Animals Lead® animal Reiki sessions for her dogs, for which she said she’d pay by check. I normally don’t take checks for my animal work, especially from new clients. However, there was enough time to cancel if the check didn’t arrive, so I reluctantly agreed. Then she said she’d accidentally cut the check for $4,300 instead of the $430 she owed. Would I please deposit the check and send her back the difference? After asking my partner if this sounded suspicious – and her saying yes – I told the person no.

Now let’s look at the many red flags here:

1) The person contacted me through my website asking about my services, when that information was easy to find on said website.

2) She said she’d be paying by check. Even if she had asked if I take checks instead of telling me that’s how she was paying, I should have politely refused.

3) She emailed me an hour or two later to say she’d mistakenly cut a check for a much larger amount than what she owed. Since she “couldn’t write another check for a while,” would I deposit the check and send back the difference? Evidently this is known as a check overpayment scam; the check will be fake, but by the time the bank discovers it’s fake, the scammer already has the money you sent. Then you’re on the hook repaying the bank.

4) When I said I wouldn’t do that, and again asked her to pay through PayPal, she said she wasn’t permitted to use any third party apps because of a charge back dispute. If that was supposed to get me to let my guard down, she needs to go back to Scammer School.

5) She then dug in, saying she really wanted these sessions for her dogs: “So please once you receive the check, you’re going to deduct your fee from it and send the balance.” Again, a legitimate client — or at least a client I would want to work with — would not say this.

That’s when I repeated my “no,” cancelled the sessions and ended the interaction.

I have to admit wondering why anyone would bother to scam me and not someone more “scamworthy.”

But, sadly, it makes sense that scammers would go after solo practitioners, especially in service-oriented fields. We do this work because we want to help animals and the people who love them, and we’re on our own. My administrative staff, accountant and IT department? They’re all me.

You may want to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but your doubt is a valuable tool. Use it.

At the very least, see it as a sign to pause and ask more questions.

‘Am I making my animal sick?’

Nancy Crowe
Image by Mirko Sajkov from Pixabay

You’re in the thick of a stressful time, and now your animal friend is sick or has developed a puzzling behavioral issue. That’s hard enough.

Since the link between illness and stress cannot be denied — nor can the link between you and your animal — you may even wonder if you are part of the problem. Did the animal take on your stress? Were you so distracted that you didn’t notice your pet was having problems?

“Am I making my animal sick?” is a question I’ve heard from friends and my animal communication clients. I’ve heard it from myself, too.

Before you go down this rabbit hole (I’ve been there; would not recommend), remember that the first person to talk to is a licensed veterinarian. Take the opportunity to learn and make recommended changes in your pet’s diet, environment or routine.

For that matter, this could also be a great time to top up your own coping skills. Exercise, for example — more dog walks, barn time, or cat play sessions — could benefit both of you.

Benefiting both of you is what this is about.

When I’m communicating with an animal, he or she will often show me stress in the household or barn. That can come through in, say, the image of a person angry or downcast. It could also be the sound of raised voices or just a heaviness I can feel in my chest.

Animals may not understand what’s going on, but they feel it. Some animals are afraid, perhaps for good reason. Most want to help.

Bentley, a 12-year-old Westie mix, developed digestive issues just as his person, Aileen, was grieving a huge loss. The vet prescribed medication and a change in diet. Still, she wondered if her stress had exacerbated his condition. “Am I driving him nuts?” she asked.

That notion hadn’t occurred to Bentley, who showed me a grey fog surrounding Aileen and her heart intact. “We’re doing this together,” he told me. They both have continued to heal.

It reminded me of when I feared I was making my tiger cat, Idgie, sick. I took her to the vet, we began treatment for her hypothyroidism and I took some important steps to heal myself and my life. On the night before her thyroid surgery, instead of the usual worrying I sat down to at least try a meditation. She curled up in my lap and purred. “OK, I think you’re starting to get it,” I heard before she drifted off to sleep. She inspired me to take better care of myself as well as her, and we enjoyed several more years together.

I’ve never had an animal tell me their person’s distress made them ill. What they tell me instead is that they and their beloved humans are tackling stress, illness and whatever else as a team. They can’t solve your problems (though your shepherd dog would gladly try), but they will sit, stand and walk with you every step of the way. That may be the best medicine of all.

A year of wonder in animal communication, meditation

Nancy Crowe

There is such beauty in our animal friends. You know that already. Many, if not most, of the animals I’ve been blessed to work with this year in my animal communication and Let Animals Lead meditation practice appear in this short video.

In 2024, Indiana experienced some amazing beauty in the sky as well — the solar eclipse in April and at least a couple of Northern Lights displays. A few photos from these are included as well. 

Thank you to Camp Red Cedar for the cover image of the aurora borealis above the camp grounds; Chandu Prem Lal for the stunning capture of the eclipse behind the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument; Heather Hoffmann for her beautiful scenes of the Northern Lights; Jenn Andrew for her photo of me at the pasture fence and everyone else who sent their best.

Even bigger thanks go to all of you who trusted me to listen to and hold space with the horses, dogs, cats, goats and other creatures in your lives. I look forward to doing even more in 2025.