Since I produced the “Harp of Hope Animal Therapy Edition” CD two years ago, I now receive so many letters and pictures from those of you whose dogs, cats, horses, cows, birds, bunnies, ferrets, and even pigs, are benefitting from using the CD. (See some of the testimonials elsewhere on this site.) Most of you say that your animals are calmer, quieter, more relaxed, and are sleeping much better than before you found the CD.

Thank you, those of you who have used the CD at that toughest time, during serious illness of a beloved animal, and sometimes during end of life. Thank you for all of the pictures, and please keep those and the stories, letters, and emails coming in. I keep all of you and your animals in my prayers daily.

I plan to use this new column to keep you updated and share funny stories or helpful tips as we all seek healing for our companion animals. It’s been estimated that there are 40 to 70 million pets worldwide; in the U.S. alone, 63% of households have a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes. (2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey) So, you are a huge audience. As we go along, let me know what kind of help you need, and I’ll answer questions right here in the column.

We love our animals so much, and, fortunately, it’s no longer embarrassing to admit this out loud in mixed company! Our animals share our lives, our meal times, quiet times, prayer times, vacations and beach time, celebrations… some of them sleep in our beds and ride in our cars (and some would do anything NOT to have to ride in our cars!).

When I go on harp concert tour around the U.S. and Canada, my two felines, Frosty, an 11-year-old all-black Siamese mix, and Phantom, 18, a mellow British Shorthair mix road-warrior, travel every kilometer with me. In fact, Phanty’s been on the road for over 17 years, and Frosty for 10. I’m sure many of you know the drill, too. The new updatable GPS’s make this so much simpler, but before we leave, I chart an itinerary that has to include:

1) Clean motels like La Quinta, Econo-Lodge, or Motel 6 that welcome my animals without huge fees;

2) the names of some good vets and ER hospitals in each area, which are professionally certified;

3) locations of stores that sell natural and organic pet food; and

4) restaurants like Cracker Barrel that will sell plain boiled chicken or a fillet of catfish (hold the blackening) for an occasional enticement to take their meds and supplements.

Then we plan some of our stops in advance for some of those places. Phantom and Frosty are on organic food, filtered water, and special meds for heart and kidney conditions, so we get an OK from their vet specialists before we start the road trip from Florida. We always carry two coolers with ice and battery-operated fans for road emergencies.

And, of course, we take the Animal Therapy CD, and several of my other therapeutic harp CD’s, especially for Frosty, who really needs it to stay calm in the car.

I can’t wait to start our next road trip with all of you, through this column. Invite your friends to join us at www.harpofhope.com for concert dates, itineraries, stories, and more.

Keep loving each other, and I’ll see you on the road.

Dr. Diane