Karlene Stange - The Spiritual Nature of Animals: A Country Vet Explores the Wisdom, Compassion, and Souls of Animals

Praise for The Spiritual Nature of Animals

Dr. Karlene Stange weaves a heartwarming web composed of her personal experiences as a veterinarian caring for all our kindred spirits, along with insights from ancient wisdom traditions and perspectives on our boundless interconnectedness with all beings. As a veterinarian who has shared my own journey of awakening through caring for our animal friends, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Stanges story and know that it will benefit countless beings! Allow it to touch your heart and spirit, and enjoy!

Allen M. Schoen, DVM, MS, PhD (hon.), author of Kindred Spirits

In her book, Karlene Stange addresses some of the hardest questions veterinarians face and does so with a fascinating and surprisingly seamless blend of science/medicine, spirituality, and personal experience. She gives us the kernels of truth about the spirit, or anima, of animals from the perspective of each major religion and distills these into a very practical philosophy that I think is summed up in the last paragraph of her book: We must be grateful for the service and friendship animals provide, and celebrate their lives, honor loving memories, and have no regrets. This book is well researched and passionate and comes straight from the heart of someone who loves animals and has committed her life to their health and well-being.

Susan J. Tornquist, DVM, MS, PhD, Dip ACVP,
Lois Bates Acheson Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine,
Oregon State University

All too often, humans have difficulty understanding the spiritual component of animals. Based on twenty years of research, Dr. Karlene Stange shares wisdom from many cultures and from the creatures themselves to help us better understand. Everyone who cares about animals will benefit from this book.

Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD, founder and dean,
Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (www.tcvm.com)

Humankinds eternal quest for the meaning of life and death has spawned innumerable religions and spiritual teachings. Dr. Karlene Stange brings us along on her journey of exploration into varied religious and cultural precepts and how they intertwine with the animal world. She weaves stories of her everyday life as a veterinarian into the pursuit of understanding the intimate relationship between people and animals. Along this journey, she continually seeks ways that she, as a healer, can positively affect this spiritual bond. In this book, you will find stories that make you laugh, others that bring tears to your eyes, and still others that evoke enlightening views about the world we cohabit with animals and how this affects our belief systems. I highly recommend this inspiring book.

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, author of
All Horse Systems Go and Go the Distance

In The Spiritual Nature of Animals, Karlene Stange, DVM, finally gives the issue of animal spirituality the attention it deserves. Expertly written with fascinating stories of her experiences as a country veterinarian, her book covers every conceivable aspect of religion and animals, death and the afterlife for animals, and how animals mirror their people. Not only is this work a fascinating look into the private world of those who care for our animals, but it is the definitive examination of animals and spirituality. And along the incredible journey of reading it you will also learn how to live your life without pain and judgment.

Marta Williams, author of Learning Their Language

Copyright 2017 by Karlene Stange

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

The material in this book is intended for education. No expressed or implied guarantee of the effects of the use of the recommendations can be given or liability taken. The authors experiences used as examples throughout this book are true, although identifying details such as name and location have been changed in some cases to protect the privacy of others.

Text design by Megan Colman

Typography by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Stange, Karlene, [date], author.

Title: The spiritual nature of animals: a country vet explores the wisdom, compassion, and souls of animals / Karlene Stange, DVM.

Description: Novato, California: New World Library, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017025307 (print) | LCCN 2017041298 (ebook) | ISBN 9781608685165 (Ebook) | ISBN 9781608685158 (alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Animal psychology. | AnimalsReligious aspects. | Human-animal relationships. | Stange, Karlene, [date] | Veterinary medicineAnecdotes.

Classification: LCC QL785 (ebook) | LCC QL785 .S815 2017 (print) | DDC 591.5dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017025307

First printing, November 2017

ISBN 978-1-60868-515-8

Ebook ISBN 978-1-60868-516-5

Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Honey, if you dont come, shes going to die, said Mr. Hall.

The days schedule was full. My neck ached. Instead of taking lunch, I was driving to the chiropractor.

She fell in the irrigation ditch this morning, and now shes too weak to stand, explained Mr. Hall about his three-day-old foal.

My psychotherapist warned me. She said, You need to take care of yourself. Take more time off; just say no. That was easy for her to say.

Ill come right now, I said, turning the truck around. A three-day-old foal is a neonate a term containing deep meaning for a veterinarian. People had planned for and anticipated this foals arrival for more than a year; the mare had spent 345 days in gestation to produce this precious, fragile being full of hope and promise; and now, after three days, it was ready to drop dead at the snap of a finger. The idea of a sick neonatal foal set off alarm bells in my brain and made my heart race.

It was June 6, 1995, and a heavy morning frost was making life challenging for a newborn. This nice old man, Mr. Hall, was right she would die without help. My neck could wait, and if I had any snacks, I would eat them in the truck.

From 1990 to 2010, I worked as an ambulatory veterinarian, and I lived in my truck. Four trucks met their mileage limits during that time, but I always drove white three-quarter-ton F250 Fords, four-wheel-drive vehicles with a regular cab and full-length running boards that allowed all five foot four inches of me to reach into the veterinary utility box that lined the eight-foot bed. That utility box, called a Porta-Vet, contained a hidden water tank in the center. The side compartments raised up at a slant, exposing a deep floor near the cab and shelves holding medications and tools toward the rear. On the drivers side, the deep area closest to the cab held a refrigerator where I kept vaccines, hormones, and antibiotics. Overhead, a roll of paper towels hung from the door. On the floor sat a trash can and a lockbox for controlled substances, such as euthanasia solution, analgesics, and anesthetics. Just above and to the right of the refrigerator sat a covered dish filled with surgical tools: needle holders, scissors, curved needles, hemostats, and forceps. Another slotted compartment farther to the rear contained hypodermic needles, acupuncture needles, syringes, a stethoscope, thermometer, and test tubes for blood collection. On the passenger side, in the section of the Porta-Vet closest to the cab, was a deep compartment where I kept an X-ray machine and a case of intravenous fluid bags. Toward the back were shelves with hoof testers, hoof nippers, an oral speculum, dental floats, deworming medications, and oral anti-inflammatory drugs.