Not many people say that the passing of their four-legged soulmate changed
the trajectory of their career
MEET KATIE
. . . or even their beliefs. But that’s where a pivotal chapter of my story begins: when two of my greatest loves—my humanitarian crisis responder vocation and my senior rescue pup, Ferguson— faded from my life within months of each other.
I loved my job amplifying voices of people around the world in moments of need. The adrenaline was real. So was the urgency. Yet secretly, I was afraid. Not of hurling myself into disaster zones, but of facing the inevitable moment of loss that was on its way for me. This single, child-free woman couldn’t fathom how she’d move on when it came time for her other half to leave. For years, I imagined friends having to sponge bathe me since I'd surely be bedridden or spoon feed me oatmeal. Picturing a new every day reality without Ferg felt haunting.
AS MUCH AS THE IDEA OF PREPAREDNESS WAS STEEPED IN ME
nothing could have fully equipped me for that moment.
As simple as it might seem to summarize it in a paragraph, the journey that led to my own moment of crisis is one worthy of much more . . . which is why I’m writing a book about it!
Since it'll be a while before publication date, for now I'll share that almost instantly after Ferguson passed, I picked up on subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs indicating that he was very much still near. (It wasn’t until I started working with a trusted life coach that I realized my heightened senses and extreme empathic nature weren’t so much a curse, but a superpower.) The comfort, reassurance and support that emerged from those little “winks” became primary factors that helped me move through deep grief rather than remain stuck in it. In other words . . .
​a secret language had been revealed.
I started a blog called The Deep End as a way to honor my ongoing relationship with Ferguson and to help other highly sensitive people and empaths feel less alone.
I shared stuff about grief that no one likes to talk about, and began volunteering with rescued juvenile sea turtles. Writing consistently and dedicating five hours a week to nurturing sacred, endangered creatures back to life helped fill a void.
One day, I rose at the crack of dawn and drove three hours to the Eastern Shore for a volunteer gathering, only for it to be cancelled at the last minute due to inclement weather. “Well shoot,” I said. “I’m not turning around and driving all the way back home right away.” Instead, I wandered around the quaint seaside town with no agenda—something I rarely let myself do— and landed at a charming, used bookstore (AKA, paradise).
Greeting me at the front of the store was a table full of books about animals. Clearly, they’d been expecting me. I pulled out Amelia Kinkade’s The Language of Miracles priced at a whopping $3. Read it in total secrecy. Fell into awe that anyone could learn to talk with animals.
AND FELT IN MY BONES THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SO-CALLED
world of animal communication I needed to dig into deeper.
Now, it's my mission . . .
Eventually, I confided in a friend about this discovery. She said, “Oh my god! You have to follow this woman I found on social media who teaches people how to do that!”


I did. And signed up for a workshop led by the renowned Nikki Vasconez days later. We read a dog named Pickles whose human was on that same call. And I almost fell over when she said the series of seemingly disjointed messages I received—nouns like “tree stump” and “purple boots”—were all accurate indicators of my connection with Pickles. (More about this on my episode of the Slightly Spiritual podcast here.)

From there, I enrolled in Nikki’s academy and practiced reading animals multiple times a week over the course of a year and a half. We even traveled to Thailand together to volunteer with elephants at an ethical sanctuary.
To strengthen people’s connection with the animal kingdom as a channel for messages, providing clarity, peace and harmony for all involved.
Whether earthside or in spirit, animals are far more wise, intelligent
and intuitive than many of us realize.
Ready to hear what they have to say?