Samantha Roe is a SARA Teacher based in the South West of the UK. She spends her extra time volunteering at the St Giles Animal Rescue Centre in Taunton, Somerset. St Giles is a rescue centre who care for abandoned and abused dogs, cats and small animals. Samantha is a business owner providing a service of reiki treatments (in person and distant) and reiki teachings. She loves to visit Big Cat Sanctuaries and has even travelled to Mexico to spend precious time with Tigers, Lions, Jaguars and Leopards at a foundation. She also supports several animal foundations throughout the world. Samantha happily lives with her partner of over 25 years, Janson. And currently has 2 cats, Lilly and Miesha, though that number may grow in the future.
Teacher
Kimberly Leilehua Digmon
Kimberly is a Sara Teacher/ Practitioner in London. She started her Animal Reiki journey in 2008 and has studied with Kathleen Prasad since 2009. In 2010 Kimberly was certified as a Reiki Master Teacher in Usui Reiki Ryoho. She loves working with domestic and wild animals and supports several animal foundations around the world. In addition, Kimberly has a holistic animal business that provides Reiki treatments (in person and distant), Homeopathy, Animal Communication, Scenar therapy and Photo-Led Therapy. When she is not working, she loves to travel and continues her education in healing modalities. She is a fur parent to two cats called Nanea and Mana.
Alison McKinnon
Alison McKinnon is the SARA International Operations Director and member of the Board. She has studied animal Reiki for the past few years with Kathleen Prasad. Alison had practiced Reiki before studying with Kathleen but found the results with Kathleen’s techniques were instant. She is very proud to be able to pass those techniques on to her students. Alison has many years experience in the field of complementary healthcare and natural therapy including aromatherapy. Her experiences working with essential oils led her to explore other subtle healing systems and energy work including Reiki. Her own animal family always benefited from her therapies, but in 2002, she decided to begin offering therapies for animals on a wider scale and set up a business to offer holistic healing to pets which led her to become involved with The Tree of Life for Animals (Tolfa) in India several years ago. Alison has taught the Tolfa staff and volunteers Animal Reiki. We are proud to say Tolfa as an official SARA shelter. Alison offers classes and retreats in the UK, India and Egypt. Alison lives in College Milto, East Kilbride, Scotland where she offers in person and distant Animal Reiki.
Ali Carrington
Ali Carrington is a SARA Teacher based in London and Sussex, UK. When not working she can be found in the garden or enjoying natural surroundings further afield with her husband and two boxer dogs, Chili and Ludo. Ali is a big supporter of dog rescue organisations in the UK, in particular Home Counties Boxer Welfare and Saving Balkan Boxer Dogs, two wonderful organisations whose seriously hard work is always for the best life quality for each and every dog that comes through their doors. Ali always begins getting to know a new dog in shelter through Reiki first, and then supports that dog’s behavioural progress throughout the rehoming process and beyond. She is the owner of a business that offers Reiki treatments, Reiki training and also natural dog behaviour coaching.
Rie Fukui
Beside being a vet, Rie Fukui is an animal reiki teacher in Japan. Her first animal reiki teacher was her pet dog, Kotaro. When she was taking care of hlm who had broken his leg in an accident, she realized that animal reiki worked more gently and much better than a shot for pain killer, for when she gave him animal reiki, he took a deep breath and fell asleep peacefully even though he had barked with pain.
She’s been deepening traditional reiki originated in Japan, while she’s studying Shinto, old Japane medicine and Aikido with her students.
The relation between human health and animal one is like a mirror. They reflect each other.
She tells that we should live well feeling one world.
She specializes in natural medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and bio-resonances.
Indrani Das (Idee)
Indrani (Idee) was led to Animal Reiki by her teacher-cats. She has studied with Kathleen Prasad and recently opened her own alternative animal wellness business. She currently volunteers at a local geriatric center for senior rescued dogs and is available for in-person and distant treatments. Idee believes in making Animal Reiki practices accessible to all her local shelter caregivers.
Teresa Montalbo
Teresa’s journey into Reiki and yoga with animal companions began when she noticed how much her soul dog, Gracie, loved their yoga and meditation sessions. When Gracie ruptured her back knee ligament, Reiki was the last support they tried, but the first with visible effects! This paw-some discovery led Teresa to explore how these practices benefit both humans and their animal companions.
Inspired by her soul dog, Gracie, Teresa started a local Bring Your Dog to Yoga Class to benefit shelters and rescues near and far – feeding shelters for the day, sponsoring kennels, and causes. Teresa offers Reiki for humans and animals, in person and by distance. Teresa volunteers weekly at the Niagara SPCA as part of Gracie’s legacy.
Teresa’s partner is also an animal lover and they live in Niagara Falls, Canada. Their fur kids are Luna (Doggo Project) and Cosmo (Saving South Paws). Cosmo loves being her assistant Reiki teacher (and the snacks!)
Johanne Fraser
Johanne is a SARA practitioner and teacher and is based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Reiki and mindfulness has been a natural path for Johanne as she has been practising yoga and meditation for years.
All the dogs that Johanne has been blessed to be graced with in her life have been rescued from shelters and in rescuing animals, those animals have rescued her. In Johanne’s spare time, she volunteers with an animal farm sanctuary where she cares for many different animals. This work brings her much joy and peace as the animals in the sanctuary are well taken care of and they are given the space to be and the freedom to live as they should.
Her love for animals naturally led her to Kathleen Prasad’s method of “Let the Animals Lead” and she looks forward to teaching and spreading this method as she believes it is a way to inner peace for both human and animal.
Johanne offers Reiki to both humans and animals and also teaches Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki for humans and is registered with the Canadian Reiki Association as a human/animal practitioner and teacher.
Monique McMillan
Monique McMillan is an Animal Reiki Teacher/Practitioner. Today, horses are her newest passion and she feels right at home at the horse facility where she is learning to ride. Monique is a volunteer at the North Bay Humane Society where she offers Reiki to the shelter animals on a weekly basis. She lives in North Bay, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two fur children, Samurai and Chloe.
Ashley Humphrey
Ashley Humphrey (Ash) is an SARA Animal Reiki Practitioner based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Ash volunteers at the Nanaimo branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The SPCA is a non-profit Society and the Nanaimo Branch is a member of SARA with seven active Practitioners. Ash’s contribution to rescued animals at the SPCA is by offering Reiki to them and by being a member of the Fund-Raising Committee for the Nanaimo Branch. Ash travelled all over the world during his working career and vacations. One of his favorite places is the Canadian Arctic where he spent many years working on ice breaking ships. He had the privilege of seeing many Polar Bears in their natural habitat. Home for Ash is Nanaimo on Beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. He is blessed to share his life with his wonderful wife Trellis.
Tina Franklin
Tina Franklin is a SARA Teacher based in Washougal, Washington (near Portland, OR). She offers remote and in-person Reiki sessions. She spends her extra time volunteering at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, and with Fences For Fido. Fences For Fido is a non-profit that builds free fences for dogs that are chronically chained or living in small enclosures outdoors. They also provide insulated dog houses, dog food, and spay/neuter. In addition to having her own Animal Reiki business, Tina is also a Horticultural Therapist who works in skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care communities using gardening as a therapeutic modality. Tina loves to travel, garden, bake, hike, kayak, & go white water rafting. She lives with her amazing husband Cason, two sweet hilarious pit bulls, two geriatric cat siblings, and five naughty goats.
Kelly McDermott-Burns
Since 2004, Kelly McDermott-Burns of HeartSong Reiki and HeartSong for Animals has been bringing heart-centered healing to people and animals in central Vermont and around the northeast. Kelly has trained in the Let Animals Lead® Method of Animal Reiki with Kathleen Prasad and is a Certified Online Teacher and a Teacher of Excellence. Kelly has also trained with Frans Stiene of the International House of Reiki and Hyakuten Inamoto of Komyo Reiki do. She is a certified End of Life Care for Companion Animals Doula and a certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher. In addition to volunteering Reiki at Rutland County Humane Society, Kelly has taught the Let Animals Lead® Method at many shelters in the Northeast.
Hannah Setu
Hannah Setu has been an educator in health, dance and wellness for over 40 years. Since 1991 she been a health practitioner in massage, reiki, hypnosis and over the last several years has been drawn to working within the animal wellness field after discovering Kathleen’s Animal Reiki Source. In the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex she founded the longest running Reiki Share (twice monthly Meetups since 2011) to introduce Reiki practice to the public. Her business is located in Hurst and has a classroom for Reiki instruction. Her home includes 2 doggies, Boogie and Bowie plus Teto, the wise and awesome kitty who tolerates her boisterous terrier brothers! Hannah is available for in-person as well as distant reiki sessions for our animal friends be they furred, feathered or finned.
Mary Martinez
Mary Martinez is a SARA Practitioner and a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, based in San Antonio, Texas. She spends her extra time volunteering as a Reiki provider with VETTRIIP.org, a nonprofit volunteer service organization that provides innovative methods such as Therapeutic Massage, EFT, Energy Techniques, Chiropractic Adjustments and Acupuncture to relieve stress and chronic pain for veterans, active duty service members, their families and service providers. She also volunteers with a local dog rescue Heart of Texas SPCA in Boerne, Texas.
Lisa Hughes
Lisa Hughes is a SARA Teacher. Lisa started her Reiki journey after adopting two rescued puppies (one who is visually impaired) and found Animal Reiki Source. She has been an SARA Practitioner since 2014. She believes that every being needs to be “balanced” with the universe and with the support of her husband and mother she founded a holistic animal business in Crawford, Texas. In her practice she offers in person/distance animal Reiki and Bach Flower Essence Remedies to animals and humans. She resides with her husband and three dogs Hunter, Ryder (pictured and not puppies anymore) and Bandit, who are all rescues. When she is not providing services to her clients, she is a high school special education teacher.
Laura Thomas
Laura Thomas is SARA teacher in South Carolina. She believes in being of the highest service to animals and honoring all animals as teachers and healers. Laura currently volunteers with Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary and a local kennel/trainer who works with dogs from shelters to make them more adoptable. She is a lifelong horse lover and especially loves teaching Reiki for Horses. In addition to her animal Reiki and communication practice, Laura owns a pet and farm sitting business. She teaches and practices in the midlands of South Carolina and is open to travelling to teach classes. She shares her farm with many rescued animals who are her greatest teachers.
Kimberley Harrington
Kimberley Harrington is a Scranton, Pennsylvania based SARA Animal Reiki Teacher along with being a registered pharmacist. She was thrilled to attend SARA teacher training with Kathleen Prasad at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in New York State where she was quite taken with the personalities, forgiveness, and love of the animals who reside there. Sharing Reiki with animals and their caregivers has been pivotal in her life as she found they are partners in healing in Oneness. Through her Reiki business, she volunteers with local shelters, sanctuaries, rescues and an aquarium sharing Reiki and compassion with all animals and their caregivers. She teaches and practices throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and is available to connect worldwide with distance Reiki. She feels all animals deserve respect and to be on this planet walking alongside of us as they are true teachers and gifts.
Leah D’Ambrosio
Leah is the Co-Founder and Vice President of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA) and is a former board member of Pregnant Mare Rescue. She is a Let Animals Lead® Teacher of Excellence and is a certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher. She has taught Animal Reiki classes at the Humane Society Silicon Valley, Homeless Cat Network, The CARE Foundation, Keepers of the Wild, Rabbit Haven, and Pregnant Mare Rescue. She is currently teaching the SARA Animal Reiki for Reiki Practitioners and that Level 3 Animal ReikiTeacher Training certification courses. Leah is available for in-person Animal Reiki treatments.
Karren O’Sullivan
Karren O’Sullivan lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She believes in the healing power of animals and being in service to the community of shelter and sanctuary animals along with their staff and caregivers. As a Reiki III practitioner and teacher, she is committed to living her passion by offering Reiki healing to animals of all kinds in gratitude for their service to humanity. She is open and willing to discuss travel options for teaching SARA Reiki classes and providing both in person and distant Reiki treatments for pets. In Karren’s spare time, she volunteers at the City of Tulsa Animal Welfare Shelter.
Mariann Smith
Mariann Smith is SARA Teacher residing in Rockaway Beach, New York and offers in person treatments to both humans and animals in Rockaway and all five boroughs. Mariann was trained in the Japanese Art of Reiki by Frans Steine of the International House of Reiki and trained in Animal Reiki by Kathleen Prasad of Animal Reiki Source. She is a member of the Long Island Reiki Connection and manages a non-profit animal organization/rescue whose mission is to raise awareness to the plight of all creatures as well as our moral and ethical obligation to care for them. She offers classes in both Japanese Reiki and Animal Reiki for those looking to care for both humans and animals; and particularly those who care for feral cats and other homeless animals.
Tenney Gravatt
Tenney Gravatt lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State. She has been compelled her entire life to be an advocate for all animals. When she started her Reiki journey thirty years ago, she knew it would be a modality for which to base all others. With even further study of Reiki and becoming a Reiki Teacher she found her purpose as a practitioner and teacher of the craft so others could share Reiki with animals in need. Facilitating a harmonious life for her animal clients and their people with Reiki is what she loves to do every day. Tenney is a practitioner of Reiki with animals (“Let Animals Lead” method), a Reiki level trainer and a Reiki with Animals trainer. She also volunteers at a local equine sanctuary.
Jeanne Clune
Jeanne is an Animal Reiki Teacher/Practitioner from Mount Kisco, NY. She received her Animal Reiki training with Kelly McDermott-Burns, and has completed her Usui Advanced Reiki Training. She is the Behavior & Enrichment Coordinator at the SPCA Westchester. Jeanne offers Animal Reiki classes and monthly Animal Reiki Circles for the SPCA volunteers. She is also the owner of a business which offers Animal Reiki and Gentle Obedience Training for SPCA Animal alumni.
Jeanne is a forever animal lover and has shared her home with a variety of wonderful animal angels. She also enjoys visiting animal sanctuaries when she travels. In South Africa, she had an amazing experience offering Reiki to cheetah cubs. After several minutes of meditation, she opened her eyes to find first one, then all six, licking her palms. Cheetah tongues are great exfoliators!
Briana Clements
Briana Clements is a member of SARA who lives and works in New York City. Briana enjoys helping all animals – young or old, wild or domestic, living in a forever home or still looking – and their human companions. Her favorite place to volunteer Animal Reiki is at Animal Haven, an amazing no-kill shelter in Manhattan that has been saving lives since 1967.
Sheryl Schlameuss Berger
Sheryl Schlameuss is a Reiki Master Teacher in Old Bethpage, (Long Island) New York. She offers Reiki sessions for both people and animals, as well as both Usui Reiki classes and Animal Reiki training. She volunteers with Forgotten Friends of Long Island Animal Rescue, an organization that is dedicated to rescuing some of the neediest, most difficult cases, ensuring they receive focused care and rehabilitation, and then placement in forever homes.
George Belev
George Belev is a founding member of SARA and has been practicing complementary therapies since 1997. He is a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher, Shinpiden Animal Reiki Master/Teacher, Healing Touch for Animals Certified Practitioner, a Pet Massage Instructor, and a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner. George is co-founder of a business that offers cooperative, energy-based modalities to people and animals in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. George is the certification director for Healing Touch for Animals/Komitor Healing Methods (HTA/HKM) and is on the advisory and education councils for the International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork (IAAMB). He is a Pawsitive Partners Prison Program Dog Trainer (Monty’s Home, Wilmington, NC) and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.