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Pet lover offers free holistic medicine program for animal groups, shelters
By Josh Hixson, Staff Writer
The idea was simple enough: If holistic medicine can work for humans? Why not animals?
Paws for Peace is a holistic animal wellness program that will be offered free of charge for licensed animal shelters and rescue groups on Sept. 1.
Stacy Turis, the program’s co-founder, said she became interested in holistic medicine for pets when her pet cat, Kita, died.
During her research on the proper care of pets, the Plano resident said she discovered some remedies — including homeopathic medicines, oral health products, vitamin supplements, aromatherapy grooming products, flower essences for calming, music therapy, animal massage and acupressure — that produced some amazing results.
“I used the stuff here and, trust me, it works,” Turis said. “I saw my dog, Stormi, who has a horrible skin allergy, get better using holistic medicine.”
All of Turis’ pets, which include two cats and a dog, have been adopted from animal shelters and she openly admits to having a heart for abandoned animals.
By offering the animal-wellness program to shelters for free, she hopes it will improve the health of the pets at the shelter, and in turn, change the misperception of shelter and rescue animals being “skinny, stinky, mangy and flea bitten.”
“I just feel so much for animals in the shelters. It breaks my heart,” Turis said. “Anything I could do, besides taking them all home to help, that is what I wanted to do.”
Jamey Cantrell, animal services manager for the Plano Animal Shelter, said he would be willing to try Turis’ program as long as the shelter’s veterinarian approved.
“I have seen a lot of situations where the holistic medications work really well,” Cantrell said. “If the veterinarian we have said it was a good idea, then by all means, we will do everything we can to provide the best care we can for the animals in the shelter.”
Cantrell added that the shelter already uses music therapy for their cats.
“In the cat rooms we play classical music for them, because it is very soothing and melodic,” Cantrell said. “I guess the saying that music calms the savage beast is true. It really reduces their stress.”
Turis plans to finance the program through cash donations and advertising generated by a sister-site, www.pawsforquestions.com — an on-line resource for pet owners.
While she has yet to contact area animal shelters about the program, Turis said after publishing her Web sites she has already signed up one animal shelter in Wisconsin (Oconta Area Humane Society and Animal Shelter) and two corporate sponsors.
Turis said she expects to begin providing the service to cities in Wisconsin, Texas, Southern California and Kansas in September and spread throughout the United States by October 2008.
“I am hoping that by starting the buzz for Paws for Peace that we are just going to keep going and going,” Turis said.
For information on Paws for Peace, visit www.pawsforpeace.com
Contact Josh Hixson at
jhixson@acnpapers.com
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