Ehrenkodex
I adhere to Penelope Smith's Code of Ethics. My work is guided by compassion, intuition, appreciation, and respect for all living beings on Earth, and the desire to help them gain a better understanding.
I only communicate with pets if I have the owner's consent, if they trust me and ask for my help, and are willing to make changes for the animal's benefit if necessary. I do not judge or evaluate animals for their mistakes or misunderstandings of us humans, and I am free of biases about them.
I don't give animals orders from their owners. I first politely introduce myself to the animals and ask them if they wish to communicate with me of their own free will, and if I may pass on their messages to their owners. I give them the space they need to speak to me and to say everything they want to say and confide in me. I am there for them alone in that moment. Animals are not obligated to answer our questions. It is entirely their decision and their free will, which we humans must respect in all circumstances.
I am only the messenger, not the message itself. For this reason, I write down everything the animals tell me, exactly as and how. Even if it may seem strange to me at the time or seemingly makes no sense, this can be a helpful clue for the human, who knows what to do with the animal's response. Perhaps even a few days or weeks later.
Often the human has to change first so that the animal has the necessary space to change itself, since it often mirrors the human and wants to draw its attention to something.
In my work, I respect the privacy of both humans and animal companions and honor their desire for confidentiality. I try to help by asking in-depth questions, but never go so far as to violate the animals' dignity and trust.
I know my limits. It's not my job to diagnose and treat illnesses and then refer patients to a veterinarian. However, I can perceive thoughts and feelings and accurately sense pain and symptoms of illness in animals and pass them on to veterinarians. This can be very useful information. Animals don't always know what they have or what's wrong with them because they don't know our terms for illnesses.
Immediately after the conversation, or at a later date, I describe my personal feelings about the animal at the time of the conversation and summarize everything. This gives the owner the opportunity to recognize their own animal in it, to realize that the conversation actually took place and was solely the animal's message. I always ask the animal to describe a memory from their life, their favorite place, or their home, so that the owner knows that the conversation is about their animal.
