Owner
I have had a passion for the wellbeing of animals since before I can remember. From a very young age, I was able to understand the needs of animals through interpreting their energy, body language, and vocal cues. My Aunt, a holistic healing practitioner for humans, provided me with guidance, as I navigated the world of holistic healing. This helped me gain a strong understanding of myself and my connection with animals.
It wasn’t until my dog KC was diagnosed with late stage Osteosarcoma (a type of cancer the originates in the bones) and given a diagnosis of three months to live, that I turned for support to a well known animal bodywork practitioner and acupuncturist in the Seattle area. Through weekly treatments, a three month diagnosis, turned into over two additional years of joy and companionship, with my girl KC.
After KC passed in 2019, my passion for looking after the wellbeing of animals (and their humans) was reignited and I made a decision to educate myself and obtain certification in animal body work. In 2021 I received my advanced certification in animal massage (multiple bodywork modalities) and in 2023 animal acupressure, from Northwest School of Animal Massage.
In addition to my bodywork certifications, in 2023 I became a Fear Free Certified (click link to learn more) professional and have been serving the animal community as a caretaker, dog trainer, and foster parent for over 15 years.
I began my Bodywork and Human/Animal Bonding practice to help empower pet parents with tools to support the wellbeing of their cherished pets and to bring balance and harmony into this world.
More about massage and acupressure: Through my studies, I learned that when combining positive reinforcement training with specific bodywork techniques, I could get beyond the sympathetic fear responses (fight, flight, or freeze), and help dogs (and their humans) develop a deep understanding of one another in a shorter amount of time; building a strong and lasting bond with their pets. I am trained in many facets of Animal Therapy, including; Acupressure, Swedish massage techniques, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Scar Tissue massage, Myofascial release, Hospice care, and Pre/Post-surgical techniques. I work not only with dogs and cats but with other small four legged pets. As a certified, insured and mobile service professional, I can travel to you or you can schedule an appointment at Harmony Animal Hospital. Fureverbond provides sessions that are tailored to fit the needs of you and your pets.
Mission & Values
Our Mission & Values
Our mission is to come alongside you and your pet to help foster a healthy and harmonious relationship.
Our values…
Collaboration: We are deeply collaborative which means that we will walk alongside you in your journey to finding more balance in your relationship with your pet. We will be your partner and collaborator each step of the way.
Compassionate Curiosity: We value taking the time to ask questions, listen, and truly understand you. We will do so in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. We believe that this type of two-way communication is key to our success.
Empowerment Through Education: We don’t believe that real lasting change happens successfully unless you feel confidently educated and empowered. We will take the time and intention to set you up for success by offering important insights and information that will establish a wonderful foundation on which you can build.
Accountability to Self: We all bring different backgrounds or “stuff” into our relationships. The same goes with our relationships with our animals. Our successes and failures in relationships are often a two-way street. We value asking the question, “what can I own in this situation?”, it can lead to insights that allow us to be accountable to our own “stuff” and from there we can meet our goals.
Harmony: We believe that health in this area of life flows out to other areas of life. Harmony reduces the sense of chaos and lack of control we can sometimes feel. Once we feel a sense of harmony in one area of life, that can help us achieve harmony.
Testimonials
“Raquel has been an amazing source of support for us and our fur-child, Axel. When we first met Raquel, Axel was very fear reactive, even when offered treats. But through her patience, compassion, and empathetic approach, Raquel has helped Axel feel safer and more comfortable. She has become one of his favorite people, and now Axel jumps for joy whenever he sees her! Moreover, Raquel has interacted with us owners with understanding and kindness, teaching and empowering us to be better dog-parents. She is very knowledgeable and is always in tune with Axel’s body language, cues, and signals, and she passes that knowledge down to us. We feel more confident as dog-parents and can better understand Axel’s communications. Thank you, Raquel!”
— Hyun Su and Isaiah
“Raquel has a wonderful way with dogs - she has clearly demonstrated love, understanding, structure and care for our dog Murray. As one who understands how dogs think and how best to train dogs, she has given us invaluable advice about more productive ways to interact with our dog. We also were very confident and relaxed when our dog was left in Raquel's care for a weekend or a week. I highly recommend Raquel!!”
- Victoria W.
“Raquel is straight-up a dog whisperer. When I met Raquel over 6 years ago, I was instantly impressed with her cool, calm demeanor and ability to work with animals. I trust our two pitbulls with her completely and wish she was still close by to work with them more! We have never found anyone as talented and effective as Raquel. She is an amazing person and has a unique ability in working with animals (and people too!). Her own dog is the most impressive animal you will meet and demonstrates how talented she is. I highly recommend Raquel as she is simply the best!”