Linda Bender, DVM - "Animal Wisdom"

This month, Suzane welcomes special guest, Linda Bender, DVM.

A passionate, animal advocate and educator, Dr. Linda Bender's love of the natural world began in her childhood backyard. From orphaned deer to blue jays prematurely bumped from their nests, animals in distress somehow found a way to her loving arms. Her innate rapport with animals inspired her to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

During the fourteen years she spent living in England, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Linda’s veterinary work included the rescue, rehabilitation, and protection of wildlife, often in remote areas. Working with zoos in Southeast Asia, she treated animals rescued from the wildlife trafficking trade and helped reintroduce them back into their natural habitats. Among those given a second chance at life were clouded leopards, tigers, orangutans, and numerous species of rare psittacine and passerine birds.  Working in the field with rarely encountered wildlife, she helped to develop treatment protocols.

For over twenty-five years, Linda has practiced meditation and studied many of the world’s wisdom traditions, including shamanism. Learning the traditions and ancient wisdom of indigenous people enriched her understanding of the sacred connection between humans, animals, and nature. These experiences helped shape her environmental consciousness and deepened her commitment to spirituality, conservation and animal advocacy.

A dedicated animal advocate and pro-active, grass-roots champion of animals both domestic and wild, Linda recently completed her first book, Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals released in June of 2014. Her new book illuminates the undeniable ability for animals to restore our ecological, emotional and spiritual balance. Linda currently lectures and facilitates Animal Wisdom workshops worldwide.