Animal Communication and Navigating End-to-life Care with Love and Grace

Animal Communication and Navigating End-to-life Care with Love and Grace

In this heartfelt episode of Healing Tails, Dr. Ruth Roberts speaks with Melissa Sherman, animal communicator, energy healer, and founder of Calming Creek—about the sacred space of end-of-life care for pets. Melissa shares how she uses telepathy, energy work, and deep intuition to connect with animals and support pet parents during difficult transitions. From understanding your pet’s wishes to building a personalized bucket list, this soulful conversation offers comfort, clarity, and connection for anyone navigating the final chapters of a beloved animal’s life.

Episode Summary

Dr. Ruth Roberts welcomes Melissa Sherman, founder of Calming Creek, to discuss the art and heart of animal communication, energy healing, and navigating the end-of-life process with pets. Melissa shares her personal journey from a corporate career to becoming a professional animal communicator, energy healer, and holistic pet health coach. She explains how animal communication is a telepathic connection involving images, emotions, and feelings, which anyone can develop with practice. Melissa emphasizes the importance of holistic, personalized care for pets, beyond conventional one-size-fits-all approaches.
The conversation delves deep into how communication with animals can help decode behaviors often mislabeled as “bad,” revealing underlying emotions like anxiety or fear. Melissa also discusses how animal communication plays a vital role in end-of-life care, assisting pet parents in understanding their pets’ needs, feelings, and wishes during this difficult time. She highlights the significance of creating “bucket lists” for pets nearing the end of life — simple, meaningful experiences that bring joy and connection rather than anxiety or grief.

Melissa shares moving stories from her work, illustrating how animals express memories and desires, and how these connections bring comfort and peace to families. The episode touches on cultural attitudes toward euthanasia and natural death, acknowledging the challenges and fears surrounding these topics. Melissa stresses the importance of community, support, and self-compassion for pet parents facing these decisions and grief. She encourages openness to alternative modalities like animal communication as a way to deepen relationships with pets and find healing.

About the Guest

Guest photo

Melissa Sherman is an Animal Communicator, Energy Healer, and Certified Holistic Pet Health Coach (CHPHC) through Dr. Ruth Roberts’ program. She is the founder of Calming Creek, where she blends intuitive communication, energy work, and holistic health guidance to support pets and their people through all stages of life—including the end-of-life journey. With a background in Reiki, the Silva Method, and natural wellness, Melissa helps pet parents understand their animal companions on a deeper level—emotionally, physically, and energetically. Her work brings comfort, clarity, and compassion to families navigating chronic illness, behavioral challenges, and transitions with grace.

Timestamp

[00:19] Melissa’s journey from corporate job to animal communication

[03:22] How Calming Creek got its name

[05:35] Why Melissa became a holistic pet health coach

[07:01] Animal communication isn’t mysterious—it’s telepathy

[11:45] Melissa explains how she connects with animals

[13:10] Using intuition to sense physical discomfort in pets

[15:16] Common misconceptions about animal communication

[17:25] How communication helps during end-of-life decisions

[20:11] Bucket list requests from pets nearing the end

[22:44] Pets share meaningful memories before passing

[25:23] Do pets prefer natural death or euthanasia?

[27:53] Easing guilt after euthanasia through connection

[30:00] Simple rituals to honor pets who’ve passed

[34:27] Love doesn’t end with death—energy stays

[35:07] Final advice: Be brave, ask for support

Transcript

[00:00:19 - 00:00:58]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Hello and welcome to another episode of Healing Tails. Today we're going to talk about whispers of the heart, animal communication and navigating the end of life with love and grace. And I am very delighted that Melissa Sherman from Calming Creek is joining us today. She is the founder of Calming Creek. She's an animal communicator, an energy healer, and a holistic pet health coach. She supports pets and their people through personalized health guidance, energy work, and intuitive communication. Melissa, welcome. Really delighted that you're here with us today.

[00:00:59 - 00:01:02]

Melissa Sherman: Thank you, Dr. Ruth for having me. I'm honored to be here.  

[00:01:03 - 00:01:35]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Well, and goodness knows you have certainly- Let's see if I can get Miss Hyo to  join in on the screen, but you've supported Hyo tremendously and me as well. And so for that I can testify you were the real deal and many others as well. So I think this is a modality that many people may be curious about but not quite sure what it is. So how did you even get so deep in the woo-woo and start down this path of animal communication and using energy to heal? 

[00:01:38 - 00:02:45]

Melissa Sherman: So, uh, the energy healing just was more for myself, more for curiosity that I started around 2010 and just kind of kept it in the background. I had my corporate job. It didn't really, I don't know, it wasn't anything outside of, oh, I can do reiki on myself or my animals. And I didn't really dive into it too much. the animal communication. One of my dogs is a senior and I was like, "Oh, you know, this is a really fun opportunity. I'm just going to take the class." Well, the class turned into this big whole thing where it changed my life to where I was like, I can do this. I can do this for a living. And then I saw where the energy modalities started to fit in and it was like, oh. So, the picture started to

widen the possibilities. I could work with animals. I could help animals. I didn't have to stay stuck in this corporate career. So, it just really opened these doors to where I saw possibilities and believed in myself that I could do this and not only communicate with my own animals, but other people's animals. 

[00:02:46 - 00:03:01]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That's amazing. And I think that's where a lot of people are frustrated with where they are in life with their careers. And so, but you saw the door open and you just walked through it. And that's unusual.

[00:03:01 - 00:03:16]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah. Yeah. It was like I just saw it as an opportunity. I I like to just take fun classes, hobby things, but I saw it as career potential. I saw it as this. I could make a living doing this, and it was really um it was a gift really.  

[00:03:17 - 00:03:21]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That's so cool. So, where did the name Calming Creek come from? 

[00:03:22 - 00:04:09]

Melissa Sherman: So, it's interesting. In 2019, I moved to the property that I'm at now. And that's when a lot of things in my life started to shift, including questioning what the heck am I doing with this

corporate career, that literally was making me sick. And there's a creek that runs through the back portion of my property. So, a lot of my own journey, my own healing, my meditation where I started to really connect again with myself happened at this creek. So, it was something that I really wanted to incorporate into my business because it really has a lot of meaning to me. The water, nature, all of it just really incorporated this vision of peace for me where it just really connected, peace, all of it just kind of culminated right here at this tiny little creek. 

[00:04:10 - 00:04:55]

DR. Ruth Roberts:

I love that. And I think  that's part of modern life's difficulties is we don't, if we live in cities, we're so far removed from nature and it's hard to find that. And American cities are not set up to help connect people with nature. And I think there's some movement to try to rework that, but it's really difficult and it's not something that a lot of people make as a priority, I guess, is a good way to put it. I think the Japanese are quite good at it. Like the concept of forest bathing has come out, but that's something I think that a lot of people could spend more time in nature and if we do it with our pets ever so much better.

[00:04:56 - 00:05:23]

Melissa Sherman:

Agreed. And turning it from something that's a concept that's woo-woo and out there as something that we're just reconnecting with what we're naturally here to do. We're not naturally born to live on concrete and never touch the earth. I mean, there's things it seems so disconnected, but when you stop and think about it, we're meant to be in nature. We're meant to connect with nature, the trees, the wildlife, and the creeks. 

[00:05:24 - 00:05:28]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. Use that energy to wash all the yuck off.  

[00:05:29 - 00:05:35]

Melissa Sherman: Exactly. Yeah. I do exactly that. I walk right into the woods and I brush it right off and I'm like, "Okay, hit me” 

[00:05:35 - 00:05:48]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Better. Cool. So, and then one of the things that you've done is complete the holistic pet health coach certification program. So,

What inspired you to go down that path? 

[00:05:48 - 00:07:00]

Melissa Sherman: So, as this door opened, I I had clients coming to me and you know, and I'm sure you saw this in your practice too, it seems to come in waves where everybody has itchy skin and everybody has digestive issues. It's like week on week and I'm like, I can do more. I know I can do more. I had doven down these rabbit holes for my own animals when they had health issues and it was just so many chronic illnesses were coming to me and I just wanted to do more and not just limited to you know the chronic illnesses that were in my home. So when I saw your program I was like oh okay I asked now it's right here. So, it really completed this whole package where I can do- I can connect with the animal. I can get their perspective, but I also have the knowledge base to help support those chronic illnesses or issues, help heal their guts, help give them a diet that's appropriate for them. So, it wasn't just, you know, one step. It's the whole thing. I can really come at a lot of different angles to help support people and their pets.

[00:07:01 - 00:07:42]

DR. Ruth Roberts: And that's critical because the concept in conventional medicine is it's all one size fit all fits all.  And there is a lot of discussion around personalized medicine, but it's still not very personalized. So that's amazing that you saw how that could fit together.  Yeah. So, let's talk a little bit about animal communication and see if we can break this down into something that's not quite so mysterious for folks because it's like how does it work? So, how would you describe it when you're communicating with an animal to someone who's completely new to the concept?

[00:07:43 - 00:09:13]

Melissa Sherman:  So, I like to go back to what it is. I'm using telepathy, which is something that again we all had when we were born. We all had this ability before we started to use spoken language. So, as soon as we started using words, we didn't really need to use this anymore.

We're using words, but we're still sending these images. So, it's telepathy is pictures, words, feelings, emotions that are just kind of sent out there. Animals do this all day every day. They don't ever do the spoken word. I mean, sometimes you get an I love you from a dog, but generally they're not speaking in conversation. So, the concept is you're slowing yourself down and connecting with their energy. So, again, it's an energy modality. You're energetically speaking through emotions. So, it's a different language, but we all have this ability. And it's similar to going to the gym, working out muscles. You can't, I mean, I can't just walk into the gym and pick up 100 pounds. I'd have to work to get to that point, maybe. But it's the same thing like you practice it and that muscle gets stronger. You start trusting yourself. But you know a human example of this would be if you ever thought of somebody and then your phone rings and you're like, "Oh my gosh, how did that..” They got your mental message. They got that message. So that's telepathy. We use it. We're just not acknowledging that's what it is. And again, you can practice it and grow that muscle. 

[00:09:14 - 00:09:51]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That's amazing. I was hearing somebody speak about manifesting. And basically what he was doing, his technique was to project how he would like the conversation to go with somebody and and then it would go that way. So, you know, that's a form of telepathy, too. And, but it was-you know in a mutually beneficial way. So that was the goal of the conversation for him and and making the suggestions that he felt where he could serve in a better capacity for a particular job role or something like this.

[00:09:52 - 00:10:27]

Melissa Sherman: That's really awesome. That reminds me. So I I took the Silva. It's the Silva method if you're familiar with it. That's where-like I really got grounded and connected to myself in that telepathy. Just learning how to work with your own brain really is where you can learn to become quiet, where you can learn to have those conversations before they happen and manifest them. It's pretty incredible. I mean, Silva's, Whoa. If you haven't done it, just check out even just one book. It will open a lot of doors for you.

[00:10:28 - 00:10:55]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. And if you're into the videos Vishen Lakhiani that founded Mindvalley, it has retaught that course and that's where a lot of these concepts now are coming from. But that's basically it. It's the same set of concepts, right? You're trying to receive the images that the animals are sending to you and then send back a more directed conversation, if you will. Does that make sense?

[00:10:55 - 00:11:44]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes, you know, like as you or as I've progressed, as time has gone on, more things come in. Intuition starts to develop. Just there's just different things. Like I hear things and I smell things where in the very beginning, it wasn't as complex. I mean, I get full songs now where I'm like, I don't know what this means. But when I tell the pet parent, they're like, oh my gosh, I sing that song all the time. You know, there's a connection. So, I'm not always- Sometimes I'm just a conduit. Sometimes I'm just relaying a message like, "Hey, this is the message I got. Don't know if it means anything." But those are the ones that usually connect the most, when they have no relevance to me at all. They mean something to the other person. So, it's pretty incredible.

[00:11:45 - 00:12:02]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That's amazing. So, how do you actually do this? How do you connect with the animals? And then what does that process look like when you're working with families either during just trying to solve chronic illness pro problems or or actually end of life issues. 

[00:12:03 - 00:13:10]

Melissa Sherman: So I'll try to keep it not too out there, but it's you know, I get quiet with myself. I prepare every morning if I have animal communications or energy where I have essentially an altar. I put their pictures there. So I meditate with those animals. I bring them into my space and it's already starting to open that connection and then about 5 or 10 minutes before the session, again, I will bring their picture up. I start to introduce myself and you know welcome them into the space and it's really a heart connection and that's where I feel it the most. I can feel it in my heart and sometimes before the pet parent has even joined the call we're already going back and forth. I mean, it's funny because some animals are chatterboxes. They have a lot to say. Where and it's just like people. There's other animals that really, you know, they don't have too much to say or they're not conversationalists like some. So, it's very interesting because it's really different with every animal, but it comes from the heart. I open it up and then I just,  I can feel it. And the same thing with medical intuition.

[00:13:10 - 00:14:12]

So I perfected this in the Silva method as well where you, I either will project myself into the animal or I put them on me and then I can actually feel the sensations that they're feeling. So what I'm doing is I'm not diagnosing but I can say hey these are the symptoms I'm feeling or you know there's a little discomfort back here or you know something's going on with the liver. I don't know what it is. But what that will do is they can take that to the veterinarian or their chiropractor and say here's a list of symptoms, help. And then from there there can be a diagnosis or you know uh with a chiropractic adjustment sometimes it's like well we can't find it but it's this little thing and there's a big arrow to me saying look here and when they look there it's like oh okay. Yeah, it's pretty cool because I can really feel those sensations in my body and the symptoms.

[00:14:13 - 00:14:22]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Wow. And so I imagine that that can require some pretty heavy duty energy clearing for you afterwards.  

[00:14:22 - 00:14:22]

Melissa Sherman:  Yes. So before and after every session I do an energy clearing on myself. And you know it could be simple just a smoke cleanse which is just you know like an incense or a candle. Um, very simple or like what I showed you before, the brushing of the energy and just, you know, I have a protection, an energy bubble around me. So, I just put that back up and it's just a disconnection. So, even just wiping your hands, blow it off. Now, that connection between me and that animal, it's complete. So, there's a thanking, there's just kind of an appreciation and a disconnection, but.. It's good. So sometimes even right before the communication I'll be like “Argh what is that? Why is my shoulder hurting?” And then I realize it's not mine. So it is important to make sure that that separation does happen at the end. 

[00:15:16 - 00:15:27]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Makes sense. Makes total sense. So do you find that there are misconceptions that people have around the communication process or energy healing process? 

[00:15:28 - 00:16:58]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah. So, sometimes there's.. I get the request, I get this request a lot.. is just tell my cat to stop peeing on my bed or tell my dog to stop barking but it's not that's.. not what I do. So there is that misconception that I can just go and fix all the problems. I'm not a fixer. I'm a communicator. So it's like I'm the liaison. I'm the person that comes in and says hey this is what your dog feels about the situation. But through that, through that lens, we can say, "Oh, well, I thought he was just kind of being a jerk." And I don't think any animal's bad. I don't think any animal is doing something bad. I think we label them as bad behaviors. But that communication will give you another angle and say, "Oh, they're not bad. They're just really anxious because, you know, mom's over here kind of freaking out and the house is scary right now. They don't feel safe. So, they're barking at everything because they feel this responsibility to protect. So, there's a lot of little things that can just help change that for the whole household, too, because none of us want our animals to be suffering. So when we can take that word bad out of the equation and see what is really going on, it just opens, again, possibilities. How can we look at this and help it? So it's anxiety. So how can we make them feel safe and then we can go from there?

[00:16:59 - 00:17:25]

DR. Ruth Roberts: And that's so critical because until we can understand something in a different way then we really have no power to change it. So that is amazing, amazing work. So let's talk a little bit about how communication can fit into end of life care. I mean, one of the questions when I was practicing that I would get, “How will I know when it's time?” Is that where a lot of folks come to you? 

[00:17:25 - 00:19:57]

Melissa Sherman:  A lot. Yeah. So I always preface it by saying I can't make the decision for them. I can share where the animal is at. And that conversation, the initial conversation looks like, you know, “Where are you at in your journey?” Sometimes they know that it's, you know, they're declining and there's a transition happening. They usually will tell me like.. “Oh my gosh, I'm not ready. What are you talking about?” like “I just, my leg is kind of bummed or I have incontinence.” But like, they..  I can feel their spirit in them is so strong. So it's stuff like that. Like I'll do the whole body scan and feel how they feel? Are they suffering? Are they in incredible pain? Is there something that we can do that's more? Can we do some more quality of life care? You know, is it just increasing CBD or do they need something like a pharmaceutical pain medication? Right? So, there's that, but there's also the do you want help? Do you want assistance crossing over? Do you want to cross naturally? Because sometimes they just want to cross naturally. But I always suggest checking in a few times. Don't just base it on one. Because sometimes you're just having a bad day. I mean, I looked at my grandmother when she was declining. She had some really bad days where she's like, I don't want to do this anymore.

So, you have those days where you have those thoughts like, I'm ready. I'm ready. Just take me. Animals can do that too. So it's a process and you just want to look at the overall picture. So again, I can't say today's the day, but I can say it's near. This is what they want. But the most fun thing in this process is the bucket list. Helping with a bucket list. What are the last things they want to do? What are their favorite things to do? And relaying that to the pet parent. So, not only does it help them get presents with their animal, cuz “Oh my gosh, do we get hung up on that anxiety, that anticipatory anxiety that..” They're still here, so don't grieve them yet. They don't want you to grieve them yet, right? So, it's about being present. And I think that that end of life communication can kind of bring the person back into their body and say, "Oh, yeah, they are still here. Let's go on a car ride."  

[00:19:58 - 00:20:11]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. And I and that's great that you brought up the concept of a bucket list. I mean, when we say that, we think of sort of these wild extravagant things. And for pets, what are some typical examples of bucket list items? 

[00:20:11 - 00:21:00]

Melissa Sherman:  Really, sometimes it's so simple as alone time. I want alone time. If it's a household with other pets or even just other humans, like they want that alone time. Sometimes it's with each person. They like to go outdoors, car ride. A couple of weeks ago, someone or someone a dog wanted a party, a celebration of life because their birthday was in a few months, but you know, it didn't look like they were going to make it that far, but let's just celebrate life. So, there's a request where um it's just it's fun. They're simple. They're simple, and it is. It's about just reconnecting and just spending time. And they want to be in that space of love, not anxiety and grief. 

[00:21:01 - 00:21:17]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Amen. And it's really hard for us to do that. I think our society is really uh, hellbent to not die. And so that makes dealing with that process very difficult. That's not in your frame of reference. 

[00:21:17 - 00:21:41]

Melissa Sherman: There's definitely a lot of, you know, don't let your animal suffer. Don't. So, there's a lot of fear that comes around that end of life instead of just being present. We're just focusing on when's the right time. I don't want them... But that's it's we get caught up in the wrong things kind of out of fear and out of shame instead of just being present

[00:21:41 - 00:22:55]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Amen to that. So, have there been, other than the things they want to do, have there been any really meaningful or memorable messages that you've received from animals who are nearing the end of their lives?

[00:21:56 - 00:22:43]

Melissa Sherman:  I think the most meaningful thing is, when they share memories. They share memories of a time when they were younger and some of the favorite things that they did. And it comes to me like almost like a movie. That's for me that's what memories look like to the animal is it it it almost looks like an old movie like it's clicking and when I relay that again it brings that person back to that moment when they and we're when everything was just fun and fine and we're not even thinking about death we're just having a great time but just that reminder that this was an important part of my life and I want to remind my human of this really fun time that we had together. So, I think some of those memories are just the most impactful.

[00:22:44 - 00:23:41]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That is so amazing. I had.. the very first experience I had with an animal communicator was probably 25 years ago and I had a dog named Arnold who was just, he looked like Falco from the Never- Ending Story and children would run up to him and say, " Falco, Falco." And he's just like, "Yes, I am." But as he got older, and he lived to be quite old, he told the animal communicator, "Why doesn't she call me her handsome man anymore?" And I was like, "Oh, buddy, I'm so sorry." But that's it. I mean, it's like, "Oh my god, he's so old and he looks like a bag of bones." And so that's where my head was instead of how much I loved him and how much love he brought into my life and into the lives of others. So that was like, oh, swift kick upside the head to remind me. 

[00:23:42 - 00:23:48]

Melissa Sherman:  Yeah. And it's just that one little thing that you're like, aha, okay, I got it. I get it. 

[00:23:48 - 00:24:22]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. Right on. But that goes to what you were saying earlier.

Those were the pictures I was showing him instead of the love that was still in him.  And that was a big big lesson for me. Um yeah, I mean these guys, wow. So are there any, So I guess do you have clients that will be like ah “Can we talk really, can you talk with Sporro today and see if see what's going on? I'm really not sure if it's today or not.” Have you had that situation? 

[00:24:23 - 00:24:47]

Melissa Sherman: I do. So, I generally offer an end of life package with that. With check-ins. So, there's like a, you know, 15 minute check-in point where we'll check in and just say, "Okay, this is what the medical scan looks like now. This is how their spirit is. This is how they're feeling today." So, something like that's a really good way to check in and just see how we're doing week to week. 

[00:24:47 - 00:25:23]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. And how I mean it's very interesting like in Buddhist cultures in Japan they don't euthanize animals because that's in contradiction to Buddhist teachings but in we're very uncomfortable about that in most of most other western cultures about letting them die naturally and even on the human side I think  uh a lot of hospices is to make it not so scary for the family. So, how do they feel about like wanting to pass naturally versus euthanasia?

[00:25:23 - 00:26:08]

Melissa Sherman:  So, it does vary animal to animal, but if they're truly suffering, they will ask for help. They'll ask because they're in excruciating pain. But a lot of them also just kind of are like, "Hey, I just want to go naturally." But it is they don't want their human to suffer either. So there is that awareness with them. But yeah, I think umm going naturally has a really bad rap here because like you mentioned culturally we're not prepared for it. We kind of don't talk about it. It's just very taboo. However, all of us are going to die. Everything, you know, it shouldn't be taboo because it happens to all of us.

[00:26:08 - 00:26:11]

DR. Ruth Roberts: It's just going to happen. Yeah, it is.

[00:26:11 - 00:27:10]

Melissa Sherman: Right. And but we're so uncomfortable with being uncomfortable, whether that's a conversation or if it's death and pain and discomfort, it's hard for us to sit with it because culturally we avoid it, right? We just push it away. If there's anything that's uncomfortable, it's like, "Okay, go away now." So, we can learn ourselves though to just be able to kind of hold that space, be uncomfortable with whoever's going through that, and they're uncomfortable, too. So you know if you want to do a natural death, prepare yourself. It's not, it is not easy. It is, there is suffering. So you know you want to be aware of that before you go in and say hey I'm going to go do this. I'm going to, I want a natural death for my dog or cat. Just make sure you prepare yourself. I mean, I'm happy to have conversations with people, too, because it is, it's a process and it can be fast and it can be long. 

[00:27:11 - 00:27:31] 

DR. Ruth Roberts: Yeah, it can. And that's it. I mean, I think that's where there are the Lap of Love and several other organizations that are available to help families with essentially a hospice situation to help alleviate some of the suffering but not to negate that natural process.  

[00:27:32 - 00:27:33]

Melissa Sherman: Right. Right. 

[00:27:33 - 00:27:52]

DR. Ruth Roberts: So, you know, ultimately when many people have to make that decision to euthanize or the pet has already died, one of the common things that pops up is guilt and grief and uncertainty about the decision that they made. Have you been able to support families around these issues?

[00:27:53 - 00:29:28]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah. So, there, I don't I haven't met anybody that's made the decision for euthanasia and doesn't feel guilt afterwards cuz it's heavy. It's a heavy decision. There's relief in knowing that the animals, they don't hold on to it. They appreciate it and they're not holding on to that last moment. They're holding on to that whole life. So you know one thing I would say is don't hold on to that last moment. You did that out of love. You made that decision from love. You didn't make that decision with anything else in your heart. So hold on to that and remember that and it offers relief to connect with them after they've passed too. You know there's this relief and knowing they are still here. That love doesn't go away. So I've had people that are afraid. It takes them years to connect with their animal again. You know, I had a gentleman. the picture he had, one picture of his dog and it was so blurry and it was ripped in half and I was even just like, I hoped I could do this, but I couldn't. The energy of that animal was so strong, but just that reconnection. He had such an emotional release from that. Just knowing all this guilt he held in his heart, the fear that his dog wouldn't talk to him again. That wasn't the case. So, it is not the case. I've never experienced that being the case.  They let things go and we know that from everyday life, too, right? Like they're like, "Are you so mad?

[00:29:29 - 00:29:36]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Get over it. I was over that three days ago. Come on. Let's move on, shall we?"  Exactly.  We're wasting time. Come on. Let's go pee on trees.

[00:29:36 - 00:29:38]

Melissa Sherman: Exactly. 

[00:29:39 - 00:30:00]

DR. Ruth Roberts: So having said that, but I mean for us whether it's a pet or a person we've lost, sometimes there are rituals, tools, practices that help us stay connected with those we've lost. Are there things that you help people develop to support that connection to pets after they've gone on?  

[00:30:00 - 00:31:04]

Melissa Sherman: So there's a few things I like to, and it's about what feels good to the person. So, I do suggest a few different things. The most basic thing would be just a simple altar. And you don't have to make this big elaborate thing. It can just be a little shelf, a little desk, just something that you can put their pictures, their bowls, things that you can go over there. I mean, there's times on my altar, I'll bring my cat a treat. I mean, it's just it's very symbolic, but it's a way that I feel connected. I feel like, oh, this is her favorite treat. and I put that on the altar and it makes me feel connected again. So having a special place where you can have this ritual where you talk to them, where you see them, where you honor them instead of just shoving it all in a box and never thinking about it again. It's a way to keep them present in your life and talk about them. Talk about them with other people. I mean, that's a way to keep them alive, too. With humans as well, that memory, as long as we keep that memory alive, they're always with us.

[00:31:04 - 00:31:17]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. Do you have a favorite story or a moment that you can remember from your work that really highlights the power of communication with these guys during end of life care?

[00:31:18 - 00:31:47]

Melissa Sherman: Yes. So I think I think well of the story that I started to share about the gentleman. I think that's probably one of the most powerful stories that is the afterlife though. But the dog was showing me these. He's on a mountain on a cliff and he was howling and the dog was half wolf. I did not know that. I thought it was a husky. And he, umm, he had a Tibetan scarf on him. Thought that was very random. 

This man had been in Tibet. He had spent a lot of time there. So powerful and meaningful to him. But for the end of life, just I think the one story that was the most powerful was recently a dog just shared this. It was an image of a lake, mountains and sitting on a bench with her mom and just sitting there while her mom was running around with her hair on fire. And she said, "Oh my gosh, that's actually my backyard." So, it was a bench in her backyard that I was describing and that's all the dog wanted to do. But that slowed mom down enough that the next few weeks that she had with her dog were so connected. She was so present. Yes, there's tears. Yes, there's emotions. It's not all that goes away. However, there's no regrets. She had no regrets. And that's the thing that I hear afterwards is because of this information, I had no regrets. It doesn't make that pain of saying goodbye any easier, but it, you know, in a sense, I guess it

does because you don't have that, oh my gosh, what was I  doing? Why was I stuck with anxiety when I could have been playing with her for the last two months, right? So, I think it's very powerful. 

[00:33:15 - 00:33:23]

DR. Ruth Roberts: That is an incredible story and really that's all they want really is for us to just hold still long enough and just be present.

[00:33:23 - 00:33:24]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah, exactly.

[00:33:24 - 00:33:38]

DR. Ruth Roberts: So, yeah, this is very intense work. And over the years, have you found that this has shifted your own perspective on life loss and healing?  

[00:33:39 - 00:34:27]

Melissa Sherman: 100%. Yeah, I was definitely guilty of being fearful of dying and waking up every morning and looking at my dogs that were maybe two years old at the time and like, "Oh my god, there's going to be a day you're not in my life." Like living my life like that, living their life like that.  This shifted it to the fact that we're all connected all the time. It doesn't matter if we're physically present or we're not. There is something. There is something that still is connecting us. And that gave me so much peace to know the end is not just the end. We still have each other. Our animals are here. Despite what anybody says, there is still that energy imprint there. There's still that love.

So being able to just shift into being mindful and living every day, not knowing what tomorrow is going to be, but I'm not going to live in that fear of, “Oh my god, there's going to be a day you're not going to be here!”. I mean, I would cry, there's going to be a day because  I had so much love. I mean, I still have so much love for my animals, but it's so much love and it's so big that fear of losing that. You don't lose it. It's just a little different, but they're still always right there for you. 

[00:34:57 - 00:35:06]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Right on. Right on. Before we wrap up, is there anything we haven't touched that you think is important for folks to understand?

[00:35:07 - 00:35:48]

Melissa Sherman: Yeah. Um, go easy on yourself with all of this. And sometimes it takes being a little brave and stepping outside of your comfort zone and maybe call an animal communicator. See what the options are. See what you have. See what kind of support you can get. You don't have to do any of this alone. And that is another very great American thing that we all have been cultured to do. We have a community. So reach out to people. Meet your people. Meet your community. Ask for help. Ask for support. I mean, someone that does this for a living, whether it's myself or another animal communicator. They're not going to shame you and they're not going to think anything's wrong with you.

Like, we're here to support you and just help you through it. It's scary. So, we're here to hold your hand through it and support you. So, sometimes it's just that brave thing of sending the email or setting the appointment or making that call to ask for help. And it doesn't mean you're failing at anything. It's just we all need help. We all need that support. So, be brave enough to ask for it. 

[00:36:15 - 00:36:50]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Wise words. Wise words. This has been an incredibly heartfelt communication and I think very enlightening because there's a lot of weirdness around this topic. Around end of life care and kind of understanding that and and especially using animal communication to help facilitate what's best for that animal. So, where can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your work at Calming Creek?  

[00:36:50 - 00:36:59]

Melissa Sherman: So, my website is calmingcreek.com or you can find me on any of the socials, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube at Calming Creek.  

[00:37:00 - 00:37:09]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Wonderful. Melissa Sherman from Calmingcreek.com. Thank you so much. Any last important message that you want to get out there?

[00:37:09 - 00:37:28]

Melissa Sherman: Just live for in the moment and love your animal. Just, you know, feel your feelings, but always come back to center and just love. So, let that anxiety go. I know that I'm making it sound easy. I know it's not that easy, but really, when you're with your animal, be present with them.

[00:37:29 - 00:37:44]

DR. Ruth Roberts: Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you so much. For all of our listeners, there's a new episode coming up soon. Stay tuned. Check it out. Like us, love us, share it with your friends, get the word out. We want to help you help your pets better. Thanks for listening to Healing Tails, where pet parents become healers one tail wag at a time. Want more tools and support? Head to drruthroberts.com. Until next time, trust your gut, question the noise, and keep showing up for your pet.

📚 Educational & Professional Resources

  • Holistic Pet Health Coach Certification Program
    Taught by Dr. Ruth Roberts, this program provides comprehensive training in whole-food nutrition, chronic disease support, and integrative care. 
  • The Silva Method
    A mind development and intuition training technique that helped Melissa enhance her telepathic communication and intuitive healing.
    Recommended for deepening self-awareness and intuitive skills.
  • Mindvalley / Vishen Lakhiani’s Silva Ultramind System
    A modern delivery of the Silva Method, available via Mindvalley, emphasizing intuition, visualization, and emotional mastery.
  • Medical Intuition / Body Scan Techniques

Energy-based body scans to detect imbalances or discomfort in animals.
Clarification for listeners: This is not a diagnostic tool but can guide veterinarians or pet chiropractors by pinpointing areas of concern.

  Testing Tools Referenced 

  • Chiropractic evaluation
    Helps locate physical misalignments that may be causing pain.
  • Energy-based environmental assessments
    Used by holistic practitioners to detect stressors in a pet’s surroundings.
  • Symptom checklists or communication sessions
    Aid in tracking physical and emotional changes across multiple check-ins, especially during end-of-life care.

📋 Emotional Tools & End-of-Life Support

Pet Bucket List

A tool Melissa Sherman uses to help pet parents shift from anticipatory grief to meaningful presence in their pet's final days. These are simple, personalized experiences the pet wants to enjoy one last time — such as:

  • Car rides
  • Quiet alone time
  • Sitting outside together
  • A celebration of life

🎧 Listen to More Episodes

More Pet Advice

Looking for more ways to support your pet’s health naturally? Explore our growing collection of resources. From blog articles and product reviews to weekly live events with our HPHC coaches, you’ll find real-life advice and practical tips you can actually use.