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Pet owners turning to psychics who claim they can speak to animals telepathically
Mr Ezekiel Ong (in blue) "reading" the mind of 15-year-old maltese dog Si Si, the pet of Mr Daryl Ng and his wife Sherlynn Ong. Ms Ong says he saved her dog's life by alerting her to its inflamed pancreas.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
PUBLISHED
JUN 1, 2018, 5:00 AM SGT
FACEBOOKTWITTER
They pay up to $200 an hour to people who claim they can talk to animals telepathically
Gracia Lee
Some pet owners will go to extremes to spoil their animals - and now there is a new trend catching on that makes animal whispering appear passe.
Animal lovers have been hiring people who claim they can speak to the animals telepathically, even remotely, and are paying them $150 or more per session.
Animal trainers' doubts have not stopped the owners from seeking out pet psychics like Mr Ezekiel Ong, 29.
The full-time teacher claims he can hear an animal speak just by meditating on a photo of it, and can "enter" the animal's body and feel its aches and pains. Mr Ong sees about four clients a month.
It appears the pet owners are willing to let their money, and their furry friends, do the talking.
Take Ms Tia Tan, 36, who has up to 16 clients a week. Ms Tan, who prefers the term animal communicator, said business has grown threefold in about three years. She went full-time a year ago after leaving her personal assistant job.
Other animal communicators estimate about a 50 per cent increase in customers since they started some five to eight years ago.
Corporate communication executive Lynda Goh, 47, who practises animal communication, said: "Pets are like family and (owners) want to know what is on their minds."
She does not charge a fee but asks for donations for the animal shelter she volunteers at. On average, she receives $200 per session.
In a typical "distance session", a client sends up to three photos of their pet over WhatsApp, with questions they want to ask. The animal communicator then relays the pet's answers over the phone.
Pet owners typically want to know their pet's preferences better, understand why they behave in certain ways or find out how they can help their sick pets feel more comfortable.
Animal communicators are also engaged to find lost pets and claim they have a 50 to 70 per cent success rate. They point to their social media pages and the positive feedback they have received.
Remote sessions can cost up to $150 each. Animal communicators also do visits and read animals in person, which can cost up to $200 per hour.
Professional dog trainer Patrick Wong, who has trained more than 15,000 dogs over 33 years, does not believe in telepathic animal communication, especially when it claims to be able to change animal behaviour.
"Dogs behave according to incentives and bad experiences," said Mr Wong, who owns dog training company Waggies. "If you want to achieve good results in dog training, you have to work hard and train your dog."
But pet owners who have tried it out have no doubts Rover can send its thoughts to humans.
Property agent Sherlynn Ong said she decided to give the service a try despite initial scepticism.
During a session with her pet Maltese, which she paid $150 for, the animal communicator said he sensed there was a problem in the area around its stomach.
Ms Ong, 28, then took the dog to the veterinarian and insisted on an ultrasound, which revealed that it had an inflamed pancreas. "I was quite impressed. He saved my dog's life," said Ms Ong.
Dr Enoka Bandularatne, senior veterinarian at Woodgrove Veterinary Services, said: "I do think there's some truth to it. We can't limit ourselves to science."
But she added that she does not refer her patients to animal communicators as it is an "enigma".
Full-time animal communicator Amy Lim, 51, is not fazed by the sceptics. "I do my best to help clients understand the animal. Whether they believe it or not is up to them."
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 01, 2018, with the headline 'Pet owners turning to animal psychics'. Print Edition | Subscribe
Pet owners turning to psychics who claim they can speak to animals telepathically
Mr Ezekiel Ong (in blue) "reading" the mind of 15-year-old maltese dog Si Si, the pet of Mr Daryl Ng and his wife Sherlynn Ong. Ms Ong says he saved her dog's life by alerting her to its inflamed pancreas.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
PUBLISHED
JUN 1, 2018, 5:00 AM SGT
FACEBOOKTWITTER
They pay up to $200 an hour to people who claim they can talk to animals telepathically
Gracia Lee
Some pet owners will go to extremes to spoil their animals - and now there is a new trend catching on that makes animal whispering appear passe.
Animal lovers have been hiring people who claim they can speak to the animals telepathically, even remotely, and are paying them $150 or more per session.
Animal trainers' doubts have not stopped the owners from seeking out pet psychics like Mr Ezekiel Ong, 29.
The full-time teacher claims he can hear an animal speak just by meditating on a photo of it, and can "enter" the animal's body and feel its aches and pains. Mr Ong sees about four clients a month.
It appears the pet owners are willing to let their money, and their furry friends, do the talking.
Take Ms Tia Tan, 36, who has up to 16 clients a week. Ms Tan, who prefers the term animal communicator, said business has grown threefold in about three years. She went full-time a year ago after leaving her personal assistant job.
Other animal communicators estimate about a 50 per cent increase in customers since they started some five to eight years ago.
Corporate communication executive Lynda Goh, 47, who practises animal communication, said: "Pets are like family and (owners) want to know what is on their minds."
She does not charge a fee but asks for donations for the animal shelter she volunteers at. On average, she receives $200 per session.
In a typical "distance session", a client sends up to three photos of their pet over WhatsApp, with questions they want to ask. The animal communicator then relays the pet's answers over the phone.
Pet owners typically want to know their pet's preferences better, understand why they behave in certain ways or find out how they can help their sick pets feel more comfortable.
Animal communicators are also engaged to find lost pets and claim they have a 50 to 70 per cent success rate. They point to their social media pages and the positive feedback they have received.
Remote sessions can cost up to $150 each. Animal communicators also do visits and read animals in person, which can cost up to $200 per hour.
Professional dog trainer Patrick Wong, who has trained more than 15,000 dogs over 33 years, does not believe in telepathic animal communication, especially when it claims to be able to change animal behaviour.
"Dogs behave according to incentives and bad experiences," said Mr Wong, who owns dog training company Waggies. "If you want to achieve good results in dog training, you have to work hard and train your dog."
But pet owners who have tried it out have no doubts Rover can send its thoughts to humans.
Property agent Sherlynn Ong said she decided to give the service a try despite initial scepticism.
During a session with her pet Maltese, which she paid $150 for, the animal communicator said he sensed there was a problem in the area around its stomach.
Ms Ong, 28, then took the dog to the veterinarian and insisted on an ultrasound, which revealed that it had an inflamed pancreas. "I was quite impressed. He saved my dog's life," said Ms Ong.
Dr Enoka Bandularatne, senior veterinarian at Woodgrove Veterinary Services, said: "I do think there's some truth to it. We can't limit ourselves to science."
But she added that she does not refer her patients to animal communicators as it is an "enigma".
Full-time animal communicator Amy Lim, 51, is not fazed by the sceptics. "I do my best to help clients understand the animal. Whether they believe it or not is up to them."
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 01, 2018, with the headline 'Pet owners turning to animal psychics'. Print Edition | Subscribe
