January 22, 2025 • 31 mins
Welcome to Peace of Mind for Pet Parents!🐾
In this episode, Gail Pope, the visionary behind BrightHaven, shares the inspiring story of how the sanctuary began and evolved into a pioneering center for holistic animal care. From serendipitous encounters to transformative lessons from the animals themselves, Gail recounts the heartwarming and life-changing experiences that shaped BrightHaven's early years.
Whether you’re curious about holistic care, inspired by stories of unconditional love, or eager to learn about the human-animal bond, this episode is a moving introduction to BrightHaven’s remarkable journey.
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Learn More from BrightHaven Caregiver Academy For free resources, upcoming workshops, and a supportive community dedicated to navigating life with your aging or ill pet:
- Visit our website: brightpathforpets.com
- Join us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@brighthaven_animals
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Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes and not a substitute for professional advice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Gail Pope (00:01):
Welcome to Peace of Mind for Pet Parents, the podcast by BrightHaven Caregiver Academy.
I'm Gail Pope.
Karen Wylie (00:09):
And I'm Karen Wylie.
And together we're here to support you in navigating life with your aging or ill pets.
We know how deeply you care for your beloved companions, and we're here to offer guidance, understanding, and resources for this meaningful journey.
Gail Pope (00:25):
Each episode, we'll explore topics that address the daily challenges, emotional realities, and choices you face as a pet parent, helping you and your pets find peace, comfort, and joy.
Whether it's making sense of a new diagnosis, adjusting to changing needs, or simply seeking a place to feel understood, you're not alone.
(00:48):
Thank you for being here with us.
Karen Wylie (00:52):
Welcome to Peace of Mind for Pet Parents.
I'm Karen Wylie here with Gail Pope and today we're going to be discussing the beginning of BrightHaven and how BrightHaven evolved into the holistic sanctuary it became.
So Gail.
(01:13):
Why don't you get the party started here and, and tell us how, how you started BrightHaven because it wasn't BrightHaven at the very beginning, right?
Gail Pope (01:25):
That's correct.
Well, actually to me, it's, there's a much bigger story, a much bigger story than how, how did BrightHaven evolve?
Because I think it's how I evolved is almost the beginning.
And it's all about.
Maybe destiny.
And the belief that has grown within me as I've learned more and more about the world that we inhabit, that there may be a plan for our lives before we're born, that we come into this world with a, a knowing, but when we are born, we don't remember that.
(02:00):
Anyway.
So the story of BrightHaven to me would begin when I was five years old.
And I told my mom and dad that when I grew up, I was going to be an animal doctor and an air hostess lady.
And I never quite did achieve both of those.
But, and I have no memory of ever saying that now.
It was purely, you know, my mum reminding me.
(02:23):
However, the years went by and my whole life was serendipity.
And I think maybe I've, looking back, I first noticed it when I met Richard.
We got engaged.
Well, we literally fell in love when, at our first kiss, a couple of hours after we'd met and something happened.
(02:44):
We both knew that we would be together for a lifetime and we were for 62 years.
Another knowing, I think it was after we got married, Richard, knew, he said to me one day, we're going to live in America one day.
And I said, oh my gosh, yes, I feel that too.
So there again was a something, there was a path, a destiny.
(03:08):
It wasn't obvious in daily life.
We lived in England, obviously, you can tell by my accent that I'd never got rid of.
And life went on.
And then in '86, Richard was transferred by his company to Southern California and to a whole new life.
And it was, it was a crazy and difficult time, I'd say, because Richard worked.
(03:32):
I didn't have a work permit, so I couldn't work initially.
I was in a strange new land where, I mean, just a silly anecdote, but it meant so much, where I would go into a grocery store, which was so huge.
And they insisted on packing my purchases in England, that never happened.
You know, you had, you brought your bag and you packed your own stuff.
(03:54):
So it was a whole change, a whole change.
And I was nearing the age of 40.
And it became a joke.
Airline friends that would come and stay for a weekend, family, everybody would say, "So what's Gail going to do when she grows up?"
No, because I was nearly 40.
When I'm, "when she's 40, what's she going to do?"
Karen Wylie (04:16):
Well, it's midlife crisis time for a lot of people.
Gail Pope (04:18):
Exactly.
It was, it totally was.
Midlife in a strange country with no idea.
I mean, we had always had dogs and cats,
never more than two of each.
And I think we brought two dogs and one cat from England when we moved here.
But if you'd have asked me, "Gail, do you think your future is going to be in the animal world?"
(04:42):
I would have said no.
No, I don't know.
Maybe we'll have another cat or two.
And in fact, we did our son rescued one.
My son's girlfriend actually was instrumental in this rescuing gosh, Gloria, she was deaf and blind and she was 25 and she was unbelievable.
She was just this most gorgeous lady, but again, nothing, it didn't really dawn on me that it was to be a career for me in any shape or form.
(05:11):
I visited a cat sanctuary
and I was kind of excited, but very, very sad after that day because the animals seemed happy, but this situation just, it wasn't really like a home.
So I think that had some impact on me.
(05:31):
Again, baby steps.
Another little thing happened.
I met a lady, I think in the grocery store, who was talking about animal rescue and you know, how much we both loved animals and we, we, we had a lot in common.
And she invited me to go to one of their board meetings, which I did.
And I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them again.
It was them, nothing to do with me.
(05:52):
And then literally I don't know how long after that I was driving up the 405 freeway with my daughter and I suddenly said, "Oh my God, I know what I want to do with the rest of my life."
Just like that.
And she said, "seriously, mom?"
I said, "Yes, I want, I want to have my own rescue."
(06:16):
The word sanctuary didn't come in there.
I want to have my own rescue.
I want to rescue cats and I just want to find them homes.
That's what I want to do.
And then I, I drove home and I called Richard and he said, "You know what you want to do with the rest of your life?"
And I said, yes, I do.
I, you know, he said, "Oh, should I be sitting down?"
(06:40):
Possibly.
So I told him and he said, "Well, we better start house hunting."
We had a very small suite,
little house, which certainly wouldn't have worked as a rescue.
And so we did.
We house hunted actually for almost a year, and we found the perfect place in the perfect canyon, and we started Cats Are People Too.
(07:02):
And I thoroughly enjoyed doing that, except Gosh, I could talk for hours.
You shouldn't have asked me this question.
Karen Wylie (07:10):
Keep it going, keep it going.
Gail Pope (07:12):
We did, we did this for two years and then, I mean, there were so many stories along the way.
I'm trying to skip as much as possible, but one of our cats got adopted.
A really lovely elderly lady came and She wanted to adopt Sabrina, who was just, you know, have some touch your heart more than others.
(07:36):
And she was perfect, the perfect home.
So we signed all the papers and she got in her car and she drove off down the drive and Richard and I stood there and I turned to look at him and he had a tear running down the side of his face.
And we looked at each other and he said, like, I can't do this anymore.
I just can't do it.
And I was like, I can't either.
(07:57):
This is awful.
I, we love these animals and then we find them wonderful homes, but they break our hearts leaving.
So basically at that point, failed fosters.
It was failed foster situation.
We went indoors, we sat down.
We each had a glass of wine and we decided to talk it out.
What are we going to do?
(08:19):
And the only thing we came up with, or I guess I did, was, well, the only thing we could do is to actually have, I mean, it's kind of selfish, but if we only accept animals that are unadoptable elsewhere, that kind of solves the problem.
It did.
Now, if you'd have shown me a picture of my life at that point, you know, this wonderful book of all the work you're going to be doing and the animals by the hundreds who will be dying in your care because you don't adopt them out, I would have run screaming.
(08:56):
That book wasn't shown to me.
And so without any further ado, we dived into, into that work.
The animals that we had with us stayed.
They, they got under, they stayed under the umbrella of cats are people too.
And it was probably, I don't know, another year or so, at least before it dawned on us that we had a few dogs.
(09:20):
We'd actually brought in, I think, five horses.
We had some chickens.
It's like Cats Are People Too
doesn't kind of fit anymore.
Does it?
So that's when we revamped the whole organization.
One evening, one night, we, well it was early one morning, we were lying in bed and One of our old ladies, Zsa Zsa, a little, little teeny tabby in her twenties, was lying on the bed and we were lying in bed talking about what we'd got to do and getting up for the day.
(09:51):
And the sun came in and it just had this bright light, right, focused on Zsa Zsa.
And that's where the name BrightHaven came from.
So that's where it all began.
And again, the journey from then onwards.
Again, if you'd have shown me the book of the medical care, the end of life care, none of it fitted.
(10:14):
It was all about loving and caring for these animals.
That's it.
That's all it was.
Karen Wylie (10:19):
And not wanting
to let them go.
And I did get a job with a local veterinarian who became one of my best friends ever.
And he taught me pretty much everything he knew about conventional medicine.
And he also instilled in me.
the idea of holistic medicine.
(10:40):
Not really anything more than that.
And I was a little like, well, you know, I've got this, I know what medicine to give for this and that, the other.
And I had the perfect place to work.
And if any of the animals weren't well, I could take them to Doug and he would, he would do whatever was necessary.
So again, the holistic mindset wasn't part of anything for me.
(11:02):
It was just not existent in those days.
I didn't even really understand it.
And so it was something that began to evolve for you, though.
So, which aspects of holistic care did you find yourself bringing into your daily care at the beginning as you began to make this, this change and incorporate some of the holistic approach, a more holistic approach?
Gail Pope (11:28):
That's another huge question.
Well I had a lady come who wanted to volunteer and her name was Vicki, Vicki Allinson.
She died several years ago and she basically was responsible for making a huge amount of change in our life because she was an animal communicator.
So That didn't sit too well with me because instantly she's voodoo.
(11:52):
I didn't trust her at all.
She talked about animal communication.
She would tell me things the animals had said or wanted.
And, you know, I tried to ignore it for the most part.
And then she started talking to me about changing the diet and that my animals should have a better diet and they would live longer and be healthier and happier.
(12:13):
Again.
Voodoo, not going there.
And you know, I was working in the veterinary profession and we had a huge donation.
It was like $600 worth of dried food.
And so I was very focused on their eating the best food they could.
And it was after a cat called Jessica died.
(12:36):
Vicki said to me, I think your animals could be healthier.
And you know, if you just step lightly to The holistic side of medicine and feeding it, you might see a difference.
Why, why don't you just give it a try?
So after an awful lot of coercion, I did, and I started feeding a raw diet.
(12:59):
And literally two weeks after I started feeding, The change in the animals.
I mean, they said, well, for someone like me, you have to see a miracle before you believe it in those days.
Now I'm a little more open to them.
But at that time I walked into this one room, we had lots of different rooms in the house and I walked into one of the rooms where A little family of Burmese cats had taken up root on a couch and it was like their house.
(13:26):
They loved it there.
Now the eldest one was Chocolate Chip.
He was 21, I think at the time and he was, he was a stick insect.
His legs were about that, that thick.
He was gangly.
He was just the most charming, sweet old man.
And when he walked, it was like, He struggled, but he ate quite well, and he was content.
(13:50):
He slept a lot, and his family, Brownie and Dickens, were always with him.
They were elderly, too.
And so what I'd done, or actually what Richard had done, was to create a very careful stepping arrangement so that he could get up onto the couch because he couldn't jump at all.
He could barely manage the steps.
They were, they grew and changed as, as he, his mobility declined.
(14:14):
So two weeks after starting feeding raw diet, I walk into the room in time to see him jump.
Not from the floor to the steps, but from the floor onto the arm of the couch, which was quite high.
And that stopped me in my tracks.
And I guess I started waking up and I started seeing cats playing with toys that I hadn't seen before.
(14:37):
I started, there was a whole level of energy that started to change and other people noticed it too.
So, Hey, we kind of continued that, that path and then I think, my goodness, Christina Chambreau, a wonderful, wonderful veterinarian, came into my life again, courtesy of Vicki.
(14:57):
Cindy, a cat who was nearing the end of her life, she was in end stage renal failure, and I needed to go to the office to have her euthanized.
I didn't have anybody there at the sanctuary to take care of the animals, and so I called Vicki and asked if she could please come.
And she said, No, I'm sorry, I can't make it.
(15:18):
But you know, why don't you?
You, you know, I can find someone to talk to you and help you with this.
And I said, No, you know, there's nothing can be done.
I know about this stuff.
A few minutes later, the telephone rang and a voice said, Oh, hello, may I speak to Gail Pope?
This is
Dr. Christina Chambreau.
(15:39):
And I said, Oh, you're speaking.
and she said, I understand you have a kitty who's approaching the end of her life and I'm wondering if I could offer you some help.
So me being the experienced person I was, informed her that, oh, you know, Vicki didn't really quite understand and, you know, the cat is dying and it's her time and so I need to have her euthanized.
(16:06):
And then there was, Christina loves this story too, I remember it so clearly.
And then there was kind of a little silence and Christina said in her very official veterinary voice excuse me, who's the vet here, you or me?
And I about died and I was like, oh God, I am so sorry.
She said, well, I tell you what, why don't you just sit down with you know, with, with your cat and just cuddle her, just cuddle her and let's talk and let's just see where the conversation goes.
(16:41):
I didn't have any options so I sat down feeling kind of, I was a little embarrassed at that point too.
So I sat down and at the end of the conversation she, she said, okay, here's, this is my prescription.
I'm going to call Vicki because I know you can't leave and she will bring the medicine to you.
(17:02):
Long story short, Vicki came armed with a homeopathic remedy, which Cindy took, and long story short, she recovered and she lived for not a huge amount more time, but it was more than several months.
And then again, she died very peacefully.
(17:23):
Christina treated her all the way through the rest of her life.
And it was a blessed experience.
Then Christina actually took the bull by the horns and she made phone calls to, actually I think it was 24 veterinarians, homeopathic veterinarians that she knew.
And she asked them if they'd be willing to just work with one animal for us.
(17:45):
And that's where my journey into homeopathy began.
And then pretty much the same thing happened with the amazing Greg Tilford from Animal Essentials.
Amazing herbalist.
He came to visit with his wife actually one day and He made some comments, and he talked, and he talked, and he charmed me, and then he donated some products for us to try, and there we were on yet another path.
(18:12):
Do you really want me to keep going with this conversation?
Karen Wylie (18:18):
I have a feeling that, that there is a, we can come to an, a closing point a little bit more as you talk about a few more, a few more alternative methods that you began to integrate into your care, like Reiki.
Gail Pope (18:36):
Yes.
Reiki didn't actually come in the early days, that came later, but I think the understanding of the natural dying process was the big part that came, and again, that was courtesy of Vicki, who I wanted to, I needed her to come and help me so I could get to the I could get to the vets to have Mariah euthanized.
(19:00):
She was in her twenties, it was time for her to die, and I was very focused on taking her to the vets.
And Vicki told me, Sorry, I can't come.
So you're going to have to go and sit outside.
Take her outside.
Sit under the old oak tree and cuddle her, this is a much longer story, really, but she argued with me, you know, just go do this.
(19:24):
She asked me lots of questions.
Looking back, I realized she knew what she was talking about.
She asked me about Mariah's mobility when she lost weight.
You know, what her eyes were looking like.
She asked some very relevant questions.
She said, go sit under the old oak tree.
And so I did.
And an hour or so later, Mariah was lying in my lap, and she gave a couple of very gentle sighs.
(19:50):
She turned and looked at me, and she died.
And it was so beautiful.
It was so easy.
It was so peaceful.
I sobbed.
I sobbed.
I sobbed some more.
And then I blamed myself for not having euthanized her.
(20:14):
And it took me several months before I was able to actually see the beauty of what had happened.
I think my fear and, I don't know, but I did not see the beauty of what had happened to her in her dying process.
And that was a huge lesson.
(20:34):
That was a huge, huge lesson.
And so working particularly with, with our homeopathic veterinarians, as well as our local veterinarians, you know, we worked with a balance of all sorts of medicine.
Little by little we established, we then started to call the menu for healing and the sanctuary had relocated to Northern California.
(20:57):
And it was then that.
The next bell went off.
It's like, Oh my God, we've learned so much.
People see the work.
They see the response in our animals.
We understand what we do now.
Wow.
So we started offering seminars.
That's when Reiki came in.
Kathleen Prasad was our very first teacher.
(21:18):
And she taught me the most wonderful lesson that very first day, she did a tour of the sanctuary and she saw cats scooting on their bottoms, dogs in wheelchairs, a pig that could only sit down and not stand up.
You know, we had a lot of senior, special needs, disabled, chronically ill.
(21:38):
So, we It was a very different environment, very different environment for most people to come into and Kathleen toured with me and after the tour, I offered her a cup of tea and so we sat down in the breakfast room and she said,
Wow, you know, I have so much to process.
(21:59):
It's, it's just, this has just been amazing, but your animals have taught me a huge, huge lesson.
And that is, to see not with my eyes anymore, but to see with my heart, because your animals are so happy.
They, there's so much love exuding from them and from the atmosphere here.
(22:21):
And it's, a really huge lesson.
So that, that really rounded out our menu for healing and it developed literally after that day.
It was, we started looking at, well, what is it?
How did we create this?
What's involved?
And so that, that's where it began.
Karen Wylie (22:40):
Wow.
And how, how far were you into the timeframe of BrightHaven?
Were you, had you been working with animals for 10 or 15 years at that point?
Or?
Gail Pope (22:53):
I think we began our educational endeavor around 2005, 2004 or 2005.
So BrightHaven was incorporated in 1993.
So it was, it was a long journey of learning.
It was a long journey of learning with an awful lot of animals who, I guess, eventually, that's an interesting turn.
(23:19):
I think in the, in the initial part came all the people, the wonderful people that came into my life to teach me lessons, how to care for the animals.
And then as that grew and the results started to be shown, it was then that I think I started, or we started realizing that the animals themselves, were teaching us their lessons.
(23:46):
So there was an awful lot that we learned from both sides.
And I think it was after the sanctuary moved north that we realized that something very special here, something very, very special is not about us.
It's about the animals.
It's about the way they live their lives and what they're teaching us.
(24:07):
And then when people started coming to seminars, it shone through because the animals led the way for everyone.
Karen Wylie (24:17):
They sure did.
Gail Pope (24:18):
Yeah.
Karen Wylie (24:20):
And then you started writing.
You started writing about what you were learning.
Gail Pope (24:26):
Oh, wow.
Yes, I guess I did.
And I don't really remember really what began that journey.
I think people telling me that I should be writing the story of my life and little by little and sharing the work.
I'm trying to remember.
I think I wrote.
(24:52):
"Peace, Hope and Hospice", I think.
And then I wrote two smaller booklets, but maybe it was after, but I think somebody gave me a booklet, a little blue booklet by the most wonderful lady, Barbara Karnes, and it was called "Gone From My Sight."
And it was just a very short booklet explaining the dying process for humans.
(25:17):
And it was, it was all about understanding that process
of dying.
And it moved me so much because it underscored the work that we were doing.
It just was like, Oh my God, it's the same for humans as it is for animals.
That was really the underlying thing.
(25:38):
And so I got in touch with Barbara and I asked her if I could have her permission to write a similar book for animals and she said yes.
And so that's that really became a big milestone for us.
Just spreading the word and writing and helping people.
I mean, I think the underlying mission really was helping, helping out.
(26:04):
For me, it began as helping animals.
Then it began with the education program.
It went from helping animals to helping people to help their animals.
And then it grew even further.
The circle continued because really the animals are helping us as much as we're helping them.
So then it became helping people to help animals to help their people.
(26:29):
Isn't that lovely?
Because that's, that really is the circle of life and how our animals fit in, and without them, we don't see the magic, I don't think.
Karen Wylie (26:41):
Yeah, I think I would agree with you on that.
But what I think is extraordinary with what you've done is that you began documenting what you were doing and the changes that you were seeing.
Because in so many ways, what you were doing was, well, it was not the conventional way, but you were having,
Gail Pope (27:01):
We learned balance.
Karen Wylie (27:02):
You learned balance.
Gail Pope (27:03):
We learned balance.
We learned that from the animals because sometimes the holistic route worked for an illness that an animal might have.
And sometimes we couldn't achieve a proper balance and the conventional balance either worked better or they worked in conjunction.
So we started really not seeing we working conventionally or we have a holistic approach.
(27:29):
As I started to understand the word holistic, I realized that the conventional understanding and the holistic natural way, they all fit together.
And it's like a toolbox.
And so you have something going on that needs an animal who, who needs a better balance.
They've either got an ill body, mind and spirit anyway, and might need help.
(27:52):
So you look in your toolbox to figure out what might help at this balance.
It could be as simple as flower essences may just help this mental state, or it could be a cancer that we need to really look deep into the heart and soul of this person to get to the root of what the imbalance is; let the symptoms guide us to do something deeper.
Karen Wylie (28:17):
Well, that's what you started doing, you know, also that I think was unusual, is that you were looking at illnesses from their perspective, from the pet's perspective.
Gail Pope (28:29):
Yes, and I think actually you asked me something a moment ago that escaped me in the answer that I gave you because I think it goes back to the beginning because when we started working with all these homeopathic veterinarians, I, it was then that I realized, Oh my goodness, if I'm going to have appointments with these people, I need to write notes.
(28:55):
So it was really around that time it evolved.
Like a hundred manila files, every single animal, horse, everybody, they each had their own file.
And then I devised forms, you know, everyday, daily notes.
Karen Wylie (29:11):
I've seen some of those forms for some of those animals.
Gail Pope (29:13):
I know they evolved over time, but.
Yeah.
Then it really evolved into the daily treatment sheet so that everybody's names was there, the medications that they were taking, the grooming, the nail trimming, the appointments, everything fitted onto this sheet.
And so it became very clear to me that in order to do a good job, even with just one animal, you have to write it down because you don't necessarily remember all the important parts.
(29:44):
You remember the very most important symptoms that suddenly appear.
You may not remember quite when they appeared, what the intensity was, how they demonstrated in daily life.
So the more notes that you can write down, that was a really good lesson.
That was a really good lesson.
Karen Wylie (30:01):
That'd be a really good lesson, because sometimes it can be so incremental.
The changes in them can be, you don't notice it from day to day, but if you were writing it down, you might see patterns.
And, and then you could have a little bit of an "aha" about the care they might need and change.
Gail Pope (30:18):
Yes.
Karen Wylie (30:18):
Changes you might need to take to make well, I know there's much more we're going to be talking about With what you learned through the years of caring for all these animals in the sanctuary but let's close our discussion down now. And we will come back and talk about this the next time and we thank you for being with us
Gail Pope (30:46):
No, thank you.
Karen Wylie (30:47):
Yes.
So, so good as always to chat with you and capture some of the wonderful, wonderful information and stories you have to share with all of us.
And so we hope that you'll come back with us next time and look for more episodes of Peace of Mind for Pet Parents, and we will see you next time.
Gail Pope (31:07):
Take good care.
Thank you very much.
Bye bye.
Outro (31:11):
Thank you for joining us on Peace of Mind for Pet Parents.
We hope today's episode has offered you support and insight as you care for your aging or ill pets.
Remember, it's not just about the end.
It's about living well at every stage of life.
To continue your journey with us, Explore more resources at BrightHaven Caregiver Academy's website, brightpathforpets.
(31:38):
com, where you'll find guides, assessments, and a caring community of pet parents
like you.
Until next time, may you and your pets find comfort, connection, and peace in every moment.
Take care.
Welcome to Peace of Mind for Pet Parents, the podcast by BrightHaven Caregiver Academy.
I'm Gail Pope.
Karen Wylie (00:09):
And I'm Karen Wylie.
And together we're here to support you in navigating life with your aging or ill pets.
We know how deeply you care for your beloved companions, and we're here to offer guidance, understanding, and resources for this meaningful journey.
Gail Pope (00:25):
Each episode, we'll explore topics that address the daily challenges, emotional realities, and choices you face as a pet parent, helping you and your pets find peace, comfort, and joy.
Whether it's making sense of a new diagnosis, adjusting to changing needs, or simply seeking a place to feel understood, you're not alone.
(00:48):
Thank you for being here with us.
Karen Wylie (00:52):
Welcome to Peace of Mind for Pet Parents.
I'm Karen Wylie here with Gail Pope and today we're going to be discussing the beginning of BrightHaven and how BrightHaven evolved into the holistic sanctuary it became.
So Gail.
(01:13):
Why don't you get the party started here and, and tell us how, how you started BrightHaven because it wasn't BrightHaven at the very beginning, right?
Gail Pope (01:25):
That's correct.
Well, actually to me, it's, there's a much bigger story, a much bigger story than how, how did BrightHaven evolve?
Because I think it's how I evolved is almost the beginning.
And it's all about.
Maybe destiny.
And the belief that has grown within me as I've learned more and more about the world that we inhabit, that there may be a plan for our lives before we're born, that we come into this world with a, a knowing, but when we are born, we don't remember that.
(02:00):
Anyway.
So the story of BrightHaven to me would begin when I was five years old.
And I told my mom and dad that when I grew up, I was going to be an animal doctor and an air hostess lady.
And I never quite did achieve both of those.
But, and I have no memory of ever saying that now.
It was purely, you know, my mum reminding me.
(02:23):
However, the years went by and my whole life was serendipity.
And I think maybe I've, looking back, I first noticed it when I met Richard.
We got engaged.
Well, we literally fell in love when, at our first kiss, a couple of hours after we'd met and something happened.
(02:44):
We both knew that we would be together for a lifetime and we were for 62 years.
Another knowing, I think it was after we got married, Richard, knew, he said to me one day, we're going to live in America one day.
And I said, oh my gosh, yes, I feel that too.
So there again was a something, there was a path, a destiny.
(03:08):
It wasn't obvious in daily life.
We lived in England, obviously, you can tell by my accent that I'd never got rid of.
And life went on.
And then in '86, Richard was transferred by his company to Southern California and to a whole new life.
And it was, it was a crazy and difficult time, I'd say, because Richard worked.
(03:32):
I didn't have a work permit, so I couldn't work initially.
I was in a strange new land where, I mean, just a silly anecdote, but it meant so much, where I would go into a grocery store, which was so huge.
And they insisted on packing my purchases in England, that never happened.
You know, you had, you brought your bag and you packed your own stuff.
(03:54):
So it was a whole change, a whole change.
And I was nearing the age of 40.
And it became a joke.
Airline friends that would come and stay for a weekend, family, everybody would say, "So what's Gail going to do when she grows up?"
No, because I was nearly 40.
When I'm, "when she's 40, what's she going to do?"
Karen Wylie (04:16):
Well, it's midlife crisis time for a lot of people.
Gail Pope (04:18):
Exactly.
It was, it totally was.
Midlife in a strange country with no idea.
I mean, we had always had dogs and cats,
never more than two of each.
And I think we brought two dogs and one cat from England when we moved here.
But if you'd have asked me, "Gail, do you think your future is going to be in the animal world?"
(04:42):
I would have said no.
No, I don't know.
Maybe we'll have another cat or two.
And in fact, we did our son rescued one.
My son's girlfriend actually was instrumental in this rescuing gosh, Gloria, she was deaf and blind and she was 25 and she was unbelievable.
She was just this most gorgeous lady, but again, nothing, it didn't really dawn on me that it was to be a career for me in any shape or form.
(05:11):
I visited a cat sanctuary
and I was kind of excited, but very, very sad after that day because the animals seemed happy, but this situation just, it wasn't really like a home.
So I think that had some impact on me.
(05:31):
Again, baby steps.
Another little thing happened.
I met a lady, I think in the grocery store, who was talking about animal rescue and you know, how much we both loved animals and we, we, we had a lot in common.
And she invited me to go to one of their board meetings, which I did.
And I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them again.
It was them, nothing to do with me.
(05:52):
And then literally I don't know how long after that I was driving up the 405 freeway with my daughter and I suddenly said, "Oh my God, I know what I want to do with the rest of my life."
Just like that.
And she said, "seriously, mom?"
I said, "Yes, I want, I want to have my own rescue."
(06:16):
The word sanctuary didn't come in there.
I want to have my own rescue.
I want to rescue cats and I just want to find them homes.
That's what I want to do.
And then I, I drove home and I called Richard and he said, "You know what you want to do with the rest of your life?"
And I said, yes, I do.
I, you know, he said, "Oh, should I be sitting down?"
(06:40):
Possibly.
So I told him and he said, "Well, we better start house hunting."
We had a very small suite,
little house, which certainly wouldn't have worked as a rescue.
And so we did.
We house hunted actually for almost a year, and we found the perfect place in the perfect canyon, and we started Cats Are People Too.
(07:02):
And I thoroughly enjoyed doing that, except Gosh, I could talk for hours.
You shouldn't have asked me this question.
Karen Wylie (07:10):
Keep it going, keep it going.
Gail Pope (07:12):
We did, we did this for two years and then, I mean, there were so many stories along the way.
I'm trying to skip as much as possible, but one of our cats got adopted.
A really lovely elderly lady came and She wanted to adopt Sabrina, who was just, you know, have some touch your heart more than others.
(07:36):
And she was perfect, the perfect home.
So we signed all the papers and she got in her car and she drove off down the drive and Richard and I stood there and I turned to look at him and he had a tear running down the side of his face.
And we looked at each other and he said, like, I can't do this anymore.
I just can't do it.
And I was like, I can't either.
(07:57):
This is awful.
I, we love these animals and then we find them wonderful homes, but they break our hearts leaving.
So basically at that point, failed fosters.
It was failed foster situation.
We went indoors, we sat down.
We each had a glass of wine and we decided to talk it out.
What are we going to do?
(08:19):
And the only thing we came up with, or I guess I did, was, well, the only thing we could do is to actually have, I mean, it's kind of selfish, but if we only accept animals that are unadoptable elsewhere, that kind of solves the problem.
It did.
Now, if you'd have shown me a picture of my life at that point, you know, this wonderful book of all the work you're going to be doing and the animals by the hundreds who will be dying in your care because you don't adopt them out, I would have run screaming.
(08:56):
That book wasn't shown to me.
And so without any further ado, we dived into, into that work.
The animals that we had with us stayed.
They, they got under, they stayed under the umbrella of cats are people too.
And it was probably, I don't know, another year or so, at least before it dawned on us that we had a few dogs.
(09:20):
We'd actually brought in, I think, five horses.
We had some chickens.
It's like Cats Are People Too
doesn't kind of fit anymore.
Does it?
So that's when we revamped the whole organization.
One evening, one night, we, well it was early one morning, we were lying in bed and One of our old ladies, Zsa Zsa, a little, little teeny tabby in her twenties, was lying on the bed and we were lying in bed talking about what we'd got to do and getting up for the day.
(09:51):
And the sun came in and it just had this bright light, right, focused on Zsa Zsa.
And that's where the name BrightHaven came from.
So that's where it all began.
And again, the journey from then onwards.
Again, if you'd have shown me the book of the medical care, the end of life care, none of it fitted.
(10:14):
It was all about loving and caring for these animals.
That's it.
That's all it was.
Karen Wylie (10:19):
And not wanting
to let them go.
And I did get a job with a local veterinarian who became one of my best friends ever.
And he taught me pretty much everything he knew about conventional medicine.
And he also instilled in me.
the idea of holistic medicine.
(10:40):
Not really anything more than that.
And I was a little like, well, you know, I've got this, I know what medicine to give for this and that, the other.
And I had the perfect place to work.
And if any of the animals weren't well, I could take them to Doug and he would, he would do whatever was necessary.
So again, the holistic mindset wasn't part of anything for me.
(11:02):
It was just not existent in those days.
I didn't even really understand it.
And so it was something that began to evolve for you, though.
So, which aspects of holistic care did you find yourself bringing into your daily care at the beginning as you began to make this, this change and incorporate some of the holistic approach, a more holistic approach?
Gail Pope (11:28):
That's another huge question.
Well I had a lady come who wanted to volunteer and her name was Vicki, Vicki Allinson.
She died several years ago and she basically was responsible for making a huge amount of change in our life because she was an animal communicator.
So That didn't sit too well with me because instantly she's voodoo.
(11:52):
I didn't trust her at all.
She talked about animal communication.
She would tell me things the animals had said or wanted.
And, you know, I tried to ignore it for the most part.
And then she started talking to me about changing the diet and that my animals should have a better diet and they would live longer and be healthier and happier.
(12:13):
Again.
Voodoo, not going there.
And you know, I was working in the veterinary profession and we had a huge donation.
It was like $600 worth of dried food.
And so I was very focused on their eating the best food they could.
And it was after a cat called Jessica died.
(12:36):
Vicki said to me, I think your animals could be healthier.
And you know, if you just step lightly to The holistic side of medicine and feeding it, you might see a difference.
Why, why don't you just give it a try?
So after an awful lot of coercion, I did, and I started feeding a raw diet.
(12:59):
And literally two weeks after I started feeding, The change in the animals.
I mean, they said, well, for someone like me, you have to see a miracle before you believe it in those days.
Now I'm a little more open to them.
But at that time I walked into this one room, we had lots of different rooms in the house and I walked into one of the rooms where A little family of Burmese cats had taken up root on a couch and it was like their house.
(13:26):
They loved it there.
Now the eldest one was Chocolate Chip.
He was 21, I think at the time and he was, he was a stick insect.
His legs were about that, that thick.
He was gangly.
He was just the most charming, sweet old man.
And when he walked, it was like, He struggled, but he ate quite well, and he was content.
(13:50):
He slept a lot, and his family, Brownie and Dickens, were always with him.
They were elderly, too.
And so what I'd done, or actually what Richard had done, was to create a very careful stepping arrangement so that he could get up onto the couch because he couldn't jump at all.
He could barely manage the steps.
They were, they grew and changed as, as he, his mobility declined.
(14:14):
So two weeks after starting feeding raw diet, I walk into the room in time to see him jump.
Not from the floor to the steps, but from the floor onto the arm of the couch, which was quite high.
And that stopped me in my tracks.
And I guess I started waking up and I started seeing cats playing with toys that I hadn't seen before.
(14:37):
I started, there was a whole level of energy that started to change and other people noticed it too.
So, Hey, we kind of continued that, that path and then I think, my goodness, Christina Chambreau, a wonderful, wonderful veterinarian, came into my life again, courtesy of Vicki.
(14:57):
Cindy, a cat who was nearing the end of her life, she was in end stage renal failure, and I needed to go to the office to have her euthanized.
I didn't have anybody there at the sanctuary to take care of the animals, and so I called Vicki and asked if she could please come.
And she said, No, I'm sorry, I can't make it.
(15:18):
But you know, why don't you?
You, you know, I can find someone to talk to you and help you with this.
And I said, No, you know, there's nothing can be done.
I know about this stuff.
A few minutes later, the telephone rang and a voice said, Oh, hello, may I speak to Gail Pope?
This is
Dr. Christina Chambreau.
(15:39):
And I said, Oh, you're speaking.
and she said, I understand you have a kitty who's approaching the end of her life and I'm wondering if I could offer you some help.
So me being the experienced person I was, informed her that, oh, you know, Vicki didn't really quite understand and, you know, the cat is dying and it's her time and so I need to have her euthanized.
(16:06):
And then there was, Christina loves this story too, I remember it so clearly.
And then there was kind of a little silence and Christina said in her very official veterinary voice excuse me, who's the vet here, you or me?
And I about died and I was like, oh God, I am so sorry.
She said, well, I tell you what, why don't you just sit down with you know, with, with your cat and just cuddle her, just cuddle her and let's talk and let's just see where the conversation goes.
(16:41):
I didn't have any options so I sat down feeling kind of, I was a little embarrassed at that point too.
So I sat down and at the end of the conversation she, she said, okay, here's, this is my prescription.
I'm going to call Vicki because I know you can't leave and she will bring the medicine to you.
(17:02):
Long story short, Vicki came armed with a homeopathic remedy, which Cindy took, and long story short, she recovered and she lived for not a huge amount more time, but it was more than several months.
And then again, she died very peacefully.
(17:23):
Christina treated her all the way through the rest of her life.
And it was a blessed experience.
Then Christina actually took the bull by the horns and she made phone calls to, actually I think it was 24 veterinarians, homeopathic veterinarians that she knew.
And she asked them if they'd be willing to just work with one animal for us.
(17:45):
And that's where my journey into homeopathy began.
And then pretty much the same thing happened with the amazing Greg Tilford from Animal Essentials.
Amazing herbalist.
He came to visit with his wife actually one day and He made some comments, and he talked, and he talked, and he charmed me, and then he donated some products for us to try, and there we were on yet another path.
(18:12):
Do you really want me to keep going with this conversation?
Karen Wylie (18:18):
I have a feeling that, that there is a, we can come to an, a closing point a little bit more as you talk about a few more, a few more alternative methods that you began to integrate into your care, like Reiki.
Gail Pope (18:36):
Yes.
Reiki didn't actually come in the early days, that came later, but I think the understanding of the natural dying process was the big part that came, and again, that was courtesy of Vicki, who I wanted to, I needed her to come and help me so I could get to the I could get to the vets to have Mariah euthanized.
(19:00):
She was in her twenties, it was time for her to die, and I was very focused on taking her to the vets.
And Vicki told me, Sorry, I can't come.
So you're going to have to go and sit outside.
Take her outside.
Sit under the old oak tree and cuddle her, this is a much longer story, really, but she argued with me, you know, just go do this.
(19:24):
She asked me lots of questions.
Looking back, I realized she knew what she was talking about.
She asked me about Mariah's mobility when she lost weight.
You know, what her eyes were looking like.
She asked some very relevant questions.
She said, go sit under the old oak tree.
And so I did.
And an hour or so later, Mariah was lying in my lap, and she gave a couple of very gentle sighs.
(19:50):
She turned and looked at me, and she died.
And it was so beautiful.
It was so easy.
It was so peaceful.
I sobbed.
I sobbed.
I sobbed some more.
And then I blamed myself for not having euthanized her.
(20:14):
And it took me several months before I was able to actually see the beauty of what had happened.
I think my fear and, I don't know, but I did not see the beauty of what had happened to her in her dying process.
And that was a huge lesson.
(20:34):
That was a huge, huge lesson.
And so working particularly with, with our homeopathic veterinarians, as well as our local veterinarians, you know, we worked with a balance of all sorts of medicine.
Little by little we established, we then started to call the menu for healing and the sanctuary had relocated to Northern California.
(20:57):
And it was then that.
The next bell went off.
It's like, Oh my God, we've learned so much.
People see the work.
They see the response in our animals.
We understand what we do now.
Wow.
So we started offering seminars.
That's when Reiki came in.
Kathleen Prasad was our very first teacher.
(21:18):
And she taught me the most wonderful lesson that very first day, she did a tour of the sanctuary and she saw cats scooting on their bottoms, dogs in wheelchairs, a pig that could only sit down and not stand up.
You know, we had a lot of senior, special needs, disabled, chronically ill.
(21:38):
So, we It was a very different environment, very different environment for most people to come into and Kathleen toured with me and after the tour, I offered her a cup of tea and so we sat down in the breakfast room and she said,
Wow, you know, I have so much to process.
(21:59):
It's, it's just, this has just been amazing, but your animals have taught me a huge, huge lesson.
And that is, to see not with my eyes anymore, but to see with my heart, because your animals are so happy.
They, there's so much love exuding from them and from the atmosphere here.
(22:21):
And it's, a really huge lesson.
So that, that really rounded out our menu for healing and it developed literally after that day.
It was, we started looking at, well, what is it?
How did we create this?
What's involved?
And so that, that's where it began.
Karen Wylie (22:40):
Wow.
And how, how far were you into the timeframe of BrightHaven?
Were you, had you been working with animals for 10 or 15 years at that point?
Or?
Gail Pope (22:53):
I think we began our educational endeavor around 2005, 2004 or 2005.
So BrightHaven was incorporated in 1993.
So it was, it was a long journey of learning.
It was a long journey of learning with an awful lot of animals who, I guess, eventually, that's an interesting turn.
(23:19):
I think in the, in the initial part came all the people, the wonderful people that came into my life to teach me lessons, how to care for the animals.
And then as that grew and the results started to be shown, it was then that I think I started, or we started realizing that the animals themselves, were teaching us their lessons.
(23:46):
So there was an awful lot that we learned from both sides.
And I think it was after the sanctuary moved north that we realized that something very special here, something very, very special is not about us.
It's about the animals.
It's about the way they live their lives and what they're teaching us.
(24:07):
And then when people started coming to seminars, it shone through because the animals led the way for everyone.
Karen Wylie (24:17):
They sure did.
Gail Pope (24:18):
Yeah.
Karen Wylie (24:20):
And then you started writing.
You started writing about what you were learning.
Gail Pope (24:26):
Oh, wow.
Yes, I guess I did.
And I don't really remember really what began that journey.
I think people telling me that I should be writing the story of my life and little by little and sharing the work.
I'm trying to remember.
I think I wrote.
(24:52):
"Peace, Hope and Hospice", I think.
And then I wrote two smaller booklets, but maybe it was after, but I think somebody gave me a booklet, a little blue booklet by the most wonderful lady, Barbara Karnes, and it was called "Gone From My Sight."
And it was just a very short booklet explaining the dying process for humans.
(25:17):
And it was, it was all about understanding that process
of dying.
And it moved me so much because it underscored the work that we were doing.
It just was like, Oh my God, it's the same for humans as it is for animals.
That was really the underlying thing.
(25:38):
And so I got in touch with Barbara and I asked her if I could have her permission to write a similar book for animals and she said yes.
And so that's that really became a big milestone for us.
Just spreading the word and writing and helping people.
I mean, I think the underlying mission really was helping, helping out.
(26:04):
For me, it began as helping animals.
Then it began with the education program.
It went from helping animals to helping people to help their animals.
And then it grew even further.
The circle continued because really the animals are helping us as much as we're helping them.
So then it became helping people to help animals to help their people.
(26:29):
Isn't that lovely?
Because that's, that really is the circle of life and how our animals fit in, and without them, we don't see the magic, I don't think.
Karen Wylie (26:41):
Yeah, I think I would agree with you on that.
But what I think is extraordinary with what you've done is that you began documenting what you were doing and the changes that you were seeing.
Because in so many ways, what you were doing was, well, it was not the conventional way, but you were having,
Gail Pope (27:01):
We learned balance.
Karen Wylie (27:02):
You learned balance.
Gail Pope (27:03):
We learned balance.
We learned that from the animals because sometimes the holistic route worked for an illness that an animal might have.
And sometimes we couldn't achieve a proper balance and the conventional balance either worked better or they worked in conjunction.
So we started really not seeing we working conventionally or we have a holistic approach.
(27:29):
As I started to understand the word holistic, I realized that the conventional understanding and the holistic natural way, they all fit together.
And it's like a toolbox.
And so you have something going on that needs an animal who, who needs a better balance.
They've either got an ill body, mind and spirit anyway, and might need help.
(27:52):
So you look in your toolbox to figure out what might help at this balance.
It could be as simple as flower essences may just help this mental state, or it could be a cancer that we need to really look deep into the heart and soul of this person to get to the root of what the imbalance is; let the symptoms guide us to do something deeper.
Karen Wylie (28:17):
Well, that's what you started doing, you know, also that I think was unusual, is that you were looking at illnesses from their perspective, from the pet's perspective.
Gail Pope (28:29):
Yes, and I think actually you asked me something a moment ago that escaped me in the answer that I gave you because I think it goes back to the beginning because when we started working with all these homeopathic veterinarians, I, it was then that I realized, Oh my goodness, if I'm going to have appointments with these people, I need to write notes.
(28:55):
So it was really around that time it evolved.
Like a hundred manila files, every single animal, horse, everybody, they each had their own file.
And then I devised forms, you know, everyday, daily notes.
Karen Wylie (29:11):
I've seen some of those forms for some of those animals.
Gail Pope (29:13):
I know they evolved over time, but.
Yeah.
Then it really evolved into the daily treatment sheet so that everybody's names was there, the medications that they were taking, the grooming, the nail trimming, the appointments, everything fitted onto this sheet.
And so it became very clear to me that in order to do a good job, even with just one animal, you have to write it down because you don't necessarily remember all the important parts.
(29:44):
You remember the very most important symptoms that suddenly appear.
You may not remember quite when they appeared, what the intensity was, how they demonstrated in daily life.
So the more notes that you can write down, that was a really good lesson.
That was a really good lesson.
Karen Wylie (30:01):
That'd be a really good lesson, because sometimes it can be so incremental.
The changes in them can be, you don't notice it from day to day, but if you were writing it down, you might see patterns.
And, and then you could have a little bit of an "aha" about the care they might need and change.
Gail Pope (30:18):
Yes.
Karen Wylie (30:18):
Changes you might need to take to make well, I know there's much more we're going to be talking about With what you learned through the years of caring for all these animals in the sanctuary but let's close our discussion down now. And we will come back and talk about this the next time and we thank you for being with us
Gail Pope (30:46):
No, thank you.
Karen Wylie (30:47):
Yes.
So, so good as always to chat with you and capture some of the wonderful, wonderful information and stories you have to share with all of us.
And so we hope that you'll come back with us next time and look for more episodes of Peace of Mind for Pet Parents, and we will see you next time.
Gail Pope (31:07):
Take good care.
Thank you very much.
Bye bye.
Outro (31:11):
Thank you for joining us on Peace of Mind for Pet Parents.
We hope today's episode has offered you support and insight as you care for your aging or ill pets.
Remember, it's not just about the end.
It's about living well at every stage of life.
To continue your journey with us, Explore more resources at BrightHaven Caregiver Academy's website, brightpathforpets.
(31:38):
com, where you'll find guides, assessments, and a caring community of pet parents
like you.
Until next time, may you and your pets find comfort, connection, and peace in every moment.
Take care.
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