Cow Hug Therapy
A collection of stories of some of The Gnetle Barn's most resilient animals, how they recovered from trauma and paid it forward to save human lives, and the lessons they have for all of us. It is about Ellie's journey with Animal Communication, self-care, and grief.
My Gentle Barn
My Gentle Barn is about my childhood and how animals saved me, and why I dedicated my life to saving them. It’s about my greatest teachers and the founding animals, my love story with my husband Jay, who runs The Gentle Barn with me and learning to accept myself and live my purpose.
Ellie's Blog
Surprise Answers
March 12, 2025
About 30 years ago, I was working on enhancing my skills to be able to ask an animal a question and receive a clear answer. I could hear animals speak to me since I was a child, but I wanted to be able to initiate the conversation. I bought a book, and regrettably, I don’t remember what the name of it was, that took me through a guided meditation and then instructed me to ask the animal a simple question such as, “What is your favorite food?” I chose to speak to my dog Rover.
I was excited to hear Rover’s thoughts because she had a lot of really yummy things to eat like peanut butter Kongs, dog bones, cookies, and people food that I shared with her. I went through this beautiful, guided meditation and then very quietly and calmly asked my dog Rover what her favorite food was. I sat in the silence and the stillness waiting for the answer to come. Rover said, “Cat poop,” and my eyes flew open, my face got flush, and I could not stop laughing. I would never in a million years think that that was her favorite food.
Recently, I spoke to Tilly, and she relayed many wonderful memories and messages for her mom. When I asked her what her favorite thing was to eat, Tilly said, “Cat poop,” and I couldn’t help but think of Rover and laugh out loud. Sometimes, no matter how cool the toy is, the cat will prefer the box, and no matter how delicious the treats, the dog will want to eat the poop.
Now, I am able to ask animals advanced questions and have very deep conversations with them on behalf of clients around the world, and I am grateful for my gift. What do you think your pet would say if you asked them what their favorite food is? Find out by booking a reading at www.ellielaks.com.
MEDIA UPDATE:
Dudley founded The Gentle Barn in Tennessee. We opened our first location in Knoxville with the sole purpose of rescuing Dudley. When Dudley passed away, we closed the Knoxville location and moved all our animals to our current Nashville location. Dudley was special in so many ways, and you can learn about his story by watching the YouTube video linked below:
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