testimonials

Rubi first helped us with our rescued, older dog, Smokey. Smokey had been chained for nearly all of his life, and had many health issues, including severe arthritis in this hips, spine, and legs. Rubi was careful with Smokey, always observing Smokey’s reactions, and worked quietly and attentively with him. Rubi taught me some massage work I could do with Smokey, too, on my own. We will always be grateful for Rubi’s massages for Smokey.

Rubi now gives massage treatments to our black Labrador mix, Skippy. She works WITH Skippy, letting Skippy’s needs reveal the course of the treatment. It is so wonderful that she can offer this special care in our home! Rubi takes detailed notes after each massage session, to help her track progress and plan for future treatments. (I think she is more thorough at note taking than my own doctor is!) And I am impressed with her next-day follow-up emails, to check in to see how Skippy is doing the day after the massage work. Rubi sincerely cares about our Skippy.

—Jane Bicquette

Rubi helps make me feel like a puppy again. She is amazing and when my sore old muscles ache, she helps me relax and move better. It took me a few visits to get use to the process, but now I understand the benefits and am so grateful I have her in my life. My wish is for every old dog to have people like Rubi help them feel better. Thank you, Rubi!"

—Boo Radley, Old English Sheepdog (age 11)

I have to tell you that Mikuni was noticeably happy and more comfortable when I got home last night. He was running around, playing, barking, and didn’t seem nearly as wobbly as he’s been. Yay!  Thank you!!
—Jackie Damm

For over three years, O’Malley, my red rogue has been getting routine massages from Heal. Nothing can completely halt the aging process, but O’Malley’s regular massages with Heal has put a spring in his step and keeps him limber and mobile. I did not fully appreciate the therapeutic value of massage until I witnessed the benefits for my boy!

—Bethany Bacci

When Rubi came to see Teddy the first time, he was in extreme pain and maxed out on his pain meds, yet she was able to give him an afternoon of relief with very gentle techniques. He could stand up without yelping for the first time in days. He saw a surgeon the next day, and it turned out he had been suffering with a lumbar disc herniation.

Thanks to Rubi’s massages, a brilliant surgeon, and water therapy with Diane Kunkle at Paws Aquatics, Teddy Bear is now doing very well indeed. He continues to do his water exercise and receives weekly massages from Rubi. His usual massage day is Thursday. On Thursday mornings, he takes possession of his official massage couch, ignoring the pushy vizsla who usually chases him off, and makes himself comfortable to await Rubi’s arrival.

Teddy and I have been extremely impressed with Rubi’s skill, gentle touch, kindness and careful approach. She was able to help him when no medicine could, and she has helped his recovery from surgery immensely. He continues to thrive under her care, and we recommend her highly.

Rachel was great with my dogs. My 14 year old had some stiffness, particularly in one of his legs. He is very friendly but squirmy and not one to hold still for anything including a massage. Rachel was very patient with him, let him get comfortable with her, and let him take breaks when he needed to, while still nudging at the edges of his comfort levels to get some real work done. His leg was noticeably better after that and he was visibly relaxed and happy afterward, seeming more comfortable in the next few days. 

I have 2 other dogs whom she did not work on, but I was impressed by how she made them comfortable as well, since one is a large dog who tends to get aggressive toward strangers, and the other is blind and can get anxious. Given their issues, I was nervous about Rachel coming into the house, but she knew just how to act so that my aggressive dog would be comfortable. In fact the aggressive dog seemed comfortable with Rachel coming into the house and showed positive interest in her. The blind dog was lying down, totally relaxed, next to Rachel while she massaged my other dog, begging for her attention. 

I could tell that Rachel had experience working with troubled dogs, mine loved her!
—Tracy Babione

Rachel has been working with our Maremma Sheepdog, Lady for over six months. Being a large breed that is approaching 10 years old, we’ve noticed Lady has been slow to get up after naps and occasionally would have a limp after jumping off the bed or furniture. We came across Heal NW during a routine vet appointment. Lady’s vet noticed her areas of pain and recommended that I look into massage sessions.

I was pleasantly surprised at how cost effective the treatment sessions were and we were able to submit the claim through pet insurance.  

Lady has become so comfortable with Rachel that she gets up to greet her as soon as she hears a knock on the door. Rachel is very gentle, uses very light pressure and always makes Lady feel very relaxed. Lady was quick to warm up to Rachel’s gentle demeanor from the first visit and it’s obvious that Rachel loves working with dog’s and more importantly, she loves her job!
—Eileen Boyd

It's always a joyous occasion when Rubi arrives! With six hounds, one of them is always needing  a bit of tweaking here or there. Rubi has been with us a long time, she is like family to me. A very special person!
—Vicki Chandler