Rubi Sullivan | Rachel GENE | Laura Sable
Heal Animal Massage is a small team of certified, insured and mobile Animal Massage Therapists. All of Heal’s massage therapists have gone through the certification program/s at Northwest School of Animal Massage and have been around animals their entire lives. They work closely with veterinarians in their area to help create a community focus for each animal they work with.
Rubi
Rubi Sullivan is the founder of Heal Animal Massage. She started her practice in 2006 and has been a busy bee ever since. Creating open communication between all members of the animal’s community, she weaves her sessions to fit the needs of each particular patient. Rubi is trained in many facets of Animal Massage Therapy, including; swedish massage techniques, manual lymphatic drainage, scar tissue massage, myofascial release, trigger point work, hospice care and post-surgical and rehabilitation massage techniques. She works not only with dogs but also with cats and the occasional pet rat. She is an instructor with the Northwest School of Animal Massage, and also teaches short introduction classes for dog owners in the Portland Metro area.
Being an only child growing up in the country, Rubi has had a passion for animals her entire life. She has always wanted a goat, a monkey and a duck. She was a heartbroken pre-teen when she found out that her parents would only spring for horses, dogs, a rabbit, cats, chickens, honey bees, homing pigeons and goldfish. I think she had it pretty good ;)… although she still really wants a goat or two!
Rubi is currently the grateful animal caregiver for one amazing dog and one extraordinary cat. She happily lives with her soulmate dog Sacha Muchacha - a Three-legged Purebred Latin American Street Dog from the Galapagos and Captain Trout, the Barry White of cats. Life is good.
“Rubi consistently exudes the joy and pleasure she receives providing
massage to our animal companions. Six of our companions have enjoyed
the services Rubi provides and each one of them has benefited emotionally
and physically from their experience. Rubi is always reverent to her task
making the companions her focus, courteous to the humans while allowing
herself to have fun. Our family human and canine alike feel blessed and
fortunate to have Rubi as part of our care team. Thank you Rubi for being
the incredible, compassionate and talented woman that you are.”
RACHEL
Rachel is a trained Small Animal Massage Practitioner and animal Reiki Master/Teacher. She completed her massage training at the Northwest School of Animal Massage and her Reiki training with Animal Reiki Master/Teacher, Victoria Kress. Her journey into the world of animal massage and Reiki began after the sudden loss of her “soul-dog” Dodger. In search of a way to honor him and all he taught her, Rachel began looking to the healing arts as a way to be of service to animals, and their people.
In addition, Rachel has a Master’s degree in Education and is passionate about humane education. In partnership with her dog Abigail, the two visit and talk with school-age children throughout the Portland-Metro area with the aim of inspiring future generations of compassionate animal advocates. She is also a regular volunteer at several animal shelters and sanctuaries in Oregon, offering massage and Reiki to animals of all kinds.
She currently lives with her pups Abigail, a border collie/lab mix, and Francis, a Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix. When not working on behalf of animals, she enjoys metal-smithing in her home studio, wandering forest trails with camera and coffee in hand, practicing yoga, and spending time with family and friends.
“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!”
LAURA
Laura is a certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner who graduated from the Northwest School of Animal Massage in 2020. Laura has been in the world of animal care since 2003, starting with working as a kennel assistant at pet boarding facilities, to more recently working as a Rehabilitation Assistant at Oswego Animal Physiotherapy and Rehab. Laura has always been fascinated by the bond and connection that we have with our companion animals, and has tremendous respect for each pet as an individual, always seeking to get to know each animal in order to build trust and meet their unique needs.
Laura grew up with cats and pet rats (which she would sometimes smuggle with her to school in sweatshirt pockets). She always wanted a dog that she could go for walks with, which she finally found with the adoption of her first dog, Ribby. Ribby was a stray with an unknown history, and bringing her home enriched Laura’s life in ways she could not have predicted, kindling a desire to learn more about dogs and how best to care for them, especially as they age. In 2003 Laura and Ribby were joined by human partner Nick, dog Freya, and cats Keegan and Crunch. 10 years later, dog Ivan joined the pack. Today the pack is smaller, but they can still be found camping in the woods along the coast, running or wandering Westside trails, or just playing a good game of fetch or tug in the garden.