Dan

I never intended to own a pet care business. That was a pretty far distance from where I’d been driving for years. I had been in brand management for my entire career – from softlines to hardlines to the experiential. My job was to spot trends across the globe and apply them to specific markets. I was good at it and respected. I had partied at the cool spots, eaten at chic restaurants, and attended style events across Europe. But it had all taken me far from my roots. I felt I had lost my soul. I wanted to find joy again – like when I was a kid.

I grew up in a loving family of shrewd thinkers with very dry senses of humor. We are a smart group with passionate pursuits and driven determination. Animals were always present, whether on the farm or in the city, as generations transitioned through the decades. At first, in South Dakota, it was livestock like sheep, pigs, and hens. Dogs, cats, and horses were simply part of the workforce early on. Over time, these animals became less “machinery” and more like family members. And with that change came bonding. It was taught to the children as soon as they could toddle. “Respect the animals” was the rule whether livestock, domesticated, or feral. We were shown how animals sense the world with better tools than we have. They use more than 5 senses and judge humans with skepticism until trust is proven. And it must be earned! Animals don’t lie, so they don’t take to being lied to either. And they have the same emotions we do. So, synchronizing with their thoughts and feelings is essential. This is what I learned on my grandparents’ farm. And though I grew up in suburban Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida, I carried that wisdom with me through all those social transitions. My accent may have changed as we moved around, but my ability to speak to the animals remained fluent. 

I was always the one to take leave of human company to join the pets in another room or outside. Nothing felt as comfortable as being around quadpods. The simple honesty in their expression of character is astoundingly beautiful. It’s an entrancing, spiritual experience. When I started to excel at riding, it was because I wasn’t just “on” the animal; I was “in" them. We melded into one unit. My mother and trainers said it looked like I was seated deeper in the saddle, almost physically part of the horse. I could feel it too. You barely need to use your hands when you find yourself with this balance between horse and rider. That’s why, despite enjoying jumping, I loved dressage so much. It’s the science, art, and philosophy of equine balance. Dressage is the ballet of equestrian sports. There’s a quiet elegance to it that belies all the communication happening between the two species. Plainly said, it’s magical. 

And THAT is what had gone missing from my life over the course of decades spent studying society for the purposes of product development. I had no spiritual connection to anything anymore. I was hollow. I was 30lbs overweight, had bad skin, digestive issues, and depression. I was falling apart. So, I STOPPED. I dropped it all. I went in search of what would fill my hollow soul again. So, I meditated, practiced yoga, stopped drinking, changed my diet, and became a lean vessel flowing with energy. I could now listen to the Universe. And what it told me was to go back to the animals. I needed that honesty and warmth I had been missing for too long. I was frozen, and they were my hearth. 

Animagus was formed and named by a merging of two Latin words, “anima" meaning soul and “magus” meaning magic. Despite sounding a little ominous, it describes what I feel I am doing. I speak the animals’ language, and they speak back. And it is time to use that talent to help others. So, that’s my mission, my goal. I use my family’s wisdom from generations of animal husbandry and meld it with my equine insights to care for domesticated animals in the modern, urban world. I’m instinctual, spiritual, and practical in my approach. And the bonds I form with my clients’ pets bring a sense of peace, calm, and serenity to the whole house. I produce order out of chaos by way of soulful communication between man and creature. This is ANIMAGUS.