Interview with Lydia Hiby- Animal Communicator

Lydia Hiby with her horse Traveler

1. How did you get started in your career as an Animal Communicator? Well, in 1980 I met Beatrice Lybecker while I was working as a veterinary technician in New York. I had two jobs at that time. One was as a veterinary X-ray technician at a local animal hospital and the other one was in a horse barn. Beatrice was at the horse barn doing readings on the horses there and noticed me. Being the New York skeptic that I am, I thought she was making all of this stuff up and she knew that. She was following me down the barn telling me that I could do this kind of work and that she could see that I was a skeptic. I think she knew what was in store for me. She told me that I fit the characteristics of an intuitive. She finally convinced me to let her read a pet from a photo so I gave her my dog’s picture. She just blew me away with what she told me. That hooked me. Beatrice was getting older and wanted someone to carry on what she was doing. I ended up following her to California and mentored with her for about 1 ½ to 2 years while taking care of her critters when she would travel to do her animal communication work. At one point Beatrice said to me, “You’re good enough now. You need to do this on your own.” She started referring the local cases to me. What a trip. And to think my original intent was just to be able to communicate with the animals and tell them to settle down and be still for a few seconds as I was trying to get an X-ray.
2. How long have you been doing Animal Communication for a living now Lydia? Since 1984.
3. Do you have a favorite way to practice? On the phone or in person? It’s a 50-50 split. I do like working in person with the animals but you can’t help people in Croatia like I do now. And since my book has been translated to Japanese and Korean I have clients from all around the world. They send me photographs and a set of questions transcribed into English. I’m such a slow typist that it’s slow going answering the questions which then have to be re-transcribed back to their own language but I do it. I’m just here to help the animals.
4. I’ve heard recently that you don’t even need a photo to tap into the animal any longer is that right? That’s right. I haven’t used photographs for quite a few years now actually.
5. Do you have a favorite species you like to work with?  I love everything, but my heart goes to horses first. Horses have so much baggage and they are so misunderstood.  People give up on them so easily and they get passed from one home to another. Horses are like prisoners of war. Nobody asks the horses what they want to do. They assume horses go with the flow, but lots of them have ulcers from this type of stress. In my practice I see about two-thirds horses and one-third dogs, cats, iguanas and other exotic animals. People seem to have affection for animals they once were. I think I was a horse in some other lifetime.
6. Interesting. What was the most unique species of animal you’ve ever talked with?  The Iguana Cire (Eric spelled backwards). I wrote about him in my book. He was the first exotic animal I ever talked to and I didn’t know he was an iguana when I did the reading. After tapping in, I told the owner, “I’m licking the floor and it’s making me sick,” This made sense to the owner. She asked me if I knew it was an iguana I was reading and was I ever surprised. I could see an orange being and thought it was a Golden Retriever. This iguana had come from Honduras and now had full run of the house. Iguanas use their sense of taste to tell them about their environment. He was licking up residues of pine-sol on the floor that had been used for cleaning. Pets often know how to heal themselves so I asked him what he needed to heal and he told me sweet potatoes. Well, Cire had been to a local exotic vet and they had done all they could for him so she gave him sweet potatoes which cleaned out his liver. He started getting well after only three days. She never told her vet that she had consulted with me. A few months later I was able to meet Cire in person. He was nine feet long with these huge talons. Their tails are like big bullwhips. His head popped up immediately as I entered the room and he started to slink over to me. It was kind of scary. He actually knew who I was from our telephone reading. After that I developed quite a nice relationship with Cire and his owner. Cire and his owner would stay with me at my booth when I went to Pet Expos as a booth draw. His owner used him to educate people on how to care for iguanas. Most of them die after a couple of years because once they mature they no longer need protein and owners don’t switch them to a vegetarian diet. A couple of times he flew on the plane with us to the Expos. That was wild. When he’d get bored at the Expos he’d come down off his tree branch and start walking down the aisles. He caused quite the stir.  I love hearing that stuff Lydia. I’m thinking if the animals knew which herbs would do the same things to heal themselves they would communicate those as well. It’s a big reason why I spend so much time asking my clients about what they eat. My liver cases often respond to Safflower powder.
7. Do you communicate with animals that have passed over? No, I refer those cases to Teresa Wagner. I’m not that good with those cases.  We all need to figure out our limitations, don’t we? Let me ask you another question.
8. I’ve always wondered, is there really a Rainbow Bridge? Yes there is. When an animal is close to passing over a “fly by” animal checks in with it. This happens about a week before. The fly by may not stay with the animal at that time, but as the time gets closer they return and stand by the animal and stay there for about 48 hours. As the soul passes out the body through the death process the animal experiences a life review which is short–like a few hours. The life review for humans is way longer. The animal will often come back to its owner after it has passed and give their people a special sign that they have made it to the Rainbow Bridge. This will be a unique sign to that pet. My clients will tell me they  heard that specific pets tags jingling or the pet comes to them in a dream. Teresa knows when an animal is coming back to an original owner. Often they will come back as a different breed if the owner no longer has space for a big dog or whatever.
9. How did you meet Teresa? She sounds fascinating. We met through mutual friends as we were making the DVD called The Psychic Connection put out by The Entertainment Group in 2007. Teresa’s website: https://www.animalsinourhearts.com/
10. I’ve seen that film. It’s still for sale on their website (https://www.tegclassictv.com/inspirational-films.html). Is that how you got into the TV industry? Gosh, you’ve been on Leeza, The View, 48 hours, Amazing Tales and a bunch of other shows. I feel so blessed to be a part of this time in our world where we can honor communicating with everything on our planet. Every day I’m in awe. Yeah, it’s a trip. Actually the woman who co-wrote my book, Bonnie Weintraub worked for ABC and she would often give me a plug. Once you get your foot in the door it kind of snowballs from there. I got in at a time when animal communication was new so that helped. Eventually I had such a following that the stations would call me directly.
11. How long have you been working over the phone?  Oh since the beginning. I started doing that out of necessity. Cire was one of my first cases. He couldn’t come to me so I just did the best I could and discovered there was no difference really in the way I worked. The energy is all the same.
12. Which senses do you use when you talk to the animals, I mean, can you hear the words or do you feel what they are feeling or do you see symbols like some mediums and then interpret them?  Pictures come in the strongest and then I interpret them. I step into the animal first then become the animal. I’m seeing things from their eyes, use their taste buds, their pictures, emotions and physical sensations. When an animal has been traumatized, it is a very strong reaction.
13. Has your way of communicating changed over the years?  Yes, it’s gotten deeper. The dolphin experience has opened me up and I experience quite a bit more in intensity now. My work got better, clearer and more specific after swimming with them.
14. What kinds of questions and things do you talk about in your mind to the animal to get them to understand and trust you? How do you get them to open up and converse with you?  Well, of course I introduce myself to the animal. If they are hesitant I ask questions like, what do you like to do or eat and who are your friends. Eventually I get to questions like, so. . .you’re not using the cat box, what’s that all about?  
15. Are the animals surprised more often than not that you can hear what they are talking about? Only occasionally now. In the beginning more animals looked at me with surprise. Our consciousness has been raised quite a bit these last couple of decades. People are trusting their intuition more and talking more to their animals. Animal communication is no longer a new concept.
16. Do you ever question yourself and how accurate you are? Well I did when I first started out but I don’t any longer. With that said, I do let people know that I can make mistakes so if people are not getting what they need from a reading then there’s probably a reason for it. I agree. Occasionally I have inaccuracies when two animals are sitting side by side. This is called “bleed through.” I know when this happens though because the client will tell me that it sounds like the other animal is talking and that I’ve gotten their personality down to the tee. But sometimes maybe we’re just not supposed to know entirely what is going on. Know what I mean? I mean sometimes we’re not privy to the greater plan. We’re only given the information as a snapshot at that time and that things can change or unfold. I feel like I am allowed to give out what is needed at the time. Every day I’m just so amazed I can do this work.
17. Do you have Guides around you to help the communication process? Oh yes. I can feel my guides around me all the time. Then, when I go home at the end of the day, my own animals support me and help me to decompress.
18. Do you work with animal shelters?   Occasionally if needed. People who use Petfinder (https://www.petfinder.com/index.html) will often send me the picture of an animal and ask for a reading to see if the animal will integrate with their current situation, be OK with the other pets or the children and generally see if it would be a good match for the family. I also like doing the Greyhound Fun Days (https://www.facebook.com/events/24253854430/) Some of those dogs really loved racing. It’s good to ask them if they like family, other dogs and if so, what type of dog would they like to associate with. They’ll tell me if they’ve had a bad time racing. We had a few Greyhounds for our anatomy class in vet school. They were never initially housebroken and that took some time but they sure did make great pets.
19. You’re a busy lady and go to lots of events. How do you decide which events to go to? Wow. What day is booked? If I have the time and there is integrity in the activity, then I’m happy to do them. I’ve always wanted to be a fairy god mother for animals.
20. What comments do you hear most from your clients Lydia? What I hear most often is that I’ve validated what they already knew but that they were not confident enough to accept the information. Everybody has this ability but sometimes it’s hard to be objective when you’re talking to your own pets. I often get asked, “My animal always stares at me. What do they want?” I tell them that their pets are reading their minds. They are watching the pictures kind of like a movie screen and wondering if you’re going to talk to them about that vacation you’re planning on taking in the near future. “Are they planning on telling me about this” they’re asking. They get agitated at things you are worried about. It’s better to verbalize what you are thinking about to them so that they can let it go. They read your energy and your thoughts all the time.
21. Do you have a lot of inappropriate urination in cats consultations? Those are SO tough!  Oh yes, I sure do. Cats are not pack animals as you know. Every time you add another cat into your home, people like to collect them because they’re so cute you know, it really does a number on their issues with territoriality. Cats are very territorial. Tell me about it. Just when you get the home all organized and happy and all the spraying fixed the person will often go out and get another cat to put into the mix. Drives me nuts sometimes. I understand. Cats are so primal.
22. You once did a reading for my dog Maggie and told me about her past lives? How do you tap into those past lives? I’ll have to admit at first I didn’t believe what you were telling me but in all actuality she fit the exact persona that you depicted for her past lives. Being a veterinarian I know my breeds and I know that you were not just making things up that related to the breed. I was really impressed. How did you do that?  It depends on the animal. It doesn’t come up every time but some animals have had lifetimes you can feel. These animals are older souls. Maggie volunteered that information. An animal will let us know if they’ve been with us before and that they are here to help us again.
23. Lydia, I say a silent prayer before each consult which goes something like, “Lord, please let me say the words you want me to say in the way that the client needs to hear them for the highest and best good of all those concerned.” It’s an intention thing. How do you start? Ah, yes. I pray too before my consults. After that I just feel a sense of grace, like it’s time to begin.  God is on 24 hours a day you know. I can’t do this work without him. So true. I always tell my clients with health challenges that when they stop listening to people, God often brings them a pet with the same challenge. It gets them back on track to healing themselves again. So, Lydia. . .
24. How do we get a hold of you if we want a reading and how much do you charge at this point?  The fee for a reading is $40 for ONE pet for a 15 minute session; that’s all the time needed per pet. Consultations are pre-paid in advance by check or money order. In that time, I’ll ask your pet the questions you have, get answers, and give suggestions. I’ll also do a body scan on your pet so you have information for your veterinarian. A frequently ask questions page and contact info are on the site at www.lydiahiby.com. My phone consult days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM -10:00 PM California time, and you can call at your convenience. No appointment times are needed. Other days and times have to be arranged through the office. Boy, that’s a really good deal Lydia. I’ve got to tell you that the “No Appointment” thing threw me initially so I try to tell my clients that they may need to keep trying that phone number as you’re on the phone with one person and then another but really? I haven’t had to dial too many times before I finally reach you.
25. Did I miss asking you anything that you think is important for my readers to know? Well, one thing. Pets are more concerned about quality time than quantity time. When you go to work and then come home, if you spend quality time with them your absence is not that traumatic.  Thanks Lydia. As a child in a family of five children I can validate that. We didn’t have much time with my mom at the end of the day after she got home from work but those ten minutes or so really did make us feel loved. We knew she had to work to pay the bills. I don’t think any one of us felt shorted in anyway. I appreciate you sharing that.
26. If one of my readers wanted to sponsor a workshop given by you, how would they go about doing that? First, contact me through my website www.lydiahiby.com as I’m happy to do that for people. A good group count is between 8-10 people. I’m actually doing a workshop in Bend, OR soon. All my events are posted on the website.  Thanks Lydia. Here’s that link: https://lydiahiby.com/seminars.shtml
27. Conversations with Animals—cherished Messages and Memories as Told by An Animal Communicator. . .Will there be another book Lydia? Well yes, I’m saving up stories right now for a sequel. I’m still accepting submissions and feedback of my communications with critters.

Thanks for your time today Lydia and thanks for donating a reading. I’m really excited about our contests this year. Let me know how that turns out for you and if there’s anything else I can do for you.

Lydia Hiby website:

www.lydiahiby.com