This quote by French novelist, Anatole France: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened,” is one that I truly feel is true. If you haven’t had the opportunity to love an animal and earn its love in return, you are missing out on one of the purest loves you will ever experience, one that is unconditional and comes with no strings attached.

When I hear kids, teenagers and adults say “I don’t like animals,” I find out that it’s usually (99.99999% of the time) because they were never given the opportunity to be around animals, to bond with them, and to feel their love.

Have you ever hugged a horse or a cow? It’s an amazing experience. When you are still and just feel their energy flowing out of their fuzzy, strong bodies, it’s overwhelming and healing.

When you make these connections with animals, you realize that they are beautiful, individual sentient beings, just like you and me. They just want to live and to love, they are families who love their children, just like we love our own kids.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to make a meaningful connection with an animal before, I encourage you to find a way to. It’s something that you won’t regret, and who knows, you might even change a life.