About Linda Bender

“My lifelong relationship with animals has taught me they are intelligent, emotional beings, capable of great compassion and love. Animals exist in a state of consciousness that is one with nature, connected to all life and closer to God. They graciously offer their divinely bestowed wisdom to those with open hearts and minds.” ~ Linda Bender

A passionate animal advocate, educator, and author Dr. Linda Bender’s love of the natural world began in her childhood backyard. From orphaned deer to blue jays prematurely bumped from their nests, animals in distress somehow found a way to her loving arms. Her innate rapport with animals inspired her to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

During the fourteen years she spent living in England, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Linda’s veterinary work included the rescue, rehabilitation, and protection of wildlife, often in remote areas. Working with zoos in Southeast Asia, she treated animals rescued from the wildlife trafficking trade and helped reintroduce them back into their natural habitats. Among those given a second chance at life were clouded leopards, tigers, orangutans, and numerous species of rare psittacine and passerine birds. Working in the field with rarely encountered wildlife, Dr. Bender helped to develop treatment protocols.

In both Asia and Africa, she worked with local communities to promote anti-poaching initiatives and educational programs. Sharing stories of her deep connection to animals also helped school children understand, respect, and protect both wild and domestic animals.

For over twenty-five years, Dr. Bender has practiced meditation and studied many of the world’s wisdom traditions, including shamanism. Learning the traditions and wisdom of indigenous peoples enriched her understanding of the sacred connection shared by humans, animals, and nature. All of these experiences helped shape Dr. Bender’s environmental consciousness and deepened her commitment to spirituality, conservation, and animal advocacy.

Dr. Bender started one of the first pet therapy programs in Cincinnati as part of their state mental health program. She is cofounder of the non-profit charity From the Heart and the author of the Amazon best seller Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals. Her work has been endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra , Dr. Larry Dossey, and many more. Dr. Bender has been featured in the Huffington Post, Natural Health magazine, Spirituality & Health magazine, Modern Dog, Elephant Journal, on Gaiam TV, Deepak Chopra’s One World TV show, and many more media outlets. She lectures around the world advocating for animals and the conservation of their habitats. Recently, she was personally invited to Japan by the Goi Peace Foundation to be one of the first signatories of the Fuji Peace Declaration for a peaceful and a sustainable world.