Woman to bring her ‘telepathic’ ability to Valley
By ELISE FRANCO
Vindicator staff writer
Do you know what your pet is thinking? Doris Straka says she does.
Straka, 63, of Kirtland, said she’s had the ability to mentally communicate with animals since she was 2 years old.
“I am intuitive, and sometimes the red flags go up if an animal has a health issue,” she said. “Of course, I do run into animals that I just plain talk with.”
Straka said she can pinpoint sources of pain and changes in behavior.
“It’s like a small movie playing in my head,” she said. “It’s very telepathic once they trust me, and they realize I can hear them.”
The Wickliffe native said that since she went public in 1991, she’s had clients from all over the country, including Tennessee, Florida, Arizona and California.
Now she’s bringing her services to the Mahoning Valley. Straka will be featured from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Ohio Pet Expo in the Eastwood Expo Center.
She said it will be her first time working in the area since the 1980s.
Judy Henninger, pet-expo coordinator, said she heard about Straka through a friend. “She was really impressed with her and how she really helps people take an interest in their pets. It’s amazing how Doris can have that connection,” Henninger said.
Straka said she has used her communication abilities to help animals in many ways. She said she once “spoke” with a rescued shelter dog named Denny who was overweight and very temperamental, though veterinarians couldn’t figure out why.
“I told [the woman at the shelter] I saw a mass that was hitting his kidneys and going into his spine. It was hurting him,” Straka said. “She returned to the vet with him and asked for an X-ray. It showed he had a huge mass. ... They were able to remove the mass and save his life.”
Straka said she doesn’t blame anyone who may be skeptical of her gift, though.
“If it hadn’t been happening to me, I’d be sitting right there next to the skeptics,” she said.
Kathy Senick of Independence is a longtime client of Straka’s. She said she never had doubts about the ability, but a little skepticism is good to have.
“I would say it’s good to be skeptical, but if you want to try speaking with Doris, give it a shot,” she said. “You can’t lose out.”
Senick said she first heard of Straka while watching the news about 10 years ago. She said her dog was having unexplained seizures, so she called Straka.
“I just wanted to know if she should keep going through the treatments or if we should release her,” she said. “She’s taken care of my other dogs as kind of a preventative thing.”
Senick said she’ll usually go to Straka right before she takes her dogs to the vet.
“I’d always say, ‘This is what Doris said,’” she said. “Nine times out of 10, [Doris] would be right.”
Watching Straka work is Senick’s favorite part of the experience, she said.
“When Doris does her thing, she just stops and closes her eyes,” Senick said. “And my God, the dog was so calm. She wasn’t speaking — she was doing it mentally.”
Straka said she works with all types of animals, especially dogs and horses.
“I think they all need an ear, and there are many wonderful people out there respecting that their animals are individuals,” she said.
For more information about her services, contact Doris Straka at (440) 256-1245.
efranco@vindy.com
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