All her life, Penelope Smith loved animals and communicated with them. Now, she didn't just talk aloud to them but transmitted her thoughts and feelings non-verbally or telepathically, and understood what they communicated to her by receiving their thoughts and feelings. Animals, both domestic and wild, have been her friends, confidantes, and teachers for as long as she can remember.

As a spiritual counselor in 1971, Smith discovered that animals could be relieved of emotional traumas and other problems through the same counseling techniques that helped humans. The details of her amazing counseling session with her first animal client, a black and white cat named Peaches, is told in her book, "Animal Talk," first published in 1982, and now in its sixth edition. The profound results of her adventures in communicating and counseling with animals and their people are found throughout her subsequent books, audio, and video publications. The training and experience that have contributed to her success are her educational background, with bachelor's and master's degrees in the social sciences; years of training and experience in human counseling, nutrition, and holistic body energy balancing methods; research into animal nutrition, anatomy, behavior, and care; plus the firsthand education from the thousands of animals she has contacted.

Smith's visionary work as the leading pioneer in the field whose name she originated, "interspecies telepathic communication," has been featured in newspaper and magazine articles, such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Natural Home, and Woman's World, numerous books, and on radio and television (Coast to Coast, NPR Weekend America, Fox Channel News...). She has developed tried-and-true telepathic communication techniques, complementing ancient wisdom and modern scientific knowledge. Her methods foster people's ability to understand and communicate with animals on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. A legendary teacher for four decades, she has helped launch the careers of numerous professional animal communicators. People have affectionately called her the "mother (and now the grandmother) of interspecies communication." Smith feels that the sacred connection we make through telepathic communication with other species is essential for human wholeness. She believes that everyone is born with the power to communicate with other species, and that, although it is long lost for most people, it can be regained for the benefit of all beings on Earth.

Smith is the author of the popular, classic books on the subject, "Animal Talk" (available in many languages), "When Animals Speak," and, "Animals in Spirit." She is the founding editor of "Species Link" magazine begun in 1990. Her audio recordings include the "Animal Communication Mastery Series," "Animal Healing Power," "Animal Spirit Call," and the "How to Communicate with Animals Basic Course." Her DVDs include an overview of animal communication, "Telepathic Communication with Animals" and a powerful retreat at a wild animal sanctuary, "Wild Animals Speak."

Smith lives in the Sonoran Desert north of Phoenix, Arizona with her animal family.