Perth Best Cafes

1. Lake Oswego's Dog Psychic In the attractive city of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Rita Sandler is listening to a dog. But it's not the bark she hears; Sandler claims to be a dog psychic, who can channel what our four-legged friends have to say and communicate it to the owners. This doggy style Dr Doolittle holds consultations once a month in West Linn, near Lake Oswego, and also has a Cable 11 show called "Wise Woman Way", which airs once a week Perth Best Cafes. The dog physic's readings last about 10 minutes, cost owners US$15 (£7.50) and currently take place at "Bone- Jour GourMutt Bakery and Boutique", a kind of dog cafe that makes the finest doggie treats and cakes "using only the highest quality ingredients" which have been approved by vets. Local vet, Emily Stuart, is sceptical of Sandler's abilities, although she sees the dog reading as harmless: "I have a hard time, as someone with a scientific background, truly believing in the psychic stuff," Stuart said. "I think the folks who do it are relatively interpretive in reading how you word things, or your body language, and they make open-ended statements that you can read into." As one of Oregon's most affluent areas, it's perhaps not surprising that there is a market for gourmet dog food, and despite the vet's scepticism, demand is rising for Sandler's readings, and dog owners in nearby areas are hoping that she may start visiting homes and perhaps hotels in Lake Oswego to give readings there in order to help them too decipher their canine's deepest thoughts. Dog psychics are of course also found outside of Oregon, and a quick search on the internet reveals all manner of psychic pet readers, who claim to be able to tell us what our dogs, cats, horses, even hamsters are thinking and feeling. However, there is a great deal of scepticism over whether it is really possible to read the thoughts of animals. Many claim the practise to be a hoax; known as "cold reading" where the psychic throws out all manner of names and scenarios until a member of the audience responds, and they then hone in on the often vulnerable individuals, telling them what they want to hear. Others people truly believe that such readings are genuine, and indeed are very grateful to be able to know and understand what their pets are saying. Whether it's really possible to read the minds of animals or not, is yet to be proved or disproved; however, it seems that there are plenty of pet owners the world over who are willing to believe that the telepathic abilities of animal psychics, like Rita Sandler, is very much the genuine article. Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen traveller and watersports enthusiast. Originally from Scotland, she now resides in London.