GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Ming Chee-Brown didn't know about Reiki, a form of energy healing, when her physician brother suggested it for Ming's yellow Labrador Sammy, who walked with a limp due to canine hip dysplasia.

Chee-Brown learned to do the energy work from a Reiki Master in southern California where she and business partner, Candy Boroditsky, run their Reiki Fur Babies — an energy healing practice for animals.

Reiki comes from the Japanese Rei and Ki, meaning spiritually guided life energy.

Chee-Brown began by practicing on her dog, who's 12 now and can run up the stairs of their home. Chee-Brown blogged about how Reiki healed Sammy and the next thing she knew someone found her on Google and hired her to do distance Reiki for a pet.

Since Chee-Brown, a pharmacist, and Boroditsky, a retired physical therapist, went into business three years ago, they say they have performed hundreds of healings — remotely — on animals throughout the world.

Linnie Krauland of Grand Junction and owner of Lotus Light Healing is a Reiki Master and teacher who works on people. She had been following the women's work after finding them online a couple of years ago at Facebook.com/reikifurbabies where they have more than 5,000 followers worldwide. There people can see photos, and read posts from people who talk about their animals being healed with Reiki.

Krauland and her husband own four dogs and four cats, including a 20-year old Shih tzu named Toby they adopted when he was 14.

“He had cysts all over his back and sides, and they're almost all gone, with one treatment,” Krauland said. “It was really amazing.”

Another client from England was told by a veterinarian that he couldn't do anything more for her dog who had tumors and that she should try Reiki. That woman contacted Reiki Fur Babies and after treatment the tumor burst, Chee-Brown said.

“There are so many different cases,” she said. “I'm blown away every day how animals respond even after just one session.”

All their animal healings are performed from a distance, Chee-Brown said. Clients send photos of the pet, its name, an explanation of the animal's issues, and the time they'd like to have the energy work done, so the owner can be there if he or she wants.

“We do people too — owners of the pets,” Chee-Brown said.

Chee-Brown said she and Boroditsky always receive feedback from the owners after they have sent them reports regarding the treatments.

The idea of distance healing “certainly raises one's inner skeptic,” said Pamela Miles, a New York City Reiki Master and author of “REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide.” While she works primarily with people, Miles has students who specialize in treating animals.

“There's not yet been a lot of research so we don't know scientifically how Reiki healing works, but there have been small studies,” she said, that point to a more balanced overall system.

Miles likens distance Reiki to prayer.

“Spiritual healing is about accessing the invisible parts of life we don't understand,” Miles said.

Krauland invited Chee-Brown and Boroditsky to Grand Junction where they will do a presentation about energy healing for animals at Krauland's home in The Knolls subdivision 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. There is a fee and people must register to attend. The session includes a distance healing session for attendees' pets.

Krauland, who also practices therapeutic touch and is in the process of becoming certified to teach Yin and Chopra yoga, has worked with Reiki for 10 years. She used to be a chaplain intern at St. Mary's Hospital, and started the “Healing Hands” group at the Cancer Pavilion for patients and caregivers.

At the presentation Feb. 11, Chee-Brown and Boroditsky will define Reiki, and will talk about how and why animals respond to energy healing.

For more information on cost and location, and to register visit http://reikifurbabies.eventbrite.com.

“Energy goes where it needs to go. It's kind of like meditation,” Chee-Brown said.

“We're all just souls.”