Rachel

Bonjour, je m'appelle Rachel. Je viens de Chine. Je suis écrivaine indépendante et j'adore les animaux !
(Je suis en train d'apprendre le français : je peux communiquer à l’écrit, mais il me faut encore un peu de temps pour parler couramment.)

Hello, I'm Rachel, a freelance writer from China, and I love animals！

I enjoy traveling in countries that are kind to animals. Seeing them treated with respect and love fills me with happiness.

From 2000 to 2021, I shared my life with several pets—2 rabbits, 2 birds,5 dogs and 3 cats……each of whom lived out their full lives by my side.

I also cared for sick dogs belonging to friends, took in dogs abandoned by their owners, and a whole family of stray cats has been living in my yard for generations. My family and I have looked after them for years.

My love for animals comes from my grandparents. When I was a child, my grandmother used to say:
““Animals have souls — they just can’t speak, but they feel everything. /Les animaux ont une âme ; ils ne parlent pas, mais ils ressentent tout.”

She would feed neglected animals in the neighborhood, and she remained a vegetarian her whole life. She passed away two years ago at the age of 102.

In her lifetime, she showed kindness to every living being around her — and yet, she once said to me:
“Child, don’t keep any more dogs… I can’t bear to see you suffer so much when they leave.”

My first dog, Sunny, was a Pekingese. He passed away at 14. After I buried him, I walked home, counting my steps. And with each step, it felt as if the planet beneath my feet was no longer the same.. It's been 11 years, but I still think of him every single day.

When he was 9, he became paralyzed. The vets told me it was irreversible. But I refused to give up. I had a wheelchair custom-made for him, gave him hydrotherapy in a bathtub with a life vest, and got up 7 or 8 times every night to care for him. One morning, after six months, he stood up along the wall and walked slowly to my bed. That was the happiest moment of my life.

My second dog, Ada, was a bloodhound. When she came to me, she already had both distemper and parvovirus. The vets said there was no cure. But I couldn’t accept that.
I gave her injections myself and even prayed to trade part of my life for hers. And then, a miracle happened — she survived. From that moment on, it felt as if a special bond of life was formed between us.

Twelve years later, I remember that day clearly: I was walking by the river in Chiang Mai when suddenly a sharp pain struck my heart, forcing me to sit down and rest. When I returned to the hotel, I received a message from my older brother saying that Ada had gone to heaven.I was devastated. I rode my bike to Tibet, thinking it might be closer to heaven — perhaps she could feel my love. On the train ride home, I wrote her a letter on my phone. When I finished, it disappeared from the screen.

As a dog mom and dog grandma, I understand perfectly how important it is to ensure that our beloved pets are well taken care of. You can count on me to be a responsible and caring pet sitter.

Over the years, I have met many animals on my travels. I believe that animals can sense a person’s soul.

In Tibet, even Tibetan mastiffs — usually fierce — came to me gently and licked my face. People around me were astonished.

I spent several winters in Nepal. Dogs I met on the street would accompany me on hikes.
One night, some drunk men scared me. A dog appeared from the darkness and walked me all the way back to my lodge.One evening, I was watching the sunset alone by a lake. I started to feel cold. A dog came and sat close beside me, warming me with its body.

Last year, I stayed for over two months in a paragliding community in Spain. Many pilots brought their dogs for vacation.They used to laugh and say:“You remember every dog’s name but not ours.”And it was true.

But there was one dog whose name I never knew.She was a sheepdog.In the evenings, I would often sit alone at the landing field, watching the sky turn gold. A few sheepdogs would bring their flocks to graze nearby.One of them started noticing me.Between her duties, she would trot over to sit by my side.As I stroked her fur, she kept her eyes fixed on her flock.And the moment they needed her, she would leap up and dash away, only to return quietly after making sure everything was in order.I never knew her name, but she made me feel seen — as if I were part of the rhythm of her world.

By the way,the dog in my profile photo is Karatos, a Spanish Mastiff I met at the takeoff site.

Sorry, once I start talking about animals, I just can’t stop. I’ve had so many magical encounters — with birds, fish,a horse and even a praying mantises …… that I’d probably need to write a thick book to tell them all.

Just a few days ago, while watching a video from a French vlogger (I'm currently learning French), I came across this way of traveling. My only regret is not having discovered it sooner — it’s absolutely perfect for me.

TO all the lovely animals around the world — your best friend is finally coming to visit you!!!


P.S. I also have plenty of experience taking care of plants.
At one point, I moved from the city center to the countryside so that my dogs could have more space and freedom.
There, I had a large garden, and every afternoon I would work in it — always with my dogs by my side.

Thank you for reading my story. It means a lot to me — and to all the animals I’ve loved and cared for.

Rachel
July 31,2025

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