Mineral County Independent News

July 29, 2010

By Heidi Bunch, MCIN Staff

A lover of all animals, Pat McKay of Walker Lake, is surrounded by her four dogs: Bogie, Jacques, Dutch and Lena. What is special about these dogs is they are all rescues, living long and healthy lives.  Bogie just celebrated his 21^st birthday in May, which is incredible for an 88-pound dog.

This 76 year old has always had a love for animals. Raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pat learned at a young age, the love and heartache of caring for our four-legged friends. Her first dog, Nicholas, was a gift from her wealthy, but uncaring, parents when she was only three years old. Like so many children, Nicholas was taken from her without any explanation and the trauma of this dog mysteriously disappearing has haunted Pat since. Pat’s father’s fortune was made in the automobile business. The family lived in an exclusive suburb of Minneapolis until the bottom fell out of the stock market, during the depression years, and the family left their home for a cabin in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Pat was only five years old and thought that the family was “camping.”  They would stay in the area where Pat’s father would purchase a nightclub and her mother, a café. Once again, a beloved pet, Penny, a Shetland pony was taken from her without explanation and Pat’s love of animals continued.

In 1951, Pat would marry a soldier, James Lind. Together they would have two children, Bob and Mary. The couple would separate, and James abducted their two children from her Oak Ridge, Tennessee home. It would be six and a half long years before Pat would see her children again. James would die in the Korean War and since the couple were technically still married, Pat qualified for the Manpower Development Training Act and went to school for Court Reporting. During this time, Pat met and married Vern McKay and had another daughter named Karen. She would move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, California, to complete her training. There she worked in the Federal Court System but burn out after only five years. “I got tired of hearing people’s problems,” Pat stated.

Finding her next niche, Pat took her love of animals to a different level. She knew that pets, just like humans, need optimum nutrition, but how would she convey this to the California pet owners? Simply by opening up a grooming business, Pat would see animals with skin diseases who needed constant grooming and after establishing a relationship with the animal and owner, Pat would talk to them about animal health & nutrition. After 2-3 years, Pat would be able to hang out her shingle stating that she was an Animal Health Nutritionist.

Her love of nutrition and homeopathy led to the opening of her business in the Pasadena, California area. The company sold over a half-million pounds of homemade dog food a year and supplements that were so good for your dog, humans could consume them. The basic ingredients would be fresh meat and vegetables, a diet that she still feeds her dogs, today.

From this small business, Pat would make a client list of over 3000 that depended upon her for their animals’ health. By making simple suggestions, Pat would be able to take an ailing animal back to a healthy, vibrant animal.

Today, Pat is a pioneer in the development of her raw and fresh food programs. Not only is she an animal nutritionist, she also is a homeopath, who knows more about their uses than most will ever dare to dream. She counsels those with pets that may have some “issues” such as biting, aggressiveness or may not be feeling well. Her love of animals leads her back to owners and pets who may both be struggling with illness stemming from issues that can easily be fixed just by adjusting their diet or giving them a simple supplement. She is also an author. Her writings range from raw food diets to microwaving pet food (a no-no) to healthy food makes healthy pets. They can be read - for free on her website: www.patmckay.com.

In today’s society, where the image is health conscious…isn’t it about time that we turn back to what our fellow ancestor’s practiced and preached? Simple remedies, made from even simpler ingredients, which take out the harmful chemicals. Not only will we feel better but by sharing this with our loved ones and pets, they too will feel healthier. Mineral County has yet to realize the impact of homeopathic services whereas communities throughout the West have began embracing these simple practices.

Being the owner of a crazed Chihuahua, I am ready to take this challenge. In order for this little guy’s life to be the most fulfilling and rewarding, I need to step up to the plate (literally) and watch what I am feeding him, and myself. Who will join me on this quest? Enough with the reading magazines that tell us what health and beauty are supposed to look like. Find it within yourself. Realize your own potential and don’t be afraid to step out on a limb, like Pat did. You may realize that the view from there is great!