Both animals and humans communicate their emotions and needs through behaviors. Verbal words are not necessary, although some animals have shown the ability to communicate with sounds that resemble human speech. Many of us have had dogs, cats, or other domesticated pets that have demonstrated an understanding of the words we convey to them by responding to commands.

I think of the contributions of Jane Goodall and how she has shown the relationship between humans and animals – the interconnectedness between us that we all share on this planet. Information is conveyed from animals by gestures and facial expressions. Goodall demonstrated how chimpanzees show affection through the gestures of hugging, kissing, patting, and touching. Also, animals have thoughts and feelings just like we do.

Penny Patterson’s gorilla, Koko, showed grief with the loss of her kitten by moaning, similar to human mourning, which was thought to be relative to only humans.

We have seen how the human-animal connections impact mental health. Therapy animals can reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Having a pet can provide companionship and reduce feelings of loneliness through unconditional love. The very petting of dogs, cats and other animals releases oxytocin that lowers the stress cortisol levels in humans.

Last month, I found a baby owl floating in my pool. I carefully used a pool net attached to a long pole to get it out and placed it into a flower planter. The owl was soaking wet and shaking, and its eyes were partially closed. I cautiously dropped a towel to absorb the water and warm it without getting too close to avoid scaring or threatening the owl.

Thanks to my daughter, I got the telephone number of a wildlife rescue in Long Beach. While waiting for them to arrive, I sat at a distance from the owl to protect it from possible attacks by predatory animals, as it was vulnerable. I felt a sense of responsibility for this owl’s life.

During this time, I spoke to the owl in a soft, calm voice, saying that I was trying to help. Surprisingly, the owl fully opened its eyes as if to understand what I was saying. The animal portrayed a look of trust and appreciation that I will never forget. It was a very deep spiritual connection that I cannot explain. Jane Goodall said it best: “I connect with people with words; with animals, it’s more mind-to-mind.”

I’ve heard many stories of people rescuing animals, such as a family of dogs from the side of a freeway, kittens left in bushes, ducklings trapped in a storm drain, and a wounded bird that couldn’t fly. My neighbor recently found a bird’s nest that had fallen out of a tree with baby birds inside. She was told by the rescue organization to put it back in the tree so the mother bird could find and feed them.

It’s always a good idea to contact professionals to rescue animals because they are trained to deal with these situations. I initially rescued the owl from the pool to save it from drowning, but then I contacted the authorities. There are several wildlife rescue organizations you can call for assistance with a distressed animal. The number for the rescue organization I called was 562-434-0141.

Interestingly, a neighbor shared an article with me about an owl being rescued in the state of Virginia from a swimming pool. She was able to contact the wildlife center to find “her owl” that had survived. It was the first time this center had seen an owl in this circumstance. I am sorry to say I was not able to find out about “my owl.”