When people get a massage they can communicate where they need it most. But Jennifer Streit works with clients who can't talk.

She massages animals. She is also a Reiki master working purely with "life force" energy. She came to her current career as a natural progression. She first became a licensed psychotherapist and practiced for 13 years, then chose to learn how to massage people and finally took the training to massage small animals.

Her business is called Hands to Paws Massage and she is well versed in how to bring the health benefits of massage to many different creatures.

"It stimulates the immune system, makes their coat look shiny, it's good for gastrointestinal health, flexibility, and helps relieve pain and other muscle related ailments," she said.

She has four dogs of her own and all of them are the beneficiaries of regular massage. One of them, her beloved daschund Buddy, suffered from paralysis due to a herniated disk. After surgery Jennifer did regular massage work with Buddy and now he is fully recovered. It was this experience that led to her present career.

While she only works with small animals, technically there is no animal that can't benefit from massage. From a snake to a box turtle to a blue whale Jennifer maintains that "as long as you can reach the soft tissue" all animals can be massaged.

"The director of the school of massage went to the zoo and massaged a giraffe during surgery," Streit said.

While she has helped hundreds of people's pets, she also gets something from it.

"Unconditional love," Streit said.

For more information on Streit's work visit the Web site.