Reisa is a traditional Ukrainian Animal Intuitive with beloved clients on four continents.

At her birth, Reisa's psychic medium auntie in Ukraine gifted her with a lovingly embroidered cloth. It portrays Reisa in communion with a stag wearing a collar of flowers. This cloth connected her with her ancestors, and foretold her special gift with animals both tame and wild. 

Reisa worked as a horse groom and trainer to national level, including handling "problem" horses and rehabbing Thoroughbred race horses for new careers. Her gift has been passed down through 5000 years of horse trainers on both sides of her family. At just 18, Raisa became a stud farm manager, and was the handler for the US National Champion Stock Horse Stallion. She volunteered with therapeutic riding for decades.

Raisa grew up in a house full of animals. Her overworked parents assigned an Irish Setter, Prince, as her constant caretaker. He woke her parents when Raisa cried, let her lean on him to learn to walk, and gently pushed her down when she tried to exit her crib.

At four years old, she used her gift of animal telepathy to teach her pet chickens (Peep and Beep) to walk up stairs and whizz down a slide. 

Raisa's equestrian training from ages 5-9 consisted solely of bareback riding. She was taught by Indigenous neighbors who required competence in all gaits, before granting the privilege of a saddle and an Appaloosa. She joined the British Horse Society Pony Club, and was further coached by Elke Otremba, Monica Knowland, Margaret Balboa, Terry Mordue and Joan Chiswell. She has attended horsemanship clinics by Jonathan Field, Jay O'Jay, Chris Irwin and Doug Mills, and TTouch with Linda Tellington-Jones.

Raisa is adept in all facets of stable management and horsemastership to Pony Club Level B2.

She is a former Veterinary Technician. CBC-TV filmed her story of farrier apprenticeship, The Last Canadian Cowboy. 

She studied with German dog trainer Otto Prockert and Charles "Chuck" Eisenmann of The Littlest Hobo fame; men who demonstrated that animal intelligence and accomplishment have no limits.

Raisa's love and understanding of animals is that of genuine kinship. She has joyfully lived and worked with all species regarded as pets, and some that aren't.

She leash trains cats, rescues spiders and has been known to move furniture to accomodate a foster bunny's desire to play tag. As a rescue volunteer, Reisa uses her communication skills to "speed teach" dogs tricks in order to make them more adoptable.

Raisa has shown dogs in conformation and obedience, and taught her Labrador to answer the phone with, "Herrrro, how rrrrrrrrr ya?"

She is the creator of the Healing for Neglected Animals Event, and has lectured in the University of British Columbia's History department on the relationship between women and Nature. 

Raisa appeared on Global TV as leader of a successful campaign to conserve an urban forest and its wildlife (Save Stanley the Squirrel!), which led to her featured appearance at the Organic Islands Festival. She was the first person in her home province to show Dobermans with natural ears, and is thrilled that this was a catalyst for the ban on ear cropping. She headed the campaign that has kept carriage horses off Vancouver's downtown streets for over 30 years, and is the national record holder for petitions to end horse slaughter. She pursuaded her Member of Parliament to table it in the House of Commons. 

Raisa is an alumna of the Banff Centre, and is currently completing her degree in Environmental and Indigenous Studies. She is a former member of the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, and a national CBC artist. She has been a guest singer with the New Orleans Dirty Dozen and the Harlem Gospel Choir, as well as narrator for Bravo TV. She rehabs wildlife as well as domestic animals, but does not let unemployed musicians sleep on her couch.