Rev. Dr. Jaime Gonzalez DVM, CVA, MVZ
Dr Gonzalez was born in the US in Chicago in the 60s. Due to the social climate of the ongoing Vietnam War and the military draft, at the age of five, his family decided to move to Mexico. A few years later a family car accident left him and his brother alone to grow up with grandparents with a culturally different way of looking at life and its mysteries.
At age 25, he graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Around the same time, a diagnosis of cancer was pronounced after a nodule was felt and found in his throat. After undergoing surgery, the doctors made it pretty clear, it was malignant and that he should put his affairs in order.
After this news, he spent most of his time researching and trying cures with local indigenous healers and learning from the native shamans how to help himself with herbal therapies, homeopathy, acupuncture and energy medicine to live a more natural, useful and pain-free existence for the rest of his days.
He moved back to Chicago where, for the next four years, he worked in a couple of zoos, and worked as a veterinary intern in several hospitals including a specialty hospital, while at the same time working towards obtaining his license in the US.
It was while working at this specialty hospital that he realized that conventional veterinary medicine had come a long way, (specializing and mimicking human medicine), addressing the body but lacking a spiritual and energetic connection with the animal soul.
He also realized that the alternative modalities that he had learned were seldom if ever used.
After passing the written national boards for veterinary medicine he decided to attend the University of Missouri, College of veterinary medicine, to spend a year of clinical guidance and practice and to see what he was missing, and share the time with the veterinary seniors and professors, and in this way add to his experience in the field.
This proved to be the right choice, as he experienced first-hand, how intertwined the final upbringing of veterinary students was with the already established corporate animal food and pharmaceutical companies, and how it molded and changed the mind and perspective of all these future healers.
It was during this time that he finally decided to follow a different path, and become more knowledgeable in alternative medical modalities to continue to help himself and his animal patients.
He continued to attend courses and conferences and became proficient in the fields of Homeopathy, Homotoxicology, Nutraceuticals, supplements, nutrition and food therapy, laser therapies, Chinese medicine and all the techniques of acupuncture, Western herbal medicine, essential oils, flower essences and energy medicine.
His journey has been extensive and includes working in two veterinary specialty practices, working for several private hospitals, three different chains of corporate hospitals, as an emergency veterinary doctor in multiple clinics and owner of two holistic/integrative veterinary hospitals (one with his wife and co-founder Susan Blake-Gonzalez).
He has engaged in professional speaking for the general public on natural /holistic/integrative medicine and appeared on television and radios shows.
Becoming a minister was a natural extension of being a shamanic healer, and he understood that strife and life challenges mold us into being who we are and these experiences provide a steady and humble helping hand when we arrive at the inexorable time to transition our beloved animal companions.
As an elder and as a healer, his mind is one of service, to promote the knowledge of alternative medicine and its incorporation into our daily lives, to help us and animal guardians all over the world.
Susan Blake-Gonzalez
Susan has had a strong connection with animals from a very young age, sensing their feelings and needs with ease. She drove her parents crazy (in a nice way) by creating a home for every gerbil, mouse, chicken, rabbit, dog and bird they would allow.
Originally trained as a field biologist, she taught dance and raised two wonderful children. After her divorce, a multitude of part-time jobs followed which included administration at a law firm and assistant to an astrologer. In 1990, she found the perfect job for a spiritual seeker as a bookstore manager in a boutique crystal shop and began to understand the magic of connection with people. There she met and got to know Ted Andrews, a frequent teacher at the store, and identified the fox animal spirit to be her power animal.
Susan returned to college at the University of Tampa where she graduated with a degree in liberal studies and writing. She worked in higher education as an admissions officer, which brought her to Sarasota where she attended journalism classes while working as a communications professional. Developing her expertise in public relations, marketing, media relations, and advertising, Susan found this work interesting but not the calling that would ultimately lead to her soul work.
One day while browsing at a bookstore, a book fell off the shelf, landing at her feet. It would guide her to cultural anthropologist Jon Young (student of animal tracker Tom Brown). Seeking to strengthen the animal bond & nature connection she studied the Art of Mentoring and Bird Language in California. Susan went onto learn about tracking and sustainable design practices. She researched the role of indigenous teachings in leading a simpler and humble life, one that is not at odds with nature but in harmony with nature. She studied animal communication with Mary Getten (whale biologist and student of Penelope Smith) and shamanism with Sandra Ingerman (Medicine for the Earth and shamanic practitioner) among others.
In 2008, she taught creative writing and nature-inspired writing classes at the Ringling School of Art & Design. She began offering nature-inspired writing classes at Selby Gardens, a cultivated world-renowned garden, as a half-day retreat for writers.
Growing up with two grandparents from large farm families, her connection with plants, cultivating and preserving the land and growing food was part of her ancestry. In 2009, she began to turn her interest for farm-fresh food into renewing and managing the Bradenton Farmer’s Market for the City of Bradenton. She completed all the coursework for a Master’s Degree in Media Communication and put that on hold to devote her time to managing a holistic veterinary medicine practice.
Susan married Dr. Gonzalez (Dr. G) in 2011. Guided by their shared spiritual calling, together they built Bear Creek Veterinary Alternatives, Inc. a holistic/integrative veterinary practice. Susan trained/practiced for many years as a Healing Touch for Animals®/energy medicine practitioner. She found this work to be of great benefit for animals, especially when making their transition after illness or injury.
Today as an elder and a grandmother of three, Susan wishes to help instill a love and respect for animals, an awareness of their importance and significance. She feels that if others can have a direct experience of knowing that our lives are intertwined and inseparable from the land and our animal companions, humans can be part of a more balanced and more humane world.
Susan is a fourth-generation Floridian. When not teaching nature-inspired writing classes called Words and Wonders© Susan enjoys sharing outdoor activities with Dr. G as well as traveling, cooking, and taking long walks together with their Shelties, Spenser and Pearl.
Jaime R. Gonzalez
Jaime is a Biology student at the University of South Florida (USF) and founder of Positive Impact, LLC. He joined the Red Fox team to help spread positive awareness for our animals and the environment.
At a young age Jaime was introduced to the connection of animals and the environment. Early on and through growing up and spending time with his father, in Veterinary Hospitals, camping outdoors in many of our natural parks and attending nature camps in the summer, he has set himself on a path towards conservation early on.
Later as a young adult he has pursued his journey as a budding environmentalist, Jaime has traveled to different places, such as the North Eastern and Southern United states, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico and Ireland. During these trips he came to gauge and experience different and beautiful ecosystems and their animals and their serious ecological imbalance.
These experiences helped ensure a sense of urgency on his involvement to take action towards a healthy future.
He actively enjoys outdoor photography and videography and currently continues to volunteer with many animal projects locally.
He continues to further his goals through his own company Positive Impact and with his unique skills and enthusiasm, is a vital contributor to The Red Fox Institute, LLC and The Red Fox Foundation, Inc. mission.
“Although we are faced with a variety of compounding problems, I believe through a disciplined and strategic effort we can make a long-term positive change in our natural world. “ -Jaime Jr.