Cow Hug Therapy: Interview with Author Ellie Laks
A cow named Buddha is a central figure in Ellie Laks new non-fiction book titled “Cow Hug Therapy.” Sweet, powerful, and moving, this book chronicles how cows have helped Ellie — and many others — overcome life challenges and tragedies by providing a program by the same name that has become very popular at The Gentle Barn.
A non-profit animal sanctuary with three locations across the USA, The Gentle Barn is home to cows, pigs, turkeys and more, The Gentle Barn is an animal haven that has saved thousands of animals and been host to over 500,000 people. The founders are eager for like-minded sanctuaries to pop up in every state so that everyone can hug cows, cuddle turkeys, give pigs tummy rubs and look into the eyes of these animals and know for certain that we all deserve the same rights, respects and freedoms.
Ellie Laks founded The Gentle Barn in 1999. Her experiences working with animals (and people) have left her with a wealth of stories. She recounts many of these stories — specifically, the cow-focused ones — in her latest book which is ideal reading for any animal lover. Ellie recently discussed the book — and her animals — via an exclusive interview.
Meagan Meehan (MM): This book was remarkable! How long did it take you to write it?
Ellie Laks (EL): Thank you! From concept to publishing it took almost two years, but the actual hard core writing part took about nine months.
MM: How did you find a publisher and how have you been promoting this book?
EL: My agent reached out to several publishers with our proposal, and I spoke to many. We chose to go with New World Library as I am aligned with their dedication to the environment with their books being printed on recycled paper, they publish mostly nonfiction with a spiritual or inspirational message, and I have loved working with them. I have felt very cared for and supported by them!
MM: Cow hug therapy is such a unique concept! Do you think it will catch on at other barns, or is this something that you want to keep to The Gentle Barn?
EL: I would love for everyone to have cows and for every sanctuary to practice this kind of special healing. I have already seen other sanctuaries talking about it, so The Gentle Barn has already led the way for others to follow.
MM: The stories in this book are so moving and memorable, were any especially profound to write about?
EL: Each chapter was meaningful for me to write for different reasons. Writing Buddha’s chapter was meaningful because she was the one who created cow hug therapy and I miss her so much! Writing about her passing brought back all of that pain, still so fresh. Writing about John Lewis was wonderful as he was the only cow we raised in our house and is still my baby to this day. Raising him was one of the best experiences of my life. And writing about the turkey road trip brought back all of those fun memories of adventure. It is impossible to pick a favorite.
MM: You believe in reincarnation, so how does that impact your outlook on our relationship with animals?
EL: I didn’t always believe in reincarnation. It was something that I evolved to with the animals showing me things that I could not deny. But now that I believe in it fully, it makes me feel hopeful when animals pass away wondering if they might come back. It makes me feel supported and surrounded and guided and not so alone. I don’t think that every animal I meet might have known me before, but once in a while there are animals that I meet and recognize them from somewhere and they seem so familiar to me. That’s a lovely feeling.
MM: Why did you decide to focus on cows for this book and might you write follow-ups about other creatures (like goats and goat yoga, for example)?
EL: People ask me all the time if I have a favorite animal. I do not have a favorite; however, I feel like I need cows the most. When I am having a bad day, all the animals uplift me, but cows make it all better somehow, like a really good mom hug. I also chose to focus on them because I wish we humans were more like them. They are such a wonderful tribe: matriarchal, vegan, and inclusive. They meditate every day and family is their most treasured value. We have so much to learn from them. Our cows host our cow hug therapy sessions for hurting humans and offer such a unique, transformative, and helpful brand of healing.
MM: What has been the best feedback that you’ve gotten about this book so far?
EL: I was on Dog Words Podcast and Phil Hatterman shared that he was a very fast reader and could plow through a book in just a few days. He then got teary-eyed and said that with my book, “Cow Hug Therapy,” he had to put the book down after each chapter and just absorb and process what he read because each chapter was so impactful, inspiring, and meaningful. The positive feedback and love for my book was written on his face.
MM: How do you hope that The Gentle Barn will evolve over the next ten years?
EL: We hope to expand to New York as our fourth and final location. I hope to write more books, both nonfiction memoirs and books for children. I hope our Co-Founder, and my husband, Jay Weiner, will write his cookbook, and I am hoping to roll out more programs to save animals, heal hurting humans, open hearts worldwide, and help people fall in love more deeply with animals and make gentler choices in their purchases and eating habits to help them.
MM: Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
EL: Follow The Gentle Barn on all social media platforms, sponsor an animal or donate to enable us to save more animals who have nowhere else to go, and come hug a cow when you can!
