Can Reiki Work on an Animal That Has Passed Over?

You might be surprised, but the short answer is: yes, it absolutely can. While it may sound unusual at first, especially from a traditional standpoint, Reiki is not bound by time, space, or even physical form. In fact, Angels of Rainbow Bridge touches on this very essence — that our connection with our beloved animals doesn’t end when they leave their bodies.

Reiki Transcends the Physical

Reiki is universal life force energy — and that energy doesn’t end when the physical body does. Just as Reiki can be sent across distances to support a living animal or person, it can also be sent across dimensions, to connect with those who have transitioned. Many Reiki practitioners, including myself, have experienced profound moments of connection, peace, and healing while sending Reiki to pets who’ve crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

It’s not about “healing the animal” in the physical sense anymore — it’s about love, release, continued communication, and sometimes even helping them transition more fully if they passed in a traumatic or sudden way. Reiki can help ease the energy between soul and soul — whether it’s for closure, comfort, or simply to say, “I love you and I’m still here.”

A Two-Way Healing

What’s beautiful is that the healing isn’t just one-way. Often, when we send Reiki to a pet who has passed, we receive healing too. Our hearts, still grieving or missing their presence, can soften. The veil thins. We may receive signs — a dream, a sensation, even a message.

And yes, they do feel it. They are still connected to us, especially if there was a deep bond. Animals are energetically sensitive, and on the other side, they are free from fear or pain. When we send Reiki, we are simply sending love — and they receive it like the warmest embrace.

A Passage from 

Angels of Rainbow Bridge

“Energy never dies. It transforms. And when we send Reiki to our beloved animals across the Rainbow Bridge, it’s like sending them a beam of light that carries our love, our voice, our memory of them. And in return, they send us signs, warmth, and the knowing that love — real soul-deep love — never ends.”

So if you’ve ever wondered whether you can still “do Reiki” for your animal friend who has passed — the answer is yes. You already are, every time you think of them with love. Reiki just gives that love a language.

Link to the book.