Reagan Conley
Therian and Furry
Reagan "Rory" Conley is a therian, furry and mask shop owner based in Buffalo, NY. Rory has known he was a therian for most of his life and began making therian-style masks in 2023. Rory’s masks are one-of-a-kind and completely hand sculpted. Rory shares a variety of therian and furry content on his YouTube Channel, BirdyDogs, to his community of over 71k followers, including instructional therianthropy content and mask making tutorials. Rory’s theriotypes are a wolf, mountain lion, and a prehistoric animal called a cameroceras.
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Forum Comments (6)
How can I find more Therians?
My recommendations would be to find others through shared interests - look in comment sections, reply to others, maybe move to DMs when appropriate. Please don’t share your location online, though, that’s just not safe.
The Therian symbol can also be used as a way to find others in the community. Younger Therians sometimes draw it on their hand to identify each other or use it online to connect. Some therians even get it tattooed.
The Therian symbol can also be used as a way to find others in the community. Younger Therians sometimes draw it on their hand to identify each other or use it online to connect. Some therians even get it tattooed.
Therian Community: How do you find friends as a therian?
One major problem in the Therian community is finding connection, because a lot of Therians are othered by society in a way. I mean, it is kind of abnormal or unusual to identify as a Therian, so you get a lot of pushback, especially if you’re more expressive and open about it.
I’ve personally experienced an enormous amount of hatred online just for posting openly about being a Therian. So, taking that risk and posting about it is just not worth it for some people. But one thing I recommend is: if you’re watching Therian content—like even my own—check the comment sections. You’ll often find other Therians interacting there. Finding others through those shared interests is one way to connect.
Unfortunately, there’s been this recurring issue in the community where kids would post things like, “Therian meetup at [location],” or there was even a trend, “Post your city to find other Therians near you,” and that’s just not safe. Please do not share your location online. I try to emphasize that there are better ways to find connections. Look in comment sections, reply to others, maybe move to DMs when appropriate —but please don’t comment your address. That’s a real problem that happens in this community because people are desperate for connection, but it needs to be safe.
I’ve personally experienced an enormous amount of hatred online just for posting openly about being a Therian. So, taking that risk and posting about it is just not worth it for some people. But one thing I recommend is: if you’re watching Therian content—like even my own—check the comment sections. You’ll often find other Therians interacting there. Finding others through those shared interests is one way to connect.
Unfortunately, there’s been this recurring issue in the community where kids would post things like, “Therian meetup at [location],” or there was even a trend, “Post your city to find other Therians near you,” and that’s just not safe. Please do not share your location online. I try to emphasize that there are better ways to find connections. Look in comment sections, reply to others, maybe move to DMs when appropriate —but please don’t comment your address. That’s a real problem that happens in this community because people are desperate for connection, but it needs to be safe.
What is a therian shift and what does it feel like?
A Therian shift refers to any experience where you feel more connected to your Theriotype, your animal identity, in a non-physical way.
It could be a phantom shift, where you feel a limb that isn’t there, like a tail. Or a dream shift, where you dream you are your Theriotype. There are also mental shifts, where your mindset becomes more instinctual or primal. You might feel like your hands are paws or that your body is more animal-like.
These experiences don’t last forever. Some Therians are always shifted, while others experience shifts occasionally. It’s different for everyone. What’s important to know is: shifts are not hallucinations, delusions, or signs of mental illness. They don’t cause harm or fear. If they did, then that’s something to discuss with a mental health professional. But for most Therians, shifts are benign and deeply personal experiences.
It could be a phantom shift, where you feel a limb that isn’t there, like a tail. Or a dream shift, where you dream you are your Theriotype. There are also mental shifts, where your mindset becomes more instinctual or primal. You might feel like your hands are paws or that your body is more animal-like.
These experiences don’t last forever. Some Therians are always shifted, while others experience shifts occasionally. It’s different for everyone. What’s important to know is: shifts are not hallucinations, delusions, or signs of mental illness. They don’t cause harm or fear. If they did, then that’s something to discuss with a mental health professional. But for most Therians, shifts are benign and deeply personal experiences.
I’m an American-Muslim and Therian! Why do people hate me?
That’s a really hard situation, especially when you come from a religious or cultural background that has set standards or expectations. It can feel even more isolating when your family doesn’t understand. Sadly, this happens a lot. Many Therians have unsupportive parents who don’t understand or accept Therianthropy. It’s a huge issue in the community.
And unfortunately, there are always going to be people who don’t just misunderstand you—they actively dislike you because you're a Therian. And I hope that the worst someone faces is just confusion or discomfort, but the reality is that some people can be hateful. That’s the sad truth of being “othered” in society.
I’ve faced that myself as a transgender and gay person—it's a similar kind of othering. Some people are just going to hate you for who you are, for things you can’t control. But what I want to say is: you can’t let that hate become part of how you see yourself. Just because others think your identity is wrong or weird or gross doesn’t mean that it is. Your experience is valid. You are a Therian. That’s your truth.
It’s hard, especially if the person judging you is someone close, like a parent. But eventually, you’ll find a community. You’ll find people who love you for who you are and who will support you. So the goal is to hold onto that and try to let go of the negativity. Focus on those who uplift you, not the ones who try to tear you down.
And unfortunately, there are always going to be people who don’t just misunderstand you—they actively dislike you because you're a Therian. And I hope that the worst someone faces is just confusion or discomfort, but the reality is that some people can be hateful. That’s the sad truth of being “othered” in society.
I’ve faced that myself as a transgender and gay person—it's a similar kind of othering. Some people are just going to hate you for who you are, for things you can’t control. But what I want to say is: you can’t let that hate become part of how you see yourself. Just because others think your identity is wrong or weird or gross doesn’t mean that it is. Your experience is valid. You are a Therian. That’s your truth.
It’s hard, especially if the person judging you is someone close, like a parent. But eventually, you’ll find a community. You’ll find people who love you for who you are and who will support you. So the goal is to hold onto that and try to let go of the negativity. Focus on those who uplift you, not the ones who try to tear you down.
How many theriotypes can one person have?
Yes. So a Theriotype is the animal you identify as, but some Therians identify as more than one animal, and there’s no upper limit
. You can have as many Theriotypes as feel true to you.
For some Therians, one Theriotype might be more dominant, like a primary Theriotype, while others are less present or only show up at times. Some people feel like they are multiple animals at once, or they identify as one or the other at different times. It really varies from person to person.
Also, some Therians identify as a broader category, like an entire genus. For example, someone might identify as all felines—lion, tiger, cheetah—rather than just one specific species.
For others, different parts of themselves may be represented by different animals. So maybe they feel like a bird sometimes and something else another time. It’s really diverse and individual. But in short, yes— you can have eight Theriotypes, if that reflects your experience.
For some Therians, one Theriotype might be more dominant, like a primary Theriotype, while others are less present or only show up at times. Some people feel like they are multiple animals at once, or they identify as one or the other at different times. It really varies from person to person.
Also, some Therians identify as a broader category, like an entire genus. For example, someone might identify as all felines—lion, tiger, cheetah—rather than just one specific species.
For others, different parts of themselves may be represented by different animals. So maybe they feel like a bird sometimes and something else another time. It’s really diverse and individual. But in short, yes— you can have eight Theriotypes, if that reflects your experience.
