Thats right, from the very bowels of Religion, and Myth. What some people believe to be just fantasy.
Every Religion has its own Therianthropes, whether you be Wiccan, Norse, even Christian. Though in Christianity and Catholicism we are frowned upon as demons, unnatural people and such.
Back in history, Long long before Jesus and the Bible, came one man named Akhenaten in Egypt. Who promoted this belief in One God.
Though this One God was the Aten, it set about a new Religious Feud between those who believed in Multiple Gods, and those who followed this new Single God. And today, Thanks to the belief of this one Manipulating man, (followed by many others) we have Christianity, Catholicism, and every other religion that deems to have one Sole God and deny the existence of all others from all cultures.
Its thanks to That belief, that we have Jesus, We have Jehova, We have Witch killings, we have Bible Bashers, we have a Bible everyone must adhere to, we have Isolation, Prejudice, and the Church, which controls every aspect of the believers life. And we have the Biggest Group of Hypocrites and small minded Religious Leaders known to History.
For those One God followers who do not adhere entirely to their pre-programmed Religion, they still (I doubt) will Never accept any other Gods or beliefs that differ from their own, for once you opt into a Single God Religion, it becomes in your nature to deny all other Gods.
This is where, I believe, Single God believers are wrong..
There is no one true Religion, only all Religion. And as long as you accept all other beliefs, that their Gods exist alongside your own, whether they be good or bad, right or wrong, do not discriminate.. and you will never be one of those people who upset the balance of life.
After all, I'd like to remind those One God believers, that we believers including the Norse, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians, Aztecas and Native Peoples etc were all here long before Jesus.
Therianthropy exists in many cultures all over the world, and some, such as Kemetic (Egyptian) Therianthropy, are closer to Religion than most others, though there are also Pagan, Norse, Wiccan and Native American Theriantypes all over the world, not to mention many others with varying spiritual beliefs that may or may not follow conventional paths.
From past to present our dreams, visions, and lives have been imprinted and inspired by mythic tales of half human Gods and beasts that roamed the land, oceans, forests and heavens long ago, and still do today according to some. My own path leads me from Egypt, and here I will describe some of the Egyptian netjeru, both Theriantype and non.
Most of the well known Netjeru posess both animal and human qualities, and also multiple forms. Which suggests that they were Shapeshifters.
The Netjeru are in order of their relevance to myself, and all information is mostly based on historical knowledge or my own Kemetic belief, some of my views do not follow textbook information, and i will not add everything to this site. Please don't correct me by stating any opinion-based corrections. It's mostly just my personal opinion on the Netjeru.
Though it would take a long time to mention and describe every single Egyptian God and Goddess, each has a place and importance in the history of the Egyptian culture, and though many of them aren't as well known, or perhaps even forgotten, the memory of the greatness of Egypt itself will always be preserved. To live on for all eternity in the hearts of those whos hearts are still open to it.
In ancient days of Khem
A Pharaoh was praising
The sun above Amun
Osiris, Mother Isis and Thoth
The gods would punish the hybris of Pharaoh
He wrapped himself in false sunshine
He was the founding father of the only God
But he provoked a fit of rage
Son of the Sun, it was his name
Son of the Sun, the sun will burn your wings
Son of the Sun, beware of Aten
Son of the Sun, your God will let you down
The Sphinx burst into tears
And pyramids are shaking
The precipice is close
When Pharaoh is losing his faith
Visions of madness led the Pharaon astray
The portents were too ominous
Until this day his curse is still the plague of man
We must defeat the only God
Apep will rise
Apep will come
*Lyrics to Son of the Sun, by Therion
Ma'at (Ma'atRe) The Divine Justice
The Winged Goddess
Goddess and personification of Justice, Law, Truth and Order. All living things and Gods abide by the Laws of Ma'at. She is the foundation of life, existing both naturally in creation and in the lives of men and women worldwide.
Justice comes before everything, before even love and death. It is the stability and balance of the Universe.
Kemetic therians are created solely for the service of Ma'at (Justice), and must abide by her Law at all times.
They may however stray from the righteous path and join darkness, that of Set.
Ma'at is often displayed as a woman with wings, a feather atop her head to represent Truth.She may also be represented as a human, with just the feather, tucked neatly into her head band. Also as just single golden feather or a plinth (statue base).
Amun (AmunRa, Ra, Re, Amon, Aten) The Divine Father
Amun Ra, son of Nun (or Nu) father to all men and all Gods in the Kemetic faith. Often displayed as a falcon headed man, a falcon, a sun disk embraced by a Cobra, a man holding a corn scythe, or a man of pure Gold. Amongst a few others. He is the king of all (Egyptian) Gods, as a Pharaoh is King of all men. Banished from Egypt and replaced during one point in history, along with his fellow Gods/Goddesses, by the Aten (sun disk) during the reign of Akhenaten, who sought to destroy the followings of all other Gods. Bastet is the Goddess of dance, music, love and sexual desire, but also the Goddess of protection over the household and family. Her temple once resided in the city of Bubastis, which housed atleast one great full size statue of the Goddess. This statue though apparently has never been recovered. Nor have the innards of her temple. Bastet is usually displayed as a seated Feline, with or without kittens. As a human musician, or as a feline headed woman holding a sistrum (rattle) or other instrument. I have a particular affinity with this Goddess. Some confuse Anubis with the title 'God of the Dead' or the 'Lord of the Underworld', this is false. Harakhti is a name that is not particularly associated with Anubis, however I feel inclined to give him this title. Crocodile headed god, usually depicted with the body of a lion, or other large cat, and the rear quarters of a hippo. Can often be depicted as a crocodile with a solar disk upon its head, or a crocodile headed man. 
(Someone clearly not worthy of the title Pharaoh. In my opinion. And my opinion of that vile man isn't something I could write here, due to youngsters possibly reading this)
He, Amun Ra, is the most revered and loved of the Gods, and one of the most well known also, ever since the ancient days.
Bastet, (Bast)
I believe Bastet to be the mother of Anubis, for various reasons. There are stories for and against this statement, but, I believe what I feel to be correct. Bastet was once known as a feral deity, much like Sekhmet, but through history her malignance lessened and she became more peaceful.
Though definitely not a Goddess to be underestimated, she is still "at the feet of Amun Ra" as a protector.
Anubis (Anpu, Wepwawet, Anpu Harakhti) 
The only God to have Rule over the Egyptian Underworld is Osiris, "Pharaoh to those who have gone West".
Anubis prepares the deceased for their journey to Lord Osiris' chambers and escorts them along the paths, through the trials they have to face to reach the Judgement halls.
Anubis watches over the dead and oversees the funerary rights are carried out correctly, as in the image, he sits at the foot of the scales of Ma'at; Taking part in the weighing of the heart of the deceased. Here he is displayed, beside the Feather of Ma'at, the feather of Truth, which is balanced on the scales, opposite the heart of the deceased.
It means, Horus upon the horizon. As Anubis takes his place as the Horus, guiding Amun Ra from the Horizon to the sky.
Anubis in this form has been equipped with the graces of the falcon.
Sebek (Sobek) 
Sebek is known as the devourer of the wicked, at time of judgement he sits below the scales of Ma'at, along with Anubis, waiting patiently for the weighing to be complete so that he may devour the hearts of the wicked who fail the judgement. He eats the heart of the sinners who are then condemned to the land of Set. (the Egyptian equivalent of the Devil and Hell)
My Therian name itself has the meaning 'Horus the devourer of Evil'.
And I actually didnt design my name based on Gods, I simply found out what it meant later on.
If you were unlucky enough to stumble into the lair of an actual Nile Crocodile, and the beast did not eat you, it was a sign that you were living a Pure life. Some people who were eaten, or just killed by these animals, were often said to have suffered for their sins. Attacks on humans though, were very rare.