Press Releases and Articles
Written About Animal Chaplaincy
NPR: "Pet Owners Pay for Lavish Funerals"
Listen to the broadcast which mentions the work of Animal Chaplain Donna Rae :
A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion is Unveiled
November 7, 2007
(from the BestFriends.org website. Used with permission. Please support them generously.)
by Kris Haley, Manager of Multifaith Outreach
It is the kind of electricity you rarely feel, that sense that something very significant is happening. Such was the energy in the Cannon Caucus Room in Washington D.C., a room rich with history that served as a platform for even more history made today.
People entered the room for the unveiling of 'A Religious Proclamation of Animal Compassion' with smiles on their faces as some old friends caught up and new ones were made. Guests shared in a vegan continental breakfast while key speakers rehearsed their talks in preparation for the start of the event.
The event began with a welcome from Best Friends’ President, Michael Mountain and Chief Executive Office, Paul Berry. Mountain gave a brief history of the organization and of how interest arose around the need for a faith component, and Berry talked about the events leading up to the Proclamation and how the religious leaders gathered in Utah last July. Then Berry introduced the first of the political speakers who had agreed to speak at the Proclamation signing.
Representative Tom Lantos (D - Calif), who co-authored a bill that gives pets safe haven with their owners during catastrophes, credited his wife with inspiring his commitment to animal welfare. He also talked about his love for his own dog Macko, who accompanies him to his office on the Hill. As the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the House, he particularly resonated with Best Friends' mantra, “Kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us," and added that, with the help of religious organizations, change for the better was inevitable.
Rep. Lantos then introduced his friend and colleague, fellow Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus co-chair, Rep. Christopher Shays (R - Conn), calling him “…the most powerful friend for animals in Congress.” Rep. Shays referred to today’s event as, “…a consensus of principles that puts compassion into action for all of God’s creatures,” and received enthusiastic applause when, referring to the treatment of animals, stated that “global warming is not the only inconvenient truth.”
Next to take the stage was Rep. Betty Sutton (D- Ohio), who shares her home with her two rescue dogs, Cody and Bear. A long-time supporter of Best Friends, Congresswoman Sutton invited all people of faith to join the cause for animals and said that she would be fighting for animal rights “right alongside you!” Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) also stopped by to lend his support.
The event then shifted to the faith leadership. Best Friends Multifaith Outreach Director, Michael Bruner, opened his comments with an invitation to the audience to not only change the course of history but to “keep history going” by supporting the intirinsic rights of animals as God's creation to live lives free from abuse and cruelty. Bruner connected the welfare of animals to the ongoing crisis of global warming and the environment by reminding the audience that ”animals are the environment.” He also insisted, speaking as an evangelical, that “dominion is not domination" and that Christians have a biblical mandate to care for animals.
Rabbi Robin Nafshi followed by quoting her favorite verse from the Talmud where it states that "the highest wisdom is kindness.” She extoled her fellow Jewish believers to take specific steps to end traditional religious practices that inflicted pain and suffering upon animals and she reminded everyone that kindness is not merely a virtue but a religious duty for all people of faith.
The second religious speaker, Imam Yusuf Saleem, Resident Imam at Masjid Muhammad in Washington, DC, encouraged compassion for all sentient beings and invited the audience to remember the importance of “balance for all creation…including animals and plants.” Imam Saleem quoted from the Koran and spoke of the care all people are to show for their fellow creatures, and that the Prophet Muhammed always enjoined his soldiers never to harm women, children, or animals.
The final religious leader to speak and also a co-author of the Proclamation was Rev. Steve Keplinger, Rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Page, Arizona. Rev. Keplinger, who has authored a number of creation liturgies, challenged those in attendance by saying that there is nothing we devalue more in God’s creation than when we turn animals into objects. "This is our fault," he insisted, "because we are not correctly interpreting sacred texts and applying it to today’s culture.”
The moment everyone awaited finally arrived when Rev. Michael Bruner returned to the podium to read aloud "A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion" as the co-authors of the document came up to sign their names to the Proclamation (http://www.bestfriends.org/signproc). He closed the reading of the Proclamation by inviting all people and leaders of faith to step in to this new paradigm of animal welfare, for which this Summit was only a beginning.
As the co-authors gathered to add their signatures to the Proclamation, Paul Berry officially closed the event with a call to action to all people of faith to add their names to the document unveiled today. Among those in the signatory gathering was Moseby, a rescue dog who added his “paw-to-graph” to the Proclamation, representing his canine brethren.
Best Friends is encouraging people to sign an online version of the proclamation at http://www.bestfriends.org/signproc. The goal is to collect one million signatures by the 2009 Summit of Animals and Religion: A Call to Compassion in a show of support for kindness and compassion as key spiritual values. To achieve this, Best Friends' Animals & Religion team will be facilitating an effort to reach 2008 churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and faith organizations by the end of 2008 in anticipation of global conference for Animals & Religion in 2009. If you’re interested in joining this effort, or have a faith organization that may like a Best Friends representative to visit, or simply want more information, please contact Kris Haley at krish@bestfriends.org.
After the event, Michael Bruner charged the group to go beyond just signing the document themselves. “If each person in this room gets 50 others to sign, and those 50 inspire 50 more, and so on through two more generations of signatures, we would achieve our goal of collecting one million signatures in support of the Proclamation and would stand as a united and compelling voice of compassion for animals around the world.
Please join us by signing your name today and ask your friends, family and faith leaders to do the same. In addition, to stay connected to the latest events in the Best Friends Multifaith Outreach Program, please join the Best Friends Animals & Religion Network Community at http://www.network.bestfriends.org/religion .
To sign the petition, go to http://www.network.bestfriends.org/religion/news/20355.html .
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Chaplains for people and dogs?
by Hannah M. Mullins
As seen on Arizona's 12 News
Oct. 4, 2007 12:07 PM
Everyone knows what a minister is, but did you know there’s a pet minister? Donna Yuritic is one of the few bonafide animal Chaplains in the Valley.
Many skeptics deny the claim that animals have souls? Yuritic acknowledges their disbelief, but uses the Bible to back her up. On her website, Yuritc sites the book of Genesis as follows:
“And to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the heavens and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a Living Soul” -Genesis 1:30
Yuritic says when you flush a goldfish down the toilet, you’re not teaching children to respect that life.
As a certified animal chaplain, Yuritic doesn’t limit her practice to dogs or denominations. She welcomes fins, paws, claws, fins and hoofs, and you decide on the denomination. advertisement
Whatever the worship, whatever the paw, animal chaplains serve to provide grief support, funeral services and many types of prayer blessings.
“Life can be changed in an instant, so it’s important to appreciate every moment, “ Yuritic says.
Tragedy and death happen. Sometimes euthanasia is the only choice, which means you’re literally choosing whether or not to have your animal killed. She says it can be devastating to a family.
Yuritic says animals give their companions unconditional love. “When that kind of love is taken from us, the heart can’t differentiate, and the heart just breaks.”
This animal Chaplain is an author too. She just wrote a book called “Animal Angels: Paws to Remember”. For more information, or to fetch a book for yourself visit Compassion for Creatures, call (602) 315-1846.
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Animal Chaplains To Bless All Creatures On World Animal Day
From the Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains
In what will look like a scene from the popular family movie, "Evan Almighty", dozens of Animal Chaplains around the world will bless hundreds, perhaps thousands of animals in many different settings on October 4 2008. At a pet cemetery on the east coast, to a city park in the desert, to a sandy beach on the west coast, they will walk in on four paws, fly in on a harness, and slither in on their bellies.
That day is World Animal Day, a day dedicated to honoring, blessing, and protecting animals all over the world. World Animal Day was founded at an ecologist's convention in Florence, Italy in 1931 as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then, it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and has been widely celebrated around the world. October 4th was chosen as World Animal Day because it is also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic Church holiday which is often celebrated with an annual "blessing of the pets". Churches and synagogues in many faiths traditions have adopted "Pet Blessing Day" or "World Animal Day" in increasing numbers every year.
The Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains prepares for World Animal Day by referring its members and visitors to the official World Animal Day website. The site provides ideas and resources to individuals, families, community groups and congregations everywhere. People can post their pledge for volunteering at a World Animal Day event. In addition to blessing pets, volunteers will work at animal shelters, zoos, rescues, and other nonprofit organizations. Dogs will be walked, cats will be brushed, horses will be groomed, and fish will enjoy freshly cleaned tanks. Donations will be given to animal welfare agencies, and pets will be adopted. School children will collect pet food to be donated to charities, and bake sales and car washes will be held as fundraising events. Veterinary clinics will hold free spay and neuter days, or may offer to vaccinate pets at no charge. All over the world, on the very same day, the well-being of animals will be on the minds of millions of people.
Founder and Chair of Animal Chaplains.com, Chaplain Nancy Cronk, feels a day honoring animals is very important at a time when the headlines speak of animal cruelty such as athlete Michael Vick's admitted ties to illegal dog fighting. Animal Chaplains would like everyone to know that every major faith endorses the responsible stewardship of the earth and all of its creatures. "Deliberate harming of animals is in direct opposition to teachings in all of the major world faiths. Caring for animals is our global spiritual responsibility."
For more information about The Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains, go to www.AnimalChaplains.com. To get involved on World Animal Day, go to www.WorldAnimalDay.org.uk
(Permission is granted by Animal Chaplains.com and the Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains to post this article in full, or to use the information to write your own.)
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August 27, 2007
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Animal Chaplain Gets Radio Spot
Released July 09, 2007
The "Pet Reverend", Rev. David James, now has his own one minute radio spot on WHUD Radio 110.7 (located in New York). Listen to it live on Friday evenings between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., on the station's live-stream link: www.whud.com/ . Rev. James reads a short story or poem each week about animals, spirituality and pet ownership. If you have any inspirations you can share with Rev. James, please contact him at: 914-864-1236, 914-584-8770, www.petrev.com
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Pet Place TV Show Host Becomes Ordained Minister In Order To Help Pet Owners
Mission Is To Conduct Memorial Ceremonies For Pets, And Encourage Mortuaries And Cemeteries To Offer Pet Services
Fred Bergendorff, host of The Pet Place TV Show, has recently become the Reverend Fred Bergendorff for pet owners who need his comforting words and presence as they grieve for their dying or recently departed pets.
Over the years Fred has received thousands of cards and letters from viewers who talk about their pets in the most loving terms. "I am especially moved when a person talks about a pet who has died or is fatally ill. It really touches my heart and I can feel their deep sorrow. I know myself that when my cat Buster died a few years ago I never cried harder in my life than when I was with him as he was put to sleep."
Besides saving the lives of homeless pets through the show's very successful adoption program, Fred's recent decision to go into the Pet Ministry is a logical extension of his deep caring for pets and their owners.
"I hope to help people who want a formal, spiritual service as their pets begin their journey to heaven. Since they regard their pets as members of the family I see this as a logical need in their lives and I am glad to provide it."
His other mission will be to convince more mortuaries and cemeteries to include memorial and burial services for pets. "I am amazed that there is still resistance and even laws preventing this. I guess some officials haven't gotten the message that at least one half of all US households have at least one pet. That's about 65 million cats and 60 million dogs, not to mention rabbits, hamsters, fish, and so forth. And more and more people want a suitable something for their pets. I am going to make sure they get it!"
While realizing that there are others who offer spiritual and grief counseling for pet owners he feels that through The Pet Place he has become the one that people seem to want to help them through this difficult time.
He has already done several services, including the one for Bear, the mascot of the Long Beach Animal Shelter. Reverend Bergendorff explained that the services are fairly basic. "I try to keep the references to God, Heaven, etc. somewhat general but they can be tailored to a person's specific beliefs. Anyone interested should call the show's message line at 949 474 9510, or email to tpetplace@earthlink.net.
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Animal Chaplains Fill A Growing Need
First Published in: The Pagosa Daily Post, Pagosa Springs, CO
Written by the Founder of Interfaith Animal Clergy, Nancy Cronk.
Permission is granted by the author to reprint as is, or use information within for your own article.
Eight year old Willie was hit by a car while playing ball with his family early one Saturday morning. Mom Madeleine Kelsey was beside herself in grief, as would be expected under the circumstances. She worried how she would tell her seven year old daughter Rebecca. She contacted a retired Episcopal Priest named Reverend David James and arranged the funeral for her beloved Willie. During the ceremony at Hartsdale Cemetery an hour outside of New York City, Rev. James handed everyone a prayer card, and asked little Rebecca to help him read the 23rd Psalm. She agreed. After the beautiful and moving service, between tears, Becky asked Rev. James the question Madeleine had been dreading most.
“Will Willie go to Heaven?”
Rev. James knelt down next to the little girl and asked if she and her family loved Willie with all of their hearts, and she answered, “Yes.” He then asked if Willie loved his family with all of his heart, and again she said, hugging her stuffed toy cat, “Yes, he did. I know he did.”
“Well,” he said, “One of my favorite definitions of God is Love. If you love Willie, and Willie loves you, do you think God, who is Love, would want you to be away from each other?” Rebecca wiped her tears, apparently satisfied, and grabbed her mother’s hand as they walked through the memorial park to the car. Madeleine Kelsey flashed a look of gratitude to Rev. James, and smiled. She knew she had called the right person.
Willie was a golden retriever. Rev. David James is a former Episcopal Priest who now serves the larger ecumenical community. He has performed many human weddings and funerals during his 25 year career, and has performed pet funerals at the nation's oldest pet cemetery for 15 years. Last year, Rev. James performed more than 100 funerals for dogs, cats, and a variety of other animals. Although Hartsdale pet cemetery has a reputation of being only for the pets of the rich and famous, they also have low-cost options for people on budgets. Rev. James is their Animal Chaplain-on-call.
Pet funerals are becoming more common, and families look to Animal Chaplains to give them the comfort and support some cannot find within their own religious community. For single adults, especially the elderly, their pets may be the only family members they have. When their pet dies, they are as devastated as they would be if a human being had died.
The Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains lists 35 Chaplains from a variety of different denominations, scattered all over the world. Many of these members of the Clergy are retired from congregational work, or work independently in their communities, and perform their services in exchange for a requested donation. Interfaith Animal Clergy is an internet website where many Animal Chaplains advertise, offer pet loss and bereavement support, share pet blessings and scriptural readings about animals, and support others who have chosen their unique calling. There is also a training program for people interested in starting an Animal Ministry within their own congregations, and for members of the Clergy who wish to add Animal Ministry to the services they provide.
Although the Chaplains listed on the site are from a variety of different religious backgrounds, they share some important things in common. They all share a respect for the spiritual nature of the human-animal bond, and a deep love for all of God’s creatures, regardless of species. Although traditional church doctrine in some faiths holds that animals do not have a soul and therefore cannot go to Heaven, the vast majority of the Animal Chaplains she has known believes they do. Don’t believe them? Check out one of the almost one hundred books recommended on the Animal Clergy website.
In addition to performing animal memorial services, Animal Chaplains offer a variety of other services, as well. Some comfort families in veterinary clinics when animals are in surgery, visit private homes when an animal is dying, or they may offer to be present during euthanasia. Many of the support calls received by Animal Chaplains are difficult questions about the spiritual considerations of euthanasia. When the family Veterinarian tells them there is nothing more he or she can do, and recommends the animal be relieved from his pain and suffering, the emotional toll on the human companion is great. Companion Animal Chaplains can support the family in making a decision that honors their special relationship with their pet.
For more information about Animal Chaplains and Animal Ministries in your area, go to www.AnimalChaplains.com.
To read this story on the Best Friends Animal Network Animals and Religion Community webpage, please check out this link: http://network.bestfriends.org/religion/news/14959.html
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Animal Chaplains in the News
- Hear a live animal blessing at a synagogue on U-Tube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUMP2X-rek
- Creatures To Be Blessed On World Animal Day, Horse talk Equine News and Views, August 11, 2007
- Animal Chaplains Teach Us To Love Animals On World Animal Day Kansas City Star, August 09, 2007
- Animal Chaplains to Bless America’s Pets on “World Animal Day, Freshare.net, August 08, 2007
- Chaplain ministers to God’s four-legged creatures, by GREG GARRISON, Kansas City Star, July 31, 2007
- Animal chaplain prays, anoints, gives last rites, says pets have souls, can teach God's love, The Birmingham News, July 05, 2007
- Animal Welfare, the Fiji Times On-line, July 14, 2007
- Will Your Pet Go to Heaven? By Maureen Hutfless, Source: Lincoln Journal Star, Thursday, July 19, 2007
- Pet Industry Booming, but No Resources Offered to Grieving Pet Owners - The Time for Change Has Come, Associated Content.com, July 19, 2007
- "Hope Vick Gets Suspended" Asheville, NC Citizen Times, July 29, 2007
- Bad Dog, Bad Dog, Whatcha Gonna Do?, by Chaplain Danny Presswood, Article City
- Bad Dog, Bad Dog, Whatcha Gonna Do?, Part II, by Chaplain Danny Presswood, Article City
- A Twist on Eco-Theology? Beliefnet Invites Inspirational Stories about Pets and Prayers, by Spirit Scholars, June 26, 2007
- The Good Good-Bye - First, you cry. Then you celebrate your pet's life, by Rebecca Skloot, Prevention On-line Magazine, June 2007
- Salt Spring Celebrates Second Lay Chaplain (who offers pet funerals), Unitarian Fellowship of Salt Spring Island, May 2007 newsletter
- Big Bear Valley woman writes about pet blessings, Wednesday, May 30, 2007, By Laurie Lucas, The Press-Enterprise
- Will Buddy Go To Heaven?, The Living Church, May 13, 2007
- Good Grief: Helping You Cope With The Loss of Your Pet, Article Alley, April 06, 2006
- Unique Website Offers Help for Grieving Pet Owners (PRWEB) - Tuesday, Apr 10 2007, 10:34am, News.big.net
- Bidding Farewell to a Beloved Pet The Bedford Record April 27, 2007
- World's first full-time, fully employed Animal Chaplain? Rev. Barbara Allen in Melbourne, Insights UCA.org, March, 2007
- They Bury Horses, Don't They? Well, Now They Do Columbia News Service » Feb 27, 2007
- "Pet chaplain", By JEFF REINITZ, Courier Staff Writer, WCF Courier.com: Cedar Valley's Home Page, February 12, 2007
- TEAR CENTER: CHAPLAIN SUPPORT TO PET OWNERS/PET LOVERS DURING & AFTER A NATURAL DISASTER, Independent Study, 01/01/2007 - 12/31/2007
- "Love Animals? Maybe You Could Become a Pet Chaplain", Insight Monday Morning, June 19, 2006
- Creature Comfort, The Age.com.au , August 22, 2006
- For Furry Family Members, Religious Rites of Passage, By Carol Morello, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, September 4, 2005; C12
- Animal Rights: Christianity and Animals, BBC Team, August 20, 2004 (A wonderful article about modern Biblical views of animals!)
- Religion Link: Do All Dogs Go To Heaven?, Religion Link, The Source for Reporters, September 03, 2003
Stories About Animal Ministries:
- Episcopal Church embraces all God's Creatures, FEAST: Faith, Environment, Action, Science, Technology, Monday, May 02, 2005
- The author of 'The God-Dog Connection' shows how Christian churches can develop small-group programs, by Carolyn Click, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS, 07/28/2007
- Let us now bark: Book teaches pet ministry, Detroit Free Press July 29, 2007
- 'God-Dog' explores lessons of spirituality with animals, Ventura Country Star, July 28, 2007
- JOY ON FOUR LEGS: Pet ministry in Houston, by George Henson, The Baptist Standard, August 12, 2007
- Faith Leaders Gather for a Retreat at Best Friends! Best Friends Network website
Alabama's Chaplain Marcus's story has appeared in many newspapers and on-line magazines.:
Related Articles from the Jewish Perspective
- From Judaism 101: www.jewfaq.org/animals.htm
- Rabbi David Sears: "A Vision of Eden: Animal Welfare and Vegetarianism in Jewish Law and Mysticism" www.orot.com/eden2.html,
- Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner: http://petcaretips.net/jewish-law-shelter.html
- Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld: http://www.dafyomi.co.il/parsha/archives/chukat55.htm
- Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir; http://www.besr.org/ethicist/adoptadog.html
- Rabbi Hillel Avidan: "Animal Welfare", http://www.liberaljudaism.org/lj_wherewestand_animal.htm
- From Torah Learning Center: Judaism and Pets, http://www.torahlearningcenter.com/jhq/question08.html
- Should you say Kaddish for a pet? When A Pet Dies:The Conservative Jewish Perspective by Rivkah C. Berman
- Is Your Dog Jewish? Where Can You Bury Your Pet Friends? Find out in this article: "Colma graves marked by Stars of David: Where Jews bury their `sweet beasts'" by Teresa Strasser
- Rabbi Barry H. Block: Cruelty to Animals: A Jewish Issue
Related Links:
- Animal Chaplains defined on Wikipedia.
- Animal Chaplains on Answers.com
Some of the following articles and webpages are about Chaplain Rob Gierka of North Carolina, who works independently as "The Pet Chaplain", a name which he has legally trademarked. Rev. Gierka prefers the title "Pet Chaplain" to "Animal Chaplain". We applaud his extremely ambitious efforts to make the work of animal chaplaincy publicly recognized. A recent email to our founder from Rev. Gierka indicated he is working to have the role of "Pet Chaplain" accepted as a legitimate professional Chaplaincy within the Veterinary community, and is partnering with a major public university to develop a Veterinary chaplaincy program. The Pet Chaplain's tireless efforts to advance our work are very much appreciated both by Animal Chaplains everywhere, and those we serve. - "Chaplains Ease the Loss of Four-Legged Family" by Laura Leslie, Day to Day, March 20, 2006, NPR radio
- "Pets Gaining Recognition in Places of Worship", National Geographic
- "Respecting the owner-pet bond: NCSU seeks to innovate with veterinary chaplain", by Yonat Shimron, News Observer, Jan. 23, 2006
- Rickey Contrivances of Doing Good article on "Pet Chaplain" Improbable Optimizer Blogspot, August 21, 2006
- "Chaplain Duty", December 29, 2006, Best Friends on-line magazine
- Mascotas espirituales, Las mascotas son reconocidas en centros religiosos, por: Maryann Mott, Fuente: National Geographic en Espanol
- "Who does the blessing when Bowser goes bye-bye? (IN THE BEGINNING)" From: National Catholic Reporter, 1/6/2006, Larosa, Nicole, Encyclopedia.com
- Community Sharing "You Don’t Have to Grieve Alone: SPCA of Wake County Offers Pet Loss Support Group", Triangle.com by vbudnick, June 12, 2007
- "Hospital Chaplain Sees Need Counseling at Vet School", WWAY Channel 3 (Wilmington, NC), Wed, 25 January 2006
This site is not affiliated in any way with the trademarked business name, "Pet Chaplain".
