Church Service Honors Pet Companions
By Susan Bard Hall
According to Edwina Cowell, who organized the Pet Ministry, the service is an opportunity to honor our pets as well as the entire animal kingdom. “The service is designed to inspire us to regard ourselves and our pets as spirtual partners and remind us of the many riches they add to our every existence,” Cowell says. “We are truly blessed to have them in our lives and can learn a great deal about unconditional love from these gentle souls.”
The service will last approximately 30 minutes — tailored to a pet’s attention span. Pets that become antsy in the santuary are invited to participate outside the church where loudspeakers are set up. Last year’s service was filled with poems, prayers, essays and songs. It began with a group recital of “A Prayer for Animals” by Albert Schweitzer.
Despite some animals efforts to sing along, Cowell says the service is a soothing experience. “It seems to touch a lot of people,” she adds.
Approximately 150 owners and their pets participated in 1996, up from 90 in 1995. While cats and dogs are the most popular, other animal attendees have included turtles, rabbits, an iguana and even a goldfish in a bucket with a bow attached to it.
Attendees receive a welcome packet and a message card with a call to action to spay/neuter. Handcrafted by the church’s youth department, the cards ask everyone to wear a key with a light blue ribbon to call attention to the millions of animals that die every year due to lack of good homes.
