Sunday, February 9, 2014

Pet Ministry & Pet Therapy


Hi Friends!

Animal companions have become an important part of our culture and more and more places are starting to welcome and accommodate pets. It's becoming common to see hotels with dog beds, stores with water dishes out front and even car companies designing vehicles with pets in mind.
Religious groups are no exception.  Churches have long held blessing of the animal events and some are inviting pets to attend service.  But some congregations are starting pet ministries in order to reach and connect with animal lovers on a new level.

In 1997, when my grandmother moved into a nursing home, I wanted to make sure she was aware of the depth of my love.  So, I committed myself to visiting her frequently and to bring my parrot Dudley along.  My grandma always found Dudley so fascinated and just loved Dudley.  I got a kick out of how my grandma would even bake for Dudley.  Delicious goodies like Rice Krispy Treats, cookies, and apple pies.  Undeniably, my grandma and I enjoyed a wonderful close relationship but Dudley must have really been the "apple of her eye," since she baked especially for Dudley.  Though I enjoyed a close relationship with my grandmother, to receive even a little bite of the treats she baked for Dudley, I had to be especially good.

So, I became involved in pet therapy, visiting residents in nursing homes 15 years ago.  As I mentioned, breaking into pet ministry for me resulted from a personal motivation.  Not unlike anything, there was a journey and periods of growth, transitions from one stage to another.  A few years later, I became a member of a large, non-denominational evangelical church and was asked to lead its pet therapy team.  In addition to directing the pet therapy team, I developed a passion to support animal rescue organizations and to build a support network to make a difference in the lives of animals and throughout the animal community.  I launched an animal lovers group called Noah's Ark, a pet ministry that organizes pet-food drives, fundraisers for a local rescue group, pet therapy visits, a pet loss support group and a Bible study that discusses animal-related passages.  Lately, I have integrated the many areas of my pet ministry into my pet care business, Creature Comforts Great & Small.

I commend the faith community.  More and more churches include animals for adoption in their weekly bulletins, host adoption events and run vaccine clinics.
As a testament to this growing trend, the Humane Society of the United States hired a liaison to religious communities in 2007.  Now there are animal ministries in every state. Next month, the Humane Society will be launching a directory of affiliated ministries on their website.

In fact, you can read about me and my pet ministry in a New York Times article "Churches Take Steps To Show Their Love For Animals," in the following link:


Through parts of the faith community partnering with the animal community, animals in need are receiving the help they are so desperately in need.  It is still in the embryonic stage as many churches still do not have a pet ministry.  But more animal events are being held which may include blessing of the animals and a holiday “giving tree” that collects supplies for the local shelter).  In turn, churches and the faith community as a whole are inspiring a lot of people in their congregation to get plugged in to a pet ministry and share stories of beloved pets and connect with each other in a different way.

Animal lovers are an amazing community of people, so pet ministries seem like a great way to get like-minded people together for a good cause.

Does your church, synagogue or faith institution have a pet ministry?  If so, I would love to hear more.  If not and you are interested in learning about how to begin a pet ministry, please contact me.

Thank You and God Bless You!

Warmly,

Paul

Paul F. Flotron
Creature Comforts Great & Small, LLC
"Giving your creatures the comfort they deserve"
314-200-8561
Cell:  314-775-7107


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