Karen Duke

From my earliest memories, I’ve been a storyteller, both through words and images. I was four years old when I began creating my own storybooks, fully illustrated and with talk bubbles for the characters. Most of my stories were about little girls who saved animals, so it’s no great surprise that I was drawn to veterinary chaplaincy. I love stories about animals, and through my work with Pet Chaplain, I’ve been privileged to hear many inspiring tales about the amazing bonds between people and their animal companions.

Like Rob, I grew up in a pet-loving home surrounded by dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and parakeets.  I’ve had the pleasure of knowing many incredible animals in my life. My pet chaplaincy work has deepened my appreciation for those animals with whom I’ve shared my home as well as the wondrous, mysterious creatures I glimpse when out in nature. It has also given me the opportunity to meet dozens of animal lovers from around the world, whom I consider to be among the kindest and most compassionate people I’ve ever known.

I hope my contributions as a writer and artist are making a difference in the lives of people who find their way here. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

Welcome message from Rob

Like many of the people I support, I grew up in a pet-loving family and have personally experienced the heartache of losing beloved animal and human family members. I founded Pet Chaplain because I recognized that people who love animals and grieve their loss need access to the same emotional and spiritual support resources available when we lose a human loved one.

The grief I witnessed at the veterinary college where I served as chaplain and the pet-loss support group that I facilitate can be intense, and many people struggle to find others to confide in after losing a beloved pet. My goal is to help people find sympathetic listeners and safe spaces where they can share their grief and begin to understand the social and emotional impacts of the loss.

If you're grieving for a pet, I encourage you to find someone with whom you can safely share your stories about the animals and sacred places you love. This is one of the primary reasons Karen and I created the Pet Chaplain Learning Series. We encourage you to explore your grief with kindred spirits, express your love for animals, and transform loss into a mission to serve others like you.

Request Support

Please share a little bit about your situation and how we can help you.

Pet Chaplain®
Pet Chaplain®

Complete this form to receive email updates on the upcoming Pet Chaplain Learning Circles. We'll let you know when registration opens.

PET CHAPLAIN

A Sacred Place for the Human-Animal Bond

Learn. Reflect. Heal. Connect.

The animals who share our lives become part of our life stories. Their presence can shape us in ways that are physical, emotional, spiritual, and lasting.

Pet Chaplain® offers opportunities to learn, reflect, connect, and find support, and memorialize the animals who have touched your life. Through our award-winning book series, and through the Pet Chapel® spiritual support group and memorial services, we create the resources, opportunities and welcoming spaces you need to explore, honor and memorialize the profound spiritual connections between people and animals.

What brings you to Pet Chaplain?

Explore our resources

Some people come to explore their personal relationships with animals. Others come because they support people through the joys, challenges, and losses of those relationships. Many come for both reasons. Whatever your interests and aspirations, we have resources that will help you on your journey.

BOOKS

Discover the award-winning Pet Chaplain Learning Series

Our four-book Learning Series explores our relationships with animals through personal stories, grief and bereavement, history and culture, science, spirituality, and compassionate care. Written for pet lovers and those interested in supporting others through pet loss, the series offers fresh perspectives on why our relationships with animals matter—and why their loss can affect us so profoundly.

Learn more about our books

PET LOSS SUPPORT

Find comfort and connection in the Pet Chapel

The loss of a beloved animal can leave an enormous emptiness. The Pet Chapel offers a welcoming place for people who are grieving the loss of a pet to find understanding, compassionate support, and meaningful ways to remember and honor their animal. Join our complimentary monthly pet-loss support group and interfaith service, or explore personalized spiritual care and memorial services.

Visit the Pet Chapel

Welcome. I’m glad you found us.

For more than twenty years, I’ve had the privilege of listening to people talk about the animals who share their lives—the joy they brought, the lessons they taught, the ways they changed us, and the enormous emptiness they can leave behind.

Those conversations are at the heart of Pet Chaplain.

I believe our relationships with animals invite us to think deeply about love, loss, compassion, spirituality, and what it means to connect meaningfully with other living beings. Pet Chaplain is a place to explore those questions. We’re creating opportunities to learn, reflect, share your own experiences, and listen to the experiences of others.

I firmly believe that experience teaches us. Reflection helps us understand. Conversation opens up new possibilities. And together, we can discover the strength to live with loss, love more deeply, and move forward with greater wisdom and compassion.

Perhaps you’ve come here because you love animals and want to understand the human-animal bond more deeply. Or maybe you’re grieving the loss of a beloved pet and need support from people who understand the experience. Or perhaps you’re interested in learning more about interfaith spiritual care for pet loss. No matter what your path, I’m confident you’ll find something here that speaks to you.

— Dr. Rob Gierka
Founder, Pet Chaplain

Labyrinthe

Wherever you are on your journey, you’re welcome here.

Our relationships with animals can teach us about love, loss, compassion, meaning, and ourselves. Whether you’ve come to learn, reflect, connect with others, grieve, or become a more skilled and compassionate caregiver, we invite you to explore our resources.

Scroll to Top