Our Mission
Pet Chaplain is a community service and educational organization that provides interfaith spiritual care and learning resources for the pet-keeping community. We’re addressing the spiritual needs of pet keepers, expanding the availability of spiritual support for pet loss, and sparking discussion about the evolving relationship between people, animals, and the planet.
The loss of an animal companion is the primary focus of our work. Yet we’re also interested in exploring other losses that are largely unacknowledged in Western Society, such as the loss of wild animals and unspoiled natural places. Many of the challenges associated with the loss of a pet—such as social disenfranchisement and the lack of a robust support system—hold true for these losses as well.
What We Believe
At Pet Chaplain, we believe that every pet’s life is a story worth honoring, and every pet keeper deserves support in navigating the challenges of saying goodbye.
We’re passionate about animals, and we’re also passionate about community service. We’ve made it our mission to make the practice of interfaith spiritual caregiving more accessible to everyday people. We want to empower as many people as possible to listen in a healing way to each other’s stories and chart a new path forward in human-animal relationships.
But Pet Chaplain is not just an educational organization—it’s part of a movement. People from all walks of life are experiencing a profound change in the way they think about and relate to animals. This change is driven in part by our loving relationships with our pets. Our pets are change agents. They make our lives better, and we believe that they can inspire us to widen our circle of love to include all the creatures with whom we share this beautiful planet.
Our Stories
Rob Gierka, EdD
Pet Chaplain® Founder and President
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. The violent death of my dog Queenie was a significant childhood loss that shaped my interest in helping people who grieve for their pets. Another big influence was the loss of my youngest brother, John, who died of an AIDS-related illness when he was only 36 years old. His passing was a life-changing experience for me that reinforced my dedication to helping people who experience social alienation and rejection.
My journey as a veterinary chaplain and chaplaincy educator has been both wonderfully rewarding and incredibly challenging. I’ve received the enthusiastic support of many compassionate people who understood the importance of spiritual care for pet loss. Yet I’ve also encountered resistance to my work, both personally and at an institutional level. Though I strongly believe veterinary chaplaincy serves the public good, I’ve run into skepticism about this new field of spiritual care in some circles. Despite the increasing popularity of pet keeping, some people still deny the profound spiritual connections people enjoy with their animal companions and the intense grief they experience when those animals are lost.
A good friend of mine helped to frame this for me when she said, “Some people will get this idea, and some won’t. Go with the ones who get it.” And I remember well my spiritual mentor’s advice: Don’t push the river; go where it flows.
For those of you who “get it,” I encourage you to find others 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 want to give people like you the opportunity to explore your love for your pets, navigate your grief in the company of kindred spirits, and transform your love for animals into service to those in need, whether human or animal.
Karen Duke
Pet Chaplain® Senior Vice President
From my earliest memories I’ve been writing and illustrating stories. 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 the Pet Chaplain Learning Series, 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 work in veterinary chaplaincy 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 sincerely hope my contributions as a writer and artist to the Pet Chaplain Learning Series will make a difference in the lives of people who find their way here. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Honoring the Animals
At Pet Chaplain, we believe that all life on this beautiful planet is connected. We’re grateful for the many gifts our animal companions bring to our lives. We’re also grateful for other domesticated animals, wild animals, plants, and the entire natural world. All life on this planet deserves our respect, compassion, and gratitude. Through our educational work, we hope to widen our collective circle of love beyond the dogs, cats, hamsters, horses, fish, and reptiles we call pets to encompass the earth and nature itself.
