Animal Ministry

SERVING ALL OF GOD's CREATURES IN FRANCIS OF ASSISI SPIRIT

Nature and the environment

What is Animal Ministry?

Animal Ministry has been around since the very first time a human being felt connected to an animal.  In each of the world’s great faiths, there are important historical figures who were known for interpreting sacred scriptures to teach people to protect and honour animals.  We are taught in every faith that we, as humans, are stewards of the wonders of Creation.  It is a serious responsibility, and with it, can come great joy and self-discovery.

Being an Animal Chaplain is a specialized ministry that provides an array of services to the community.  We provide pet loss grief support and perform memorial services, pray for animals who are sick or injured, as well as many other services.  We can come to a clinic to comfort the bereaved, hold hands (and hearts) during surgery or euthanasia, or perform a memorial service at the client’s home, track or barn, or in a park.  Our philosophy is gentle and respectful.  Most of us have had pets of our own, and have sincere compassion for the difficult times pet owners sometimes face.

In addition to grief and loss services, independent Animal Chaplains can deliver guest sermons on the bond between animals and humans, and offer spiritual education and guidance regarding our responsibilities as human beings toward the other creatures of the Earth.  Some Animal Chaplains visit nursing homes and hospitals with therapeutic animal assistants, while others may lead religious services where well-behaved pets are welcome.  Still others run animal shelters, animal rescue organizations, or other non-profit organizations which benefit the animal kingdom.

Private Animal Ministry Services

• Memorial Services for families and friends at your home/barn/track/clinic.

• Spiritual/Grief Counseling

• Emotional support during Euthanasia or Surgery at a veterinary clinic

Public Animal Ministry Services

• Pet Loss Grief Support Groups in pet stores, churches and veterinarian’s clinics

• Classes on Spirituality and Animals

• Speeches, sermons or presentations to professional veterinary and religious organizations, by arrangement.

Animal Chaplains or Pet Chaplains work for the Animal Ministry to provide pastoral care to people grieving the loss of particular animal companions, domesticated and wild animals, in their natural spaces.  A pet chaplain comforts people whose animals are sick or have died. A pet chaplain also performs services for recently deceased pets.

Veterinary chaplains serve people and their animals, ministering about the spirituality associated with animals and their connections with humans. A significant function is grief support and prayer. Other services include hospice support while animals are cared for near the end of their lives; support in animal health crises, including at the veterinary hospital; conducting services for animal blessings, naming/adopting ceremonies, and end-of-life celebration ceremonies. Veterinary chaplains may also offer sermons and spiritual guidance on the human/animal bond and our responsibilities toward animals, and some may visit nursing homes and hospitals with therapeutic animal assistants. Other veterinary chaplains may provide blessings for animal care workers, assist with human/animal communication, and offer alternative healing for animals, such as animal Reiki or acupuncture.

Animal Chaplaincy Services

Pet owners often see their animals as members of the family and a pet death can trigger a difficult lonely mourning process. 

Grieving a human loss can actually be somewhat easier simply because of the support, compassion and permission to grieve we're shown.

When that support is missing, where can you turn in your pain?

A PET’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

1.  My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. you have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me, please. Never say you can’t bear to watch.  Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there because I love you so.

Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God’s critters.

©1993 Stan Rawlinson

Quotes:

"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men." ~ Émile Zola

"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." Attributed to Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965). 

Bird Feeders - How Many Should You Have?

by: Mary Fesio

If your goal is to get a maximum number of species of birds in your yard, you will need to take several things into consideration. The first thing to remember is to have several feeders placed at different locations and heights. Things to remember when choosing a feeder:

1. Ports and perches—Ports must be sized appropriately. You must remember that fixed seeds and sunflower seeds will not fit through the smaller ports of feeders for finches. You should offer multiple seed mixes that have multiple seed tubes. Look for feeders that have adaptable ports so that you can switch from mixed seeds to thistle seeds. Clinging birds such as woodpeckers nuthatches and finches prefer feeders without perches while grackles, grosbeaks, chickadees, titmice and other perching birds prefer feeders with perches.

2. Styles—If you are looking to attract birds that feed at branch level, hanging or post-mounted feeders would meet your needs. Platform feeders are suitable for attracting ground feeders such as doves, cardinals, jays and juncos. Nectar feeders are appropriate for hummingbirds and orioles. Hopper feeders or open styles serve larger birds while tube feeders accommodate smaller birds like chickadees and finches. Insect feeders are ideal for purple martins, robins and bluebirds.

3. Construction—The birdhouses should be made of solid, durable components that are rust-resistant and squirrel resistant and of UV construction.

If you keep these criteria in mind, you will, soon, find yourself having many feathered friends coming to visit. And with them, you will enjoy their antics and song all through the spring and summer months.

About The Author

Mary Fesio is the owner and webmaster of http://www.FeedersFountainsAndBirdhouses.com. This is a website that

offers a large variety of quality birdhouses, bird feeders garden statuary, indoor water fountains and outdoor water

fountains for every taste and decor. Prices are exceptional.

Browsers are welcome.

The author invites you to visit:

http://www.feedersfountainsandbirdhouses.com

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/pets_and_animals/article_2455.shtml 

Many of the stories that surround the life of Francis deal with his love for animals.

Perhaps the most famous incident that illustrates the humility towards nature is recounted in the "Fioretti" ("Little Flowers"), a collection of legends and folklore that sprang up after his death. It is said that one day, while Francis was travelling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds". The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. Another legend from Fioretti tells that in the city of Gubbio, where Francis lived for some time, was a wolf "terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals". Francis had compassion upon the townsfolk and went up into the hills to find the wolf. Soon, fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, though Francis pressed on. When he found the wolf, he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one.

Miraculously the wolf closed his jaws and lay down at his feet of  Francis. "Brother Wolf, you do much harm in these parts and you have done great evil...", said Francis. "All these people accuse you and curse you...      But brother wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people". Then Francis led the wolf into the town and surrounded by startled citizens made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had “done evil out of hunger”, the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner, Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis even made a pact on behalf of the town dogs, that they would not bother the wolf again. Francis, to show the townspeople that they would not be harmed, blessed the wolf. He preached to man and beast the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God and the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of God's creation and as creatures ourselves. Legend has it that Francis on his deathbed thanked his donkey for carrying and helping him throughout his life, and his donkey wept. Keep your horse healthy and strong naturally and holistically! 

Sponsored by Native Remedies HERB

Animal Chaplaincy & Family Support services can help you with

• Prepare for pet loss, offering guidance as you determine when it's time to euthanize your beloved animal companion;

• Cope with the loss, helping you process the intense feelings of grief, sorrow, guilt, etc.

• Move on after pet loss, providing ways to memorialize and celebrate the life of your companion, bringing you the necessary closure so you can open your heart and home to a new pet when the time is right.

• Accompanying You to Your Pet's Euthanasia Appointment.

• Pet Funerals

• Celebrate new animal additions

• Group Animal Blessings

• Referrals

Feeding Your Red-Eared Slider Turtle  Helpful Ideas On What To Feed Your Slider

by: Angela Tindale

When feeding your red-eared slider turtle, make certain that you are feeding it the correct amount of vegetation and animal protein.

Young sliders need to eat larger amounts of protein than older sliders do because they are largely more carnivorous. Older turtles,

however, eat mostly plant matter.

While younger sliders may not eat many greens and vegetables, it's a good idea to still offer them some as it's beneficial in getting the turtle to see it as something to eat. When they become adults, you can then switch to mostly feeding plant matter, in addition to some protein.

You can also offer your slider processed pellets. Pellets are fairly nutritious and have an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals included. They can also be quite convenient to feed for turtle owners. However, pellets should not be the main diet of your slider. To help make sure your pet is getting all the

nutrients it needs to grow and be healthy, a variety of proteins, vegetables, and greens need to be included.

When feeding red-eared sliders protein, you have several foods to choose from. Some include: earthworms, aquatic snails, locusts, crickets, bloodworms, and feeder fish (such as guppies and danios).

Ideas for what vegetation to feed are beets, dandelion greens, squash, carrots, green beans, and Romaine lettuce. Avoid feeding iceberg lettuce as it has little nutrition.

If your slider lives in a pond, you can also add aquatic plants to its diet. It would love to eat submerged plants like frogbit, hornwort, anacharis, and duckweed.

About The Author

Feeding your red-eared slider a variety of vegetables and

proteins will help your turtle live a long and full life in

your care. It will also give you the satisfaction that

you're taking care of your pet the best way possible.

Don't you owe it to your red-eared slider to learn about

feeding it the foods it will love to eat?

Visit the author's website at:

http://www.redearedslidercare.info

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/pets_and_animals/article_1829.shtm 

Training American Bulldogs

by: Ricardo Lumbardo 

American Bulldogs are loyal and lovable and are very suitable as a family pet. These dogs are very intelligent but they can also be stubborn and light-headed. This may lead to a few problems in training. Knowing about their quirks will allow you to train them well to make them obedient. Those who have no experience with the breed earlier may get a little frustrated with training these dogs. Often this may lead to yelling or anger which will definitely not help you. If you are having too many problems training then it is best to get help from a professional trainer who has experience working with the breed. 

Obedience Schools

Obedience schools for American bulldogs are not only for amateur owners. In fact, a large number of dog owners who have stubborn pets tend to take help from professional trainers to retrain even adult dogs for breaking habits. A professional trainer may work with your pet alone or introduce it to other breeds to help them socialize better. They can train your pet to teach it about your position as the master if you are dealing with a stubborn puppy. You may not even be aware that you are being submissive instead of dominating to the pet. These dogs will respond well to environments where there are other dogs learning.

Socializing Your Dog

Another important aspect of training American bulldogs is socializing them. These dogs will need to socialize right from an early age so that they are not aggressive or reserved around strangers. If you are taking help from a professional trainer then the trainer would help socialize the pet. These dogs have a natural strong hunting instinct and for that reason, they may be aggressive towards other pets if they are not socialized well. It may not be able to be friendly towards other dogs if it has not been trained well.

will definitely find it all worth it. A well-trained pet will be protective and loyal to your family. These dogs are very intelligent though they may be stubborn. They are very much capable of obeying and learning if you work with them consistently. The breed loves to please the owners so it will definitely do everything it can to please you and follow your commands once it has been trained. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources available today on training this breed and you may

even ask for suggestions and guidance from the breeder whom you purchase the puppy from. If nothing else works out you can always rely on professional trainers for American bulldogs.

About The Author

To know more on how to get authentic, good quality American

Bulldogs and to find related information about raising and caring

for these dogs, please visit http://11-peaks.com.

The author invites you to visit:

http://toknowmoreonhowtogetauthentic,goodquality

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/pets_and_animals/article_4202.shtm 

Celebrate your pet's life and begin the healing process with a funeral or memorial service

Receive on-site chaplain support at your pet's service, which includes prayer, and eulogy reading.

You select the location: home, barn, park, church, funeral home, cemetery, crematory, or any place memorable to you and your pet. Please email your info about you, your pet, and the planned service. You will receive a follow-up email within 48 hours.

Fee $: Donation

About you and your pet

* Required Field

*Your name:

*Email:

*Location

*Pet Name

*Service:

About You, Your Pet, Planned Service.

Receive on-site chaplain support when your pet has been admitted to the hospital or hospice.

Fee $: Donation

Request on-site chaplain support when your pet visits the vet for outpatient surgery or euthanasia. To confirm the procedure's date and time.

Fee $: Donation

Our email is aumoniercommunaitaire@outlook.com