MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Love Animals? Maybe You Could Become a Pet Chaplain

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Mon, June 19, 2006
Viewed 449
(32) comments so far

Lort Smith chief executive Ric Holland expects to make an appointment, which he believes will be a world first, by the end of this month.

The chaplain will be a minister who will be responsible for pastoral care for pet owners and the hospital’s staff of more than 100.

“I believe we as an animal hospital need to provide more counselling and support for people who are anxious and distressed,” Mr Holland said yesterday.

“If someone loses a pet it can have the same sort of emotional impact as losing a family member.

“Helping people to come to terms with their loss, to open up and hopefully to move on, is a role best done by a chaplain.”

Mr Holland, himself a Uniting Church minister, says that a third of all telephone calls to Lort Smith are emotional rather than veterinary.

He said he was concerned for Lort Smith staff and volunteers, who were often traumatised by the rapid turnover of animals with serious illnesses and injuries.

The hospital has to euthanise about 300 diseased, injured and unwanted animals every month.

“It’s distressing for our people and traumatic for pet owners, so we need someone who can give a big compassionate ear,” Mr Holland said.

You can read more here.

You can't make this stuff up! This is from the Herald Sun in Australia...The Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne is advertising for a fully ordained minister to become its pet chaplain.

Comments

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entirely pet coupons on Fri, October 24, 2008

very interesting stuff.
Khaled UK Vans on Tue, November 04, 2008

For some people who don’t have a relationship a pet is the next best thing. It keeps them company and shows them affection when they are down, so when it dies the grief to them is just as real as if a person died.
David Rock on Fri, November 07, 2008

Great stuff! Love animals, Yes there should be the topic. Your writing is well on the topic.

Thanks

http://petsforfriend.blogspot.com/
Summer on Tue, November 25, 2008

If a chaplain can help the surely it can’t be a bad thing. I’ve had a number of dogs over the years and yes it is very upsetting when they die, so I can see how some people find it similar to loosing a family member.
Goji Juice Goodness on Wed, January 07, 2009

I think it’s kinda cool that pet owners and the pet hospital poeple get their own chaplain. However, it’s very suprising to me. Who ever heard of that?

When I first read the headline, I thought the chaplain was for the pets! Hehe. Goood thing I kept reading. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif

~ Goji Juice
Freelife on Mon, February 02, 2009

I think that there is not any restriction in any religion whatever it is so we all have love the animals but for a minister I dont think that he have to do all this stuff like taking care of pet owner or whatever you mentioned above but the minister have to create a special dept. to take care all this.
Sofort Kredit on Sat, March 07, 2009

Great Stuff. Australians and their animals http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif
julian3 on Sat, March 07, 2009

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medium on Thu, March 26, 2009

I actually confirmed it is a very good thing thank you very much for that medium
Joe on Thu, March 26, 2009

I’m not sure what some of your comments about religion have to do with loving animals. I’m a cat lover, and while I do love cats (and other animals) it takes a special kind of character to care for so many poor animals. I applaud anyone doing this.
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You may have not intended to do so, but I think you have managed to express the state of mind that a lot of people are in. The sense of wanting to help, but without knowing how or where, is something a lot of us are going through.

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pet supplies on Tue, May 05, 2009

How do i keep my dog from getting jealous when i pet other dogs?

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van leasing on Tue, June 23, 2009

Great study. Thanks for putting in the effort
natural best dog food on Tue, October 20, 2009

I always wanted one but I don’t have time to give them the special attention they deserve. I have two gerbils though and two dogs. I used to own a snake but the lady at the store told me to feed it the wrong thing. Bearded dragons are cool too, cute little guys when they’re just babies. Nice to know a fellow animal lover! My favorite animal would be a tiger. I would one day love to hug one! They’d have to be tame though (of course!).
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