Veterinary Chaplaincy: Interfaith Spiritual Care for Pet Loss (Pet Chaplain® Learning Series) Paperback – March 2, 2026

Introducing the first-ever textbook in veterinary chaplaincy, a new field of spiritual care focused on the unique needs of the pet-keeping community.Losing a beloved animal companion can be heartbreaking. Yet many of us struggle to find the emotional and spiritual support we need when we lose a pet. Veterinary Chaplaincy: Interfaith Spiritual Care for Pet Loss is a response to this abiding need.This groundbreaking book is based on the scholarship and hands-on experience of Pet Chaplain® founder and chaplaincy educator Rob Gierka, EdD, who has been practicing and studying as a pet chaplain in community and clinical settings for more than twenty years.It offers a foundational education in the principles of veterinary chaplaincy and practical tools you can use to support pet keepers in clinical and community settings. Veterinary Chaplaincy is a call to action for anyone interested in this work, including professional caregivers, people who work or volunteer in the animal care and services industry, and everyday people who wish to provide spiritually-inclusive support to their family and friends. Key topics include:An exploration of six key competencies for veterinary chaplaincy.A review of the guiding principles of interfaith spiritual care.A discussion of how people make meaning in life, which is the special purview of spiritual care.An overview of teachings and beliefs about animals in five of the world's mainstream religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. We also review the core beliefs of alternative spiritual traditions, from earth-focused practices such as Wicca to humanism and atheism.Best practices for spiritual care, including guidance for engaging in pastoral conversations with people in emotional and spiritual crisis.A discussion of those situations that are unique to the pet keeping world that you may find emotionally and ethically challenging.Tips for creating memorials, rituals, prayers, and reflections that honor animal lives.A review of opportunities for practice in a variety of settings where animals and people interact, from veterinary clinics and rescue organizations to community settings such as homeless encampments.Guidelines for working with special groups, such as children, senior citizens, and people with service and emotional support animals.And much, much more!Praise for This Book“I have a library of spiritual care books, and none compare to the value of this one. It is clear, inclusive, gentle, wise, knowledgeable, and beautifully written. Decades of study and experience, reading and practice, learning and self-reflection have all come together in a deceptively simple and straightforward book.”— Fran PremProfessional Chaplaincy Supervisor andClinical Pastoral EducatorMelbourne, Australia“Veterinary chaplaincy has been a transformative part of not just my professional life as a veterinarian, but also myself personally. I use what I’ve learned every day in every conversation with my clients. Helping people say goodbye to their pets is a complex and beautiful experience.”— Christine Scott, DVMIn-Home Euthanasia SpecialistDetroit, MichiganVeterinary Chaplaincy is the final book in the Pet Chaplain® Learning Series, a four-volume set that explores pet keeping and loss in the modern West and offers instruction in interfaith spiritual care for pet loss. The series is the brainchild of Rob Gierka, EdD, who founded Pet Chaplain, a community service and educational organization, in 2004. An expert in the human-animal bond and the unique experience of pet loss, Dr. Gierka is a pioneer in this emerging field of interfaith spiritual care. Visit petchaplain.com to learn more. Read more