At Sustainable Action Now, we believe in bridging the gap between compassion and action — not only through legislation and sanctuary but also by transforming the way we see animals and our responsibility to them. One of the most inspiring voices leading this movement is Rev. Sarah Bowen, an interfaith minister, animal chaplain, and educator who is reshaping how the spiritual and ethical treatment of animals intersects with activism, community, and healing.
In a world where animal abuse is far too common, Rev. Bowen is creating space for a new kind of response — one that honors the emotional and spiritual lives of non-human beings. Her work offers both a call to conscience and a practical path forward for individuals and communities seeking to address the abuse of animals and wildlife with dignity, empathy, and sacred care.
What is an Animal Chaplain?
An animal chaplain serves as a spiritual caregiver for animals and the humans who love them. That means being present at all stages of life — from joyful moments like adoptions and healing, to difficult experiences such as illness, loss, and death. It also means standing up against cruelty, exploitation, and systemic abuse through a faith-driven lens of justice and compassion.
Animal chaplains provide emotional support during pet loss, perform blessings for rescued animals, advocate for ethical treatment, and help people deepen their relationships with animals as spiritual beings.
For Rev. Bowen, this isn’t just a vocation — it’s a movement.
Rev. Sarah Bowen: A Leader in Faith-Based Animal Advocacy
Rev. Bowen is a trailblazer. Her work is rooted in interfaith ministry, embracing multiple wisdom traditions while emphasizing reverence for all life. As an animal chaplain, educator, and author of Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Healing the Planet, she offers both heart and strategy in the fight to reimagine our role as caretakers of the earth.
One of her most groundbreaking initiatives? Training and ordaining animal chaplains.
This certification equips individuals from all backgrounds to become advocates for animals in their communities — both in moments of private grief and in public spheres of justice. Whether comforting a family through the passing of a beloved companion animal or speaking out against animal cruelty in factory farms, chaplains trained by Rev. Bowen are trained to lead with compassion and courage.
👉 Learn more about faith-based advocacy and how it intersects with the abuse of animals and wildlife.
Why Animal Chaplaincy Matters Now More Than Ever
Our current relationship with animals is deeply imbalanced. From industrial farming to trophy hunting, roadside zoos to illegal wildlife trafficking, animals are subjected to immense suffering — much of it out of sight, and out of mind.
But as Rev. Bowen often teaches, animal suffering is a spiritual crisis as much as it is an ethical one. It calls for more than policy change — it demands a shift in how we view the place of animals in our world and in our hearts.
Animal chaplains help bring that shift. By recognizing the intrinsic worth of all beings, they work to:
- Create healing rituals for both animals and humans
- Raise awareness of the systemic abuse animals face every day
- Foster interspecies empathy and reverence for life
- Support the grieving process after the loss of a pet or wildlife encounter
This spiritual approach amplifies advocacy in ways that traditional activism sometimes cannot — connecting deeply with the emotions, values, and faith of people from all walks of life.
Ordaining Hope: A Growing Network of Animal Chaplains
Thanks to the vision and leadership of Rev. Sarah Bowen, the world now has a growing community of animal chaplains who are ordained to serve both animals and humans in ways that matter deeply.
Whether it’s comforting someone whose dog was euthanized, blessing rescued farm animals, or leading prayer vigils for endangered species, these chaplains are doing vital work — standing in the sacred gap between pain and peace.
Their presence sends a powerful message: Animals are not commodities. They are not property. They are kin, and they deserve our care, our grief, our joy, and our protection.
Looking for spiritual support after the loss of a pet? Want to incorporate animal blessings into your rescue work? Or maybe you feel called to become an animal chaplain yourself? Explore resources, training, and advocacy opportunities via our work on the abuse of animals and wildlife.
Bringing the Sacred into Sustainable Action
At Sustainable Action Now, we’re proud to uplift voices like Rev. Bowen’s — voices that expand the idea of activism to include spiritual healing, emotional support, and a reimagining of human-animal relationships rooted in reverence.
Animal chaplaincy is more than a response to grief. It’s a declaration of values. It’s a protest against cruelty. And it’s a ceremony of hope — for a future where all species are honored, protected, and loved.
Whether through prayer, protest, or presence, the ordained animal chaplains inspired by Rev. Bowen are making this future possible, one sacred sendoff, one rescued soul, one act of compassion at a time.
#AnimalChaplains #RevSarahBowen #SacredSendoffs #FaithAndAnimals #AnimalAdvocacy #SustainableActionNow #AnimalWelfare #CompassionInAction #AbuseOfAnimals #WildlifeProtection #SpiritualActivism
