Honoring Our Animal Companions

Pets provide companionship and bring pleasure to our lives. For many of us, these are valuable relationships that add richness and texture to our days. These rituals recognize this special connection and instill holiness into the unique bond between us and our animal companions.

Latest Rituals

The Birds Have Fled

A formation of seven birds flying in front of large, fluffy clouds.

A Humanistic Shema & Declaration of Interdependence

Humanist Sh’ma

Humanist, shema

canyon between tall red stones

For a Critically-Ill Pet

Prayer for a sick pet

Passing of a Beloved Pet

A prayer to say upon the death of a beloved pet

animal companion, grief, loss, rainbow bridge

Woman with long hair carries a smiling dog wearing an orange harness, outdoors on a sunny day.

Saying Good-bye to a Beloved Pet

A short ceremony for acting on the decision to put a beloved pet to sleep

Blessing of the Animals

A Hillula for Rav Kook celebrating the role of animals in our lives

woman in sunlit field hugging her dog and giving it a kiss on the head

Blessing Animals on Friday Night

Shabbat blessings for cats and dogs

A person smiling and hugging a happy dog in a sunny outdoor setting.

Burial Service for an Animal Companion

Rituals for burial, with suggestions for additional ways of memorializing and remembering

Two people sitting on wooden steps, facing a body of water, surrounded by foliage; black and white image.

Grieving the Loss of a Pet

An article about ways of dealing with the loss of a pet in a Jewish way

Ritual for Adopting a Pet

Based on the NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children) candle-lighting ceremony