Indiana church reaches out to pet lovers
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Bob Schultz and his wife, Karen, pet their dogs, Scooby (left) and Abbie, at their
home in Madison, Ind. UMNS photos by John Gordon.
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By John Gordon*
Feb. 11, 2008 | MADISON, Ind. (UMNS)
Support groups for those grieving after the loss of a loved one, or caring for an ailing family member, are not unusual.
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Schultz speaks during a Pet Caretakers' Ministry meeting at North United Methodist Church in Madison, Ind.
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But recognizing the strong bond between people and their pets, members
of North United Methodist Church go a step further, reaching out to
those dealing with the illness or death of four-legged friends.
“They need somebody to talk to,” says Bob Schultz, a church volunteer
who started the Pet Caretakers’ Ministry. “They’re coming in and they
want prayer for their pets. And they want prayer for themselves, taking
care of them.“
Schultz and his wife, Karen, have an 11-year-old boxer, Scooby, who has cancer.
“Scooby’s been a very close friend, and he’s always been with me,”
says Karen Schultz. “And I just was finding it hard to imagine life
without him.”
Mrs. Schultz, a retired nurse, considers her pets members of the
family. A recent addition at her home is a 6-month-old dog, Abbie, who
was abandoned and taken to a vet clinic for treatment of an injured leg.
“They do give us that unconditional love,” she says. “… I can
remember losing my cat, and it was just like somebody had ripped a part
of me apart.”
Seeing a need
Bob Schultz came up with the idea for the ministry after seeing an upset pet owner at a local veterinary clinic.
“This young man was crying and so we were sitting there talking and
said a little prayer,” he says. “And they just didn’t expect for his dog
to live.”
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Scooby, an 11-year-old boxer, is being treated for cancer.
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Soon after that meeting, the Pet Caretakers’ Ministry was launched,
meeting once a month at the church. North United Methodist has also
expanded its 24-hour prayer line (812-493-4487) to include prayers for
pets and their owners.
“Sometimes we fail to be sensitive, I think, to individuals who are
very, very, very attached to their pets and then they lose one of their
pets,” says the Rev. Randy Jungkurth, pastor of the 140-member
congregation. “And then that ends up being even as much grief as a
person who loses a family member.”
Jungkurth welcomed the idea of the Pet Caretakers’ Ministry, which began as a community outreach in September 2007.
“One woman in particular had lost her dog three years ago and she
still is grieving that dog,” Jungkurth says. “Her grief is real, and
being a part of the pet caregivers’ ministry, she’s had the opportunity
to talk about her loss and her grief.”
Processing grief
One meeting of the Pet Caretakers’ Ministry included a discussion by
Margo Watkins, an animal behaviorist. She suggests writing a journal or
indulging in a favorite hobby to help deal with the loss of a pet.
“I think a support group like this helps people understand that there
are other people out there who have lost a pet or are facing the
inevitable death of a pet,” Watkins says. “I think it helps them go
through the grief process. Some people never get over that loss.”
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Animal behaviorist Margo Watkins discusses how to deal with the
death of a pet.
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Watkins’ 10-year-old daughter, Gillian, says the loss of a pet cat “hurt
my heart.” She says writing a poem about her pet helped.
“After I accepted, I can still feel his love because he’ll always be in my heart,” she says.
Karen Schultz finds it hard to imagine a world without pets.
“I think it would be a much lonelier place,” she says. “I’m not sure
that there would be as much compassion in the world. I just don’t think
it would be right.”
Bob Schultz is hoping the idea of a support-group for pet owners will
spread. He sees the love of animals as a “special blessing”—and a
two-way street.
"We think we’re taking care of the pets,” he says. “But in reality, the pets are taking care of us."
*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.
News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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