A Prayer at the Death of a Pet

By Edward Hays

Lord God,
To those who have never had a pet,
this prayer will sound strange,
but to You, Lord of all life and creator of all creatures,
it will be understandable.
My heart is heavy
as I face the loss in death of my beloved (name)
who was so much a part of my life.

This pet made my life more enjoyable
and gave me cause to laugh
and to find joy in his/her company.
I remember the fidelity and loyalty of this pet
and I will miss his/her being with me.
From him/her I learned many lessons,
such as the quality of naturalness
and the unembarrassed request for affection.
In caring for his/her daily needs,
I was taken up and out of my own self-needs
and thus learned to service another.

May the death of this creature of yours
remind me that death comes to all of us,
animal and human,
and that it is the natural passage for all life.
May (name) sleep on
in an eternal slumber in your Godly care
as all creation awaits the fullness of liberation. Amen