For many people, pet ownership can provide companionship, stress relief and even a sense of purpose. However, having pets can also lead people to a way of recognizing God’s creation and learning values of patience, charity and stewardship.
Whether rescuing special needs kittens, caring for backyard chickens or making a career of caring for animals, anyone can find meaningful connections between their love for God’s creatures and the values of faith.
Dr. Emily King, a veterinarian and social media influencer from Carmel, Ind., said her Catholic faith has influenced how she treats her patients.
“I have spent more than 30 years caring for animals, and over those years, my Catholic faith has increasingly shaped the way I look at what I do,” she said. “These animals were God’s creation long before they ever became my patients. I don’t believe we have to elevate animals to the same level as human beings to recognize that there is something really beautiful about that relationship. God created animals, and He also created us with the capacity to care about them. I think there is something worth paying attention to in that.”
Lori Nichols, assistant editor of the Catholic Star Herald, is also a veterinary receptionist at Atlantic Animal Health Center in Galloway. She holds a special fondness for cats. In fact, at present, she has 10.
While writing an article for an online news site about an animal shelter with a Kitten Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nursery, she was so impressed that she began to volunteer there – and that led to fostering kittens. Many of the cats she has now have special needs, some requiring more hands-on care than others.
She tells the story about a particular cat named Sandman who came from the NICU nursery and had experienced brain trauma due to abuse.
“I got him about a month after he started to heal, but he was still a little bit blind,” she said. “We fully expected him to end up with seizures, and by 10 months old, he did. He was the kind of cat who didn’t like to be handled, so I had to learn to go at his pace. He taught me a lot of patience and a lot of empathy. I learned way more from him than I ever thought I would.”
Pete and Christine Saccone, parishioners at Church of the Holy Family in Sewell, wanted to get a pet for their daughter Stella, a fifth-grader at Our Lady of Hope Regional School. However, because of the family’s active lifestyle and Stella’s budding soccer career, they felt a dog or cat might require more care than they could give due to time constraints. So, they decided on chickens – and not just for the eggs.
“Well, [the eggs] were part of it,” Pete Saccone said. “We wanted a pet, and this seemed like a nice compromise of an animal that would fit our lifestyle.”
Stella said that taking care of the chickens – filling their water, feeding them and “giving them lots of cuddles” – has taught her lessons connected to Catholic values.
“Definitely responsibility,” she said.
And the eggs?
“You gotta give eggs away,” her mother said.
“So that’s charity,” Stella added.
Dr. King said that she sees firsthand the lessons people can take away from caring for animals. “After more than 30 years as a veterinarian, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have a profession that allows me to witness [the human-animal] bond every day. I get to help people care for animals they love, relieve suffering when I can, and appreciate over and over again the remarkable variety of life God chose to create.
“Maybe that’s one of the lessons our animals quietly teach us,” she continued. “They give us another opportunity to look beyond ourselves to care for something that depends on us, to appreciate the beauty of creation and to be grateful for the time we are given with it.”
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