subject: Donna Yuritic, Animal Activist, Provides Relief for Grieving [print this page] Donna Yuritic, Animal Activist, Provides Relief for Grieving
You know them as your pets, but to Donna Rae Yuriticordained animal chaplainour furry, feathered and scaled friends are more than something we own. They are our animal companions.
"The word animal' comes from the Latin root which means soul,'" explains Yuritic, a professional tennis player, animal advocate and philanthropist. "They are sentient beings. They feel pain, they love, they get embarrassed and they grieve. They teach us lessons in forgiveness, trust and loyalty."
In fact, her empathy for creatures led to her creation of a ministry for animals called Compassion for Creatures. Ordained at the Emerson Theological Institute in California in March of 2009, Yuritic is one of only four ordained animal chaplains in the country.
And whether you live in her neighborhood of Phoenix, Ariz., or across the globe, she can help you through the pain and difficulty of losing a beloved animal companion. "My intention is to comfort the bereaved with the peaceful knowing that God has met their pet heaven-side," she says of her services, which can be customized for the religious affiliation of your choosing. "Having clergy present to perform small acts of compassion in the last moments of their pet's life can be incredibly healing to the familychildren and adults alike."
The services Yuritic performs include leading prayers for an ailing animal, accompanying families through euthanasia, organizing funeral and memorial services, grief support, and blessings for adoption, healing, protection and birth. And if you don't live nearby, she can send a personalized blessing via e-mail or a phone call.
When it comes to grieving the loss of an animal companion, Yuritic says children and the elderly often have the most difficult time coping. "Losing an animal companion is often children's first dealing with death and flushing their goldfish down the toilet doesn't teach them about reverence of life," says Yuritic, whose book, Animal Angels: Paws to Remember, serves as an aid for parents to talk to their children about euthanasia and how to create a memory box to honor their animal companion. "And for seniors, their pets are often their entire family. This loss may lead to depression or even suicide if they don't have the proper outlet to grieve."
With five rescue dogs currently living under her roof, Yuritic has lost many pets of her own over the yearsfrom cats and dogs to rabbits and turtles. She finds it rewarding to help people when they lose their best friend. "Grief is the mending of a broken heart, and it's absolutely normal, natural and necessary," she says.
Donna Yuritic, Animal Activist, Provides Relief for Grieving
