Written by Debra K. Farrington, explores the spiritual aspects of owning and loving a pet. Farrington, a member of the Episcopal Network for Animal Welfare, uses biblical passages and Christian teachings to send home a basic message — that aside from its basic needs, love is the most important gift you can give your animal companion. In an age in which we spend millions of dollars on our pets’ other needs, it is a message we should all follow. Like many of the books listed here, some of the proceeds from the book will go to an animal shelter. –New York Daily News, December 2006

Pet ownership is filled with spiritual lessons, according to spirituality writer and retreat leader Farrington, who has owned her share of dogs, cats, gerbils, guinea pigs and parakeets over the years. She turns a heavenly eye to our furred and feathered friends, offering readers a new perspective on the domestic animals we love so much….Saints of old, ancient prayers and modern poetry find a place in Farrington’s work, which covers all aspects of pet ownership: committing to care for a pet, naming and training it, pet pregnancy, etc. She talks movingly of caring for sick animals and offers an interesting discussion of a hospice approach to helping end a pet’s life. Scattered throughout are blessings, prayers and services appropriate for animals. Farrington deepens our understanding and appreciation of animals as spiritual beings, as well as our practices involving them. She encourages us to rethink our attitudes toward pets as “disposable” and merely for our pleasure, and instead helps us see caring for domestic animals as one way we can mirror God’s love. –Publishers Weekly

Should we pray for our pets? Does an animal’s death merit a funeral? Yes, says Debra K. Farrington. Having written seven books on Christian spirituality, here she turns to the bonds between humans and animals as an avenue of spiritual growth. (She doesn’t like the terms “pet” or “owner,” by the way, because we don't own our pets “any more than we own our children.”)  If God created all, she writes, “I'm just as likely to encounter God’s presence in a cat, dog, or other animal as a human being.” She quotes St. Basil, who called animals “our brothers,” and St. Bonaventure, who wrote, “For every creature is by its nature a kind of effigy and likeness of the eternal Wisdom.” The book is filled with animal-inspired wisdom from the Bible (“Ask the animals, and they will teach you.” Job 12:7) and elsewhere. Many pages are devoted to rituals: a liturgy to welcome an animal into the family, short prayers to bless a pregnant animal, a service to mark the death of a beloved companion. Weaving in her personal stories, she invites readers to experience the deep mystery of communion with non-humans. Caring for animals is a privilege, she writes, and “if we are open and receptive to the animals who live with us, we will find ourselves being ministered to, and taught by them as well.” —Mary A. Jacobs, Dallas Morning News

All God’s Creatures will help pet owners deepen their relationship with their animals. By viewing companion animals as a gift from God, rather than objects that exist to do the will of humans, Debra Farrington helps owners realize a greater sense of responsibility toward their pets, and shows how the humane care and training of their animals leads to a more fulfilling experience for both pets and owners. –Barbara Demarest, canine and feline behavioral consultant