Do animals go to heaven? In the scope of war, disease and poverty, it may seem to be an insignificant question, but for Rob Gierka, it is something he must confront almost every day.
As a pet chaplain in Raleigh, Gierka serves the needs of pet owners who may be grieving over the loss of a pet or those who want him to bless a furry friend. He conducts pet memorial services, counsels grieving pet owners, and performs blessings for animals. Gierka said he has seen a great need for these services.
“The greatest gift we can give somebody is to hear them,” Gierka said.
So Gierka lends the invaluable gift of listening to people who are grieving over a lost pet, and often a best friend. In a society where animals are often viewed as accessories, Gierka said a person’s grief over losing a pet is “trivialized.”
However, Gierka said he has found that many people are more dependent on their animals than on relatives. He said the reason for this is that people often undergo months of preparation before the death of a relative, allowing them to grieve and come to terms with the death. However, owners feel wholly responsible for animal deaths, specifically in instances where they must decline a necessary surgery due to finances.
The gnawing pain of wondering if there was something more they could have done intensifies owners’ grief, he said. This is where a pet chaplain comes in. As a pastoral caregiver, Gierka said he wants to be there when the pain is happening. He says many people are afraid to talk about their pets, but wants to affirm to students that grieving or missing a pet at home is understandable.
After working as the procurator for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Gierka observed that while people going through the death of a pet can speak with their veterinarian, there is no pastoral care or counseling available. This realization prompted him to pursue training as a pet chaplain in the hope that he could roam the halls of an animal hospital, helping people much like a chaplain in a hospital.
While some may classify Gierka as a pastoral caregiver, he is not a pastor in the traditional sense. After declining suggestions to be ordained, Gierka decided his career calling was of a unique nature. He became involved in the field after his brother died, gaining a strong sense of the grieving process and its needs. Apart from adding credibility to his position as a pet chaplain, Gierka fails to see an inherent need for ordination, likening his calling to that of St. Frances of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
Gierka admits that while his act of blessing animals and donning a stole is religious, the service he offers is not necessarily spiritual. Still, Gierka said he views his service as a form of ministry. Gierka offers something that is not clinical, but simply lends an ear to those who are in need. Gierka said he has found this is the best way to show God’s love. His role of simply affirming someone’s love for a pet and often reflecting back what he hears is an illustration of this love.
Gierka was recently on campus to convey this love through blessing the dogs of an N.C. State alumnus. He remembers that at the beginning of the blessing, which several students participated in, the two cocker spaniels were agitated and “bouncing off the walls.” However, after Gierka played a soothing guitar and recited the alumnus’ requested prayers, the animals lay down and assumed a calm demeanor. Gierka said this is an example of how he uses blessings to acknowledge the love and friendship between an owner and pet, in addition to recognizing the pet as being wanted and cared for.
As for the age-old question, “Do pets go to heaven?” Gierka relies on his reading of the Bible for the answer. Gierka refers to the eternal nature of God’s love as well as a pet’s ability to forever remember the sound of his owner’s voice. Gierka said love of a pet is honored by God and with the belief that a pet will remember his owner in heaven.