Animal Chaplaincy Services
with Jodie Jacobs,
Ordained Animal Chaplain
Giving all animals and their humans
love, care & compassion.
Sacred Sendoff Ceremonies
New Family Member Celebrations
Animal Chaplaincy Services
As an Animal Chaplain, I support all sentient beings, regardless of their species. I offer my services to animal rescue organizations and individuals needing support to help them with losses they suffer. I also help people celebrate the good times when a new animal joins the family.
One of life’s greatest challenges is the heartache of losing someone we love. When an animal companion passes away, we can feel an overwhelming sense of loss, confusion, and have difficulty moving forward.
Ceremonies, rituals and memorials can serve as a healing tool in helping to process the loss, allocate time to honor the beloved, and stay connected with their soul as you move forward.
But being an Animal Chaplain isn’t just about the hard times! When a new furry, feathered, or finned being joins your family, this can also be acknowledged and celebrated.
As an ordained Animal Chaplain, I will prepare and guide a beautiful, personalized service to celebrate your animal, honor them, and support your eternal connection.
Why might I need an Animal Chaplain?
Losing someone we love can be one of the most difficult things we experience in life. When a friend or family member passes, we often feel deep grief and may struggle to come to terms with our loss. Sadly, this sense of loss and grief is not recognized by many when the being is not human. This is known as “disenfranchised grief” which is when the grief you are feeling is not supported by society or recognized as legitimate.
Animal chaplains provide support by listening and showing caring companionship. We understand that your grief is real.
Ceremonies, rituals, and memorials can help heal your loss by honoring the memory of the one lost and can help you to stay connected with their spirit. While this may not end the grief, it’s a beautiful way to honor the time you had together — to celebrate the life you shared — and to celebrate the life, the essence, and the beauty of your animal companion.
Personalized Memorial Services
Remembering our animal companions with the love and honor they deserve.
Held virtually or in-person, this memorial service is unique, bespoke and created with you, and for you & your animal.
The personalized memorial ceremony is a way to transition from the relationship you had with your animal to the one you have now that they have passed. It is my belief that you’re still connected to your animal, whether they are physically in the room with you or not.
This service is a wonderful way to aid the transition from the physical to the spiritual.
I want to acknowledge that this doesn’t end the grief, however, this ceremony is a way to honor the time you had together. As your Animal Chaplain, I am here to guide you through the process. While I am personally more spiritual than religious, I can create a service to honor your specific belief system.
You may attend alone, or you’re welcome to invite others to participate. I believe it helps to have loved ones around to acknowledge the loss, so this does not exist as disenfranchised grief, but the choice is yours to make.
PRICING
15-minute Introductory Phone Call – free
Personalized Memorial Service - $300+
Note: *Sliding Scale Fees Available - Finances should not be a barrier when care is needed.
In-person ceremonies are available within an approximate 25 mile radius from Southold, New York.
Live further out? Get in touch so we can discuss options.
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A formal ceremony with set date and time.
If held in-person, everyone will be invited into the ceremony, creating a connected and sacred space.
I will create different blessings, mantras, and/or sayings to use, giving you the choice to decide. If you have a particular belief system, I will incorporate any prayers, or whatever feels right for you, into the service.
You will have the option for the type of service, whether it be fire / water / air / earth. I work predominantly with the fire ceremony, but I am open to creating a service that incorporates the water, air, and earth elements.
You will be asked to write your message to your animal companion. Everyone at the service is also invited to write their own message.
The messages will be offered to the universe via fire or water (depending on the service type chosen).
If called to, we will share stories of your animal companion (this is optional). We invite in laughter and light where we can access it, to really remember the essence of your friend.
A final closing blessing to seal the ceremony.
Option to have a small memorial book to write messages to your animal.
Sacred Sendoff Ceremonies
A beautiful memorial for domestic and wild animals
The Sacred Sendoff ceremony is a beautiful way to honor the love you have for your animal companion, whether domesticated or wild. These ceremonies are currently virtual / held remotely.
Here, I ask you as the human companion to write a message for one you have lost. Using a specially designed ritual kit, I will write your message out on gold foil ritual paper. The message is then burned in a gold lotus flower bowl and sent out to the universe. Remains are collected in a glass tube and will be sent to you as a keepsake.
This is a wonderful opportunity to send a message to your animal companion.
Using Fire
Fire connects, transforms, and purifies. It is a wonderful way to release the energy of the message back into the universe.
The Fire element is meaningful to me as it allows us to keep the ashes, the remains. Writing the message is such a powerful thing. Using fire allows us to have something tangible to keep.
I also support the sendoffs of “wild” animals by honoring their lives with a short blessing.
PRICING
15-minute Introductory Phone Call – free
Personalized Sacred Sendoff Ceremony - $75
Note: *Sliding Scale Fees Available - Finances should not be a barrier when care is needed.
Free Group Sacred Sendoff Ceremonies are offered on the first Sunday of every month via Instagram. Contact me or DM me on Instagram for further details.
New Family Member Celebrations
Celebrating new love!
Welcoming a new member to your family is one of the most joyful moments in life! When a new furry, feathered, or finned being joins your family, we can acknowledge and celebrate this too.
This beautiful and festive ceremony will create a cherished memory! It allows you to share your commitment to your new family member with your family and friends, and affirms the pure nature of the human-animal bond.
All ceremonies are co-created with you, so the celebration is unique to you & your family!
New Family Member Ceremonies will be held in person, and are available within an approximate 25 mile radius from Southold, New York. Live further out? Get in touch so we can discuss options.
PRICING
15-minute Introductory Phone Call – free
New Family Member Celebration - $300+
Note: *Sliding Scale Fees Available - Finances should not be a barrier when care is needed.
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Opening ritual to create a sacred space. We’ll create a connected space for everyone in attendance. Can include blessings or prayers, depending on your beliefs.
An official welcoming of your ‘animal companion’ to your family.
Story of first meeting and adoption, how you came to be companions.
We’ll create a few vows - these are promises to your animal, recognizing the responsibility and joy in bringing them into your family. (Kind of like a wedding vow!)
A mini-program / keepsake may be created if desired.
Final closing blessing to seal the ceremony.
Party!
The above pic is Oscar at our own New Family Member Celebration Ceremony! As the animal parent, the event was so much fun and so memorable for not only me but for all of my friends and family who attended. I don’t know if Oscar would agree because after the official ceremony, he hung out in the bathtub until the party was over.
Animal chaplains can help:
Create funerals or memorials for a loved animal companion
Process grief after an animal loss
Welcome a new member into your family
Celebrate the life of your animal companion, surrounded by friends and family
Honor and celebrate your animal-human connection
To support you and your staff through challenging losses (for animal organizations, sanctuaries etc.)
Session details
Animal Chaplaincy Services
15-Minute Introductory Phone Call – free
Personalized Memorial Service - $300+
New Family Member Celebration - $300+
Personalized Sacred Sendoff Ceremony - $75
In-person Euthanasia Support - $100
NOTE: *Sliding Scale Fees Available - Finances should not be a barrier when care is needed.
How it works
A free introductory meeting is done over the phone and will last approximately 15 minutes.
Services are available for individuals as well as animal organizations (rescues, sanctuaries, etc.)
After our meeting, if you decide to book a ceremony, you’ll receive an email with additional information and date/time will be confirmed.
You’ll be invited to make your payment via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
Ceremonies and services can be held online or in-person*
*In-person services available within a 25 mile radius from Southold, New York.
