About us

Hearts and Paws meets the needs of members of the congregation and their pets. Clearly, God has given us dominion over the animals of the earth, meaning that He has challenged us to take care of them. He also expects us to be in love and charity with our neighbors, meeting the needs of others whenever and wherever possible. With God’s directives in mind, Hearts and Paws provides three specific services to the congregation and their pets:

v    Assistance with the care and/or placement of pets for individuals in time of crisis

v    Grief support to members who have lost pets

v A resource center for information regarding care of household pets as well as other animals

Assistance in Time of Crisis  

Imagine for a moment that you suddenly found that you needed to go into the hospital. How would you manage care for the family dog or cat? What would happen if you discovered that you had to find proper placement for your pet due to some unforeseen circumstance in your life? Hearts and Paws works to find temporary solutions to emergency circumstances for members of our congregation. We will assist church members with finding in-home care, foster care, or if necessary, resources for permanent placement. It is the goal of the ministry to minimize the stress associated with pet care during times of personal crisis and to ensure that the animal receives the best care possible.

Grief support    

The Hearts and Paws ministry recognizes that pets play a vital role in the lives of individuals and of families, and that the loss of a pet in emotionally traumatic for both children and adults. We realize that the issue of pet loss and bereavement is similar to human loss, but unique in many ways. Society typically offers little support for one who grieves the death of a pet, and many people must suffer silently. Our goal is to reduce that suffering by providing grief support to families and individuals in a caring, Christian environment.
 

As Christians, we believe that we must provide care for all of God’s creatures.

God challenges us to care for all of His creatures, and Hearts and Paws is committed to promoting responsible pet ownership.  We are working to become a resource center for information related to meeting the needs of all animals. “Hearts and Paws” messages will appear in the Reporter and Sunday worship bulletin, and we will make information available on the Harvest tables and at special events sponsored by the Hearts and Paws ministry. We also plan to make books and brochures about animals and animal welfare available in the CUMC library.

For further information about Hearts and Paws pet ministry, contact Sue Irwin at the church (412) 835-6621, ext. 41.