Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain's Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, and Healing the Planet

An elegant manifesto for improving life―and death―for all beings on sacred Mother Earth

Combining humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking research, Sacred Sendoffs explores human relationships with beloved pets, wild creatures, animal astronauts, marine life, farmed animals, and other sentient beings. Along the way, animal chaplain Sarah Bowen shares insights for sustaining their lives, honoring deaths, and managing the emotions that arise when we lose an animal we love. While many books focus exclusively on pet loss, animal welfare, or environmental issues, Bowen's ever curious and playful style takes on all three, revealing their unavoidable entanglement. Sacred Sendoffs helps animal lovers uncover practical actions and everyday opportunities for helping the more-than-human world thrive.

"If there is one book you choose to read about how to enjoy and improve your relationships with animals and fully appreciate who they truly are, this is the one." ― MARC BEKOFF, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and other books; Professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder

"Bowen covers a great deal of ground here, creating a new paradigm for thinking about the way we treat our closest companions and fellow beings. And she offers hope for the future, reminding us that learning to value animals in life and death may be the first step toward saving our beloved planet." ― Book Review, Spirituality & Health Magazine

An elegant manifesto for improving life―and death―for all beings on sacred Mother Earth

"After reading Sacred Sendoffs, I find myself living in a more amazing world, populated by a diverse array of unique individuals, each deserving of respect and care." ― Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life and The Good Karma Diet

Combining humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking research, Sacred Sendoffs explores human relationships with beloved pets, wild creatures, animal astronauts, marine life, farmed animals, and other sentient beings. Along the way, animal chaplain Sarah Bowen shares insights for sustaining their lives, honoring deaths, and managing the emotions that arise when we lose an animal we love. While many books focus exclusively on pet loss, animal welfare, or environmental issues, Bowen's ever curious and playful style takes on all three, revealing their unavoidable entanglement. Sacred Sendoffs helps animal lovers uncover practical actions and everyday opportunities for helping the more-than-human world thrive.

• Author has developed a strong platform since the launch of Spiritual Rebel. She is now a columnist at Spirituality and Health Magazine, a radio host at Unity's Big Universe, as well as being an academic dean at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. In addition she has a strong social media presence
• Author will hire an outside publicist in addition to Monkfish's publicity
• Sacred Sendoffs will have strong appeal to those who have lost a pet and are looking for ways to honor and their pet while dealing with their grief.
• Few texts exist for those interested in animal chaplaincy or animal spirituality. Seminary programs are increasingly studying eco-spirituality, Creation care, and issues dealing with animal exploitation--there is an opportunity for Sacred Sendoffs to fill a gap within these program