In our final episode of Season 1, we are joined by Sarah A. Bowen, an animal chaplain and a co-founder of Compassion Consortium―the first interfaith, interspiritual, and interspecies community for people who care about and advocate for animals and the planet―where she leads the Animal Chaplaincy Training program. She also companions animals through death, creates sacred memorial rituals, counsels humans grieving animal loss, and advocates for exploited and endangered species in both religious and secular contexts. An RNS Vatican News Reporter featured her response to Pope Francis’s suggestion that having pets is selfish. 

An award-winning author, her latest book is Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying to Heal the Planet  (Monkfish Publishing). A columnist on animal/human relationships for Spirituality & Health magazine, Bowen’s work has also appeared in Parabola, Tricycle, Religion Dispatches, Psychology Today, and Animal Culture Magazine,

​​A passionate speaker and teacher, Bowen has presented for the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, Parliament of the World’s Religions, Spiritual Directors International, Best Friends National Conference, and the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab.

Sarah is also an academic dean at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, where she encourages emerging clergy to align their spiritual values with animal and planetary welfare. 

Sarah holds a BA in Human Ecology from Michigan State University, MA in Religious Studies from Chicago Theological Seminary, was ordained through One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, completed Emerson Theological's Passmore Animal Chaplain Program, and is joyfully engaged in postgraduate research in Humane Religious Studies and Anthrozoology.

You can find her:

Instagram @modernreverend

Website: https://www.sacredsendoffs.com/

And in so many other places! 

Do YOU want to be an animal communicator? Email us at [email protected] and ask to be alerted to the Black Friday deals our teacher, Danielle MacKinnon, will be announcing later this week!

Meet the hosts-

Julie Hirt is a Certified Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Certified Heart Animal Soul Professional Communicator, Certified Soul Level Intuitive Coach® and Certified Spirit Animal Sacred Alchemy Practitioner. She writes the column “Trust the Animals” on Substack and is a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. Julie is also the Social Media Director for The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: https://www.juliehirt-intuitive.com/

Karen Dendy Smith is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Pangu Shengong (qigong) Instructor and Energy Healer. She is an End-of-life Companion Animal Doula through the UVM certificate program and a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. She is also on the board of NicaLove Animal Rescue and the Founder and a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: https://www.karendendysmith.com/

Meredith Tollison is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki Practitioner, and certified dog trainer with a focus on behavior modification and positive reinforcement. She is also a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: https://www.meredithtollison.com/

You can also learn more about podcast news, your hosts and upcoming events at https://www.theanimalcommunicationpodcast.com/. And to learn more about the fundraising work Karen, Meredith and Julie do with The Animal Communication Collective, please visit https://www.animalcommunicationcollective.com/.

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