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Japanese A short prayer for a sick animal: “Lord, you made [name], and you know what is wrong. Ease the pain, guide the vet, and heal [name] if it is your will. Keep me calm. Amen.” Longer prayers follow for a diagnosis, surgery, old age and a peaceful end, with the old Catholic blessing for sick animals.
If your animal is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is bleeding or cannot stand, call a vet or an emergency animal clinic now and pray on the way there. Our prayers go alongside the vet’s care and never take its place.
Short prayers for a sick pet
Each of these short prayers leaves a place for your animal’s name, marked [name], and they suit a cat, a dog, a horse or any animal in someone’s care.
When the animal is in pain
Father, [name] is hurting and cannot tell me where. Jesus said that not one sparrow “is forgotten before God” (Luke 12:6), so you see this animal now. Ease the pain, let the medicine work, keep [name] calm and safe, and let [name] sleep. Amen.
Before the vet appointment
Lord, you filled Bezalel with wisdom and understanding for his work (Exodus 31:3). Give the same to the vet and the nurses today. Help them find what is wrong, choose the right treatment and handle [name] gently. Help me to ask the right questions and remember the answers. Amen.
After a frightening diagnosis
God, the news was worse than I hoped, and I am afraid. In your hand “is the soul of every living thing” (Job 12:10), and [name] is there too. Give me a clear head to understand the choices, and patience to take them one day at a time. Amen.
Before and after surgery
Lord, [name] goes into surgery today. Guide the vet’s hands, keep the anesthetic safe, and bring [name] back to me awake. Afterward, keep the wound clean and the pain small, and help me follow the aftercare exactly. Amen.
When the treatment is not working
Father, we have tried the medicine and followed the advice, and [name] is no better. You can heal where medicine fails, and I ask you to. If healing is not your answer, give me the grace Jesus asked for in the garden: “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Amen.
For an old animal whose health is failing
Lord, [name] is old and tired. Thank you for every one of these years. Make the days that are left comfortable and quiet, keep the pain away, and let [name] feel safe at home. “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9). Let your mercy rest on [name]. Amen.
For the owner who cannot stop worrying
God, I cannot stop worrying about [name]. Your word says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). I give you this worry now. Give me sleep tonight and strength for the care [name] needs tomorrow. Amen.
When the vet talks about putting the animal to sleep
Lord, the vet says [name] is suffering and will not get better. Help me see clearly what is kind, and keep me from holding on to [name] in pain for my own sake. If this is the time, let the end be gentle, and let me be there. Amen.
After the animal has died
Father, [name] has died, and the house feels empty. Thank you for the years we had, for every greeting at the door and every quiet evening together. Comfort everyone who loved [name], and carry us through the first days without [name]. Amen.
A Catholic blessing for sick animals
The Roman Ritual, the Catholic Church’s book of sacraments and blessings, has two blessings for animals suffering from serious illness (animalium gravi infirmitate laborantium). The Ritual gives them to a priest, who ends by sprinkling the animals with holy water. The first includes two verses from the Psalms, which the King James Version gives as “O LORD, thou preservest man and beast” (Psalm 36:6) and “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:16). The prayer of the second blessing, which also appears in the first, reads in a literal English translation:
We humbly beg your mercy, O Lord, that these animals, which are troubled by serious illness, may be healed in your name and by the power of your blessing. Let every power of the devil be put out in them; and so that they fall sick no more, be to them, O Lord, the defense of their life and the remedy of their health. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Rituale Romanum (typical edition of 1925), Appendix, translated from the Latin
The Latin text:
Misericordiam tuam, Domine, supplices exoramus: ut hæc animalia, quæ gravi infirmitate vexantur, in nomine tuo, atque tuæ benedictionis virtute sanentur. Exstinguatur in eis omnis diabolica potestas; et ne ulterius ægrotent, tu eis, Domine, sis defensio vitæ, et remedium sanitatis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
Rituale Romanum (typical edition of 1925), Appendix, “Alia benedictio animalium gravi infirmitate laborantium”
Where the prayer says “these animals,” you can say “this animal” for the one you are praying for. Anyone may pray these words at home, and a Catholic who would like the blessing itself can ask a priest for it.
Bible verses for a sick animal
- “O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.” (Psalm 36:6)
- “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:9)
- “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.” (Proverbs 12:10) To “regard” it is to pay attention to it.
- “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” (Matthew 10:29)
- “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:10)
- “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.” (Psalm 104:30)
Is it right to pray for a sick animal?
Scripture counts animals among the creatures God cares for. In Psalm 104 the animals wait on God for their food, and Psalm 36:6 says that he preserves “man and beast.” When God tells Jonah why he will spare Nineveh, the last reason he gives is “and also much cattle” (Jonah 4:11). Jesus took it for granted that the people listening to him would pull an ox or a donkey out of a pit even on the sabbath (Luke 14:5). And in the parable the prophet Nathan told, a poor man’s one ewe lamb “lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter” (2 Samuel 12:3), a household animal loved like one of the family.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care,” and that we “owe them kindness” (paragraph 2416). It marks a limit as well, for “One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons” (paragraph 2418).
When we pray for an animal, we need no special form of words to make the prayer stronger. Jesus told his disciples to “use not vain repetitions,” because “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:7–8).
Which saints are asked to pray for sick animals?
Catholic and Orthodox Christians ask the saints to pray for them, while most Protestants pray to God alone. The saints below have been linked with animals by long custom, and in some cases the link comes from popular devotion rather than from any official patronage.
- Anthony the Abbot was the Egyptian hermit whom the Catholic Encyclopedia calls the founder of Christian monasticism, and he died in 356 or 357. When the Roman Ritual blesses horses and other animals, it asks God, through the intercession of blessed Anthony, to bless them, keep them safe in body and free them from every evil.
- Roch (Rocco in Italian), the Catholic Encyclopedia tells us, was a pilgrim who nursed plague victims in Italy, caught the plague himself and withdrew to a hut in a forest. The Golden Legend, in William Caxton’s English, tells how a nobleman’s hound carried bread from its master’s table to him. Painters show him with a dog holding a loaf, and in Italy people pray to him for sick animals, dogs above all. His feast is 16 August.
- Francis of Assisi, whose feast is 4 October, is one of the two saints the Catechism names when it speaks of “the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals” (paragraph 2416). In 1979 Pope John Paul II proclaimed him the patron of those who promote ecology.
- Modestus and Blaise are two saints whom Russian Orthodox Christians ask to pray for sick animals and livestock. Modestus was patriarch of Jerusalem and died in 630 or 631, and the Russian Orthodox Encyclopedia says he was known for a gift of healing livestock and that popular belief paired him with Blaise of Sebaste as protectors of domestic animals.
Is it wrong to put a sick animal to sleep?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church never speaks of putting an animal to sleep. What it does say is that “it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly” (paragraph 2418), and it treats an animal’s life differently from a human life, allowing animals to be used for food and work (paragraph 2417). That leaves us with two practical questions, and a vet can help us answer them: can the animal’s pain still be controlled, and is there a reasonable hope of recovery?
Do pets go to heaven?
Christians disagree about whether animals share in the life to come, and Scripture does not answer the question directly. We have set out the arguments on each side in the debate over whether pets go to heaven.
A prayer for comfort and easing of pain
It is hard to watch an animal we love suffer, and we can feel so helpless beside them. In those hours we can bring them to God, the Great Physician, and ask him to ease their pain.
Heavenly Father, You are the source of all comfort and peace. I come before you with a heavy heart, asking for mercy upon my precious companion. Please lay your healing hands on them and soothe their little body. Take away the pain that makes them cry and tremble. Let your love surround them like a warm blanket, bringing relief and calm to their suffering.
Lord, you care for every living thing You have made. As it says in Luke 12:6, not even a single sparrow is forgotten by you. I know you see my dear friend in their distress. Please touch them with your grace, ease their discomfort, and still their anxious spirit. Grant them rest and the ability to feel peace, even in their weakness. Help me to be a source of comfort for them as well, showing them your love through my gentle care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for the vet’s hands
The knowledge and skill of the vet and their staff are gifts from God, and while they treat our animal we can ask him to guide their minds and steady their hands.
O Lord, Creator of all, I thank you for the wisdom and compassion you have given to veterinarians. I lift up the vet and their entire team to you right now. I ask that you guide their thoughts, their decisions, and their hands as they treat my sick friend. Give them clarity to diagnose the problem correctly and wisdom to choose the perfect course of action.
Let their hands be extensions of your own healing touch. Bless their work, whether it is through surgery, medicine, or simple care. As you filled Bezalel with your spirit for skillful work in Exodus 31:3, I pray you grant this medical team supernatural skill and insight. Remove any uncertainty from their minds and guide them to bring about a full recovery. May they be blessed for their compassionate service to your creation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for strength for the worried owner
A sick animal can leave us anxious, sad and afraid, and this prayer is for us, the ones doing the caring, to ask God for the strength and peace we need to get through it.
Father God, my heart is aching with worry for my dear pet. The uncertainty is heavy, and my spirit is tired. I come to you for strength. Please calm my anxious thoughts and replace my fear with your unshakeable peace. Help me to be strong, not just for myself, but so I can be a calm and reassuring presence for my animal.
I need your help to be patient and loving, even when I am exhausted and scared. Please, Lord, hold my heart in your hands. Remind me that, as Philippians 4:6-7 promises, if I give you my worries, your peace will guard my heart and mind. Let that peace rule in this home, bringing quiet to my soul and comfort to my suffering companion. Grant me the endurance to provide the best possible care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for a miraculous recovery
There are times when the situation looks hopeless and only a miracle would answer it. Then we can ask God boldly, as this prayer does, to step in himself and heal our animal completely.
Almighty God, with you, nothing is impossible. You are the God of miracles, who parted the sea and healed the blind. I come to you today with a desperate but hopeful heart, asking for a miracle for my beloved animal. The odds may seem against us, but I believe in your power to restore and make things new.
I ask you to touch every cell in my pet’s body. Command this sickness to leave. Heal what is broken, mend what is torn, and restore what has been weakened. Your word in Jeremiah 17:14 says, “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved.” I claim this promise for my precious companion. Defy the odds, Lord, and show your power and mercy through a complete and total recovery. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for peace during a scary diagnosis
Hard news from the vet can take our peace away in a moment and leave us full of dread. Pray this while the diagnosis is still sinking in.
Lord of all peace, the news from the vet has filled my heart with fear. The future feels uncertain and scary, and I feel overwhelmed by the diagnosis given to my pet. In this moment of shock and confusion, I run to You. Please quiet my racing mind and anxious heart. Help me to breathe and to trust in Your goodness.
Lord, even in this dark valley, I know you are with me. I ask that your peace, which goes beyond all human understanding, would settle over me and my home. Help me to process this information without becoming completely undone by despair. Remind me that the life of every creature is in your hand, as Job 12:10 tells us. Grant me the clarity to make wise decisions and the faith to trust You with the days ahead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for healing after surgery
The days after surgery matter a great deal for healing, so while our animal recovers we ask God to protect them and to finish the healing the surgery began.
Merciful Father, thank you for bringing my companion safely through surgery. Now, I place their recovery into your hands. I pray for your divine protection over them as their body begins the hard work of healing. Please watch over every stitch and every incision. Guard them against infection and any other complications.
Lord, I pray that you would speed their recovery. Minimize their pain and help the medicine to work effectively. Grant them deep, restorative rest that allows their body to mend itself. As it says in Psalm 103:3, you “forgive all your sins and heal all your diseases.” I pray you would bring this complete healing to my pet’s body now. Let them feel your comforting presence as they rest and regain their strength day by day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for an older animal in decline
Looking after an old animal whose health is failing is tender and sad work, and it is love too. This prayer is for that long goodbye, when we ask God to make their last season of life a peaceful one.
Gentle Shepherd, you know the heart of this old and faithful friend of mine. Their steps are slower, and their body is tired. It is so hard to watch them decline. I ask for your special grace upon them in this season of their life. Please make their days as comfortable and pain-free as possible. Soothe their aches and calm their confusion.
Let them feel surrounded by love and security. Thank you for the many years of joy and companionship they have given. Help me to care for them with endless patience and deep compassion, honoring the gift they have been to me. Your compassion is over all you have made (Psalm 145:9), and I ask you to pour out that compassion on my aging friend now. Let their final days be filled with peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for when the medicine isn’t working
This prayer is for the time when the treatments fail and hope begins to fade, and we ask God to act where medicine has not.
God of Hope, I come to you feeling defeated. We have tried the treatments and followed the advice, but my dear pet is not getting better. My heart is breaking, and I don’t know what else to do. In this moment of helplessness, I turn completely to you, the ultimate healer. Where human knowledge ends, your power begins.
Lord, I ask you to do what medicine cannot. I surrender this situation entirely to you. Please, work a miracle of healing in my pet’s body. I choose to put my trust not in medications or procedures, but in You alone. As it says in Proverbs 3:5, I will “trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding.” I don’t understand why this is happening, but I trust in your love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for protection from further harm
A sick animal is weak and easily hurt, and while they heal we can ask God to shield them from any further injury, illness or distress.
Lord, my Protector and Shield, my sweet animal is in a weak and vulnerable state. I ask you to be their defender. Please place a hedge of protection around them. Guard them from any falls or accidents that could injure them further. Shield their weakened immune system from any new sickness or infection.
Let your angels watch over their resting place. Protect them from anything that might frighten them or cause them more stress. In John 10:28, Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” While this speaks of His people, I pray for that same spirit of loving protection over this fragile creature. Keep them safe within your care as their body heals and regains strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for trust in God’s plan
Healing does not always come in the way we pray for it, and this prayer asks for the strength to trust God’s plan even when it hurts and we cannot see his reasons.
Sovereign Lord, you see the beginning from the end, and your ways are higher than my ways. I confess that I am struggling to understand what is happening. I have prayed for healing, and my heart desperately wants my pet to be well. But above all, Lord, I want to trust You and your perfect will.
If the path ahead is different from the one I have prayed for, please give me the grace to accept it. Help my heart to trust that you are good, even when circumstances are painful. As Jesus prayed in the garden, “Not my will, but yours be done.” I echo that prayer now with a trembling heart. Let my love for you be greater than my fear of loss. Prepare my heart for whatever lies ahead, and help me to rest in the knowledge that you are in control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for the animal’s spirit
An animal is more than a body, for there is life and spirit in them too. When illness dims that spirit, we can ask God to bring it peace and light, which can help the body heal.
O God, who breathed life into every creature, I lift up the spirit of my dear animal to you. Sickness affects not just their body, but their inner light. Their bright and playful spirit has grown dim with their illness, and my heart aches to see it. I ask you to touch them on this deeper level.
Please send your Holy Spirit to minister to their spirit. Soothe their fear, calm their agitation, and lift their depression. Let them feel your loving presence in a way they can understand. Renew their will to live and fight this illness. In Psalm 104:30 you said, “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.” Renew the life and spirit within my precious friend and let their inner light shine brightly once more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer for a peaceful passing, if it is God’s will
This is the hardest prayer of all, for the time when recovery no longer seems possible. In love we ask God to give our animal a gentle and peaceful passing.
God of all Mercy and Grace, my heart is breaking as I see my beloved friend’s suffering continue. If their time for healing on this earth is over, and it is your will to call them home, I ask for one last gift. Please grant them a peaceful and painless passing. Let their final moments be free from fear and struggle.
Take them gently from this world of pain into a place of rest. Let them be surrounded by love as they go. Grant me the strength to make the most loving and selfless decision for them, even if it rips my own heart apart. I entrust their precious soul to you, their creator. As Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Please give that peace to my pet in their final hour. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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