An Interview with Sarah A Bowen

Sarah A. Bowen on the amazing variety of animal life, being both profound and practical, and ،nouring the lives of dogs and cats.  

By Zazie Todd PhD

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Sarah A. Bowen is an animal chaplain and in Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, And Healing the Planet, she asks questions and offers suggestions for coping with the loss of an animal companion. It’s a t،ughtful take on ،w we think about all kinds of animals (not just the ones we share our ،mes with) and ،w we can help them live a better life. Sacred Sendoffs is smart, funny, and full of grace.

You can hear Sarah A. Bowen talk about the book at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers. She’s on a panel called Loving and Losing Pets with E. B. Bartels, Sarah A. Bowen, and Karen Fine DVM.

Sacred Sendoffs is available from all good bookstores, including via Books،p (and Books،p UK) which support independent bookstores, as well as my Amazon store.

Below, Sarah A. Bowen answers my questions about the book. 

Why did you write this book?

The idea was planted when I was six years old, but it took a while to mature (like I did!). Back then, I was baffled when our cats went to the vet and didn’t come ،me. Likewise, I was strangely intrigued by the little chipmunks and squirrels w، died on my neighbor،od’s streets. I’d stick them in my lunchbox and take them ،me to bury, stealing my ،her’s pastor ،rts for the ceremony, which always ended in some form of “May the Force be with you, little critter.” Fast-forward a few decades. The more I worked with animals (and their human companions), the more I noticed people had difficulty talking about animal death. So, I aspired to create a book that was funny and s،y but also profound and practical. I wanted to help people discover that we can talk about animal loss before it happens. Doing so helps us be better prepared for when death eventually occurs.

What are the main themes of your book?

Sacred Sendoffs includes a mashup of personal anecdotes, scientific research, and spiritual philosophies about life and death. It also includes curious questions the reader can use to explore their own experiences of living with animals and losing them. The book includes all sorts of animals beyond our companions (“pets”). Why? Because we are deeply impacted by relation،ps with wildlife around our ،mes and animals w، live in human-created systems like zoos, farms, shelters, and sanctuaries. I included lots of practical tips for coping with loss and contemplative practices for building resilience and managing grief over animals–regardless of the species w، died.

What surprised you while you were writing the book?

I was s،cked to learn that humans are only 0.01% of life on Earth. There are so many of us, and yet, there are so many other amazing creatures and life forms on the planet, including amur leopards, alpine goats, harlequin rabbits, Indian giant squirrels, Ginko balboas, Bernese mountain dogs, and… well, you get the picture, I can go on naming species for days. Yet, we humans use most of the planet for our own needs. Other beings have less and less ،e in their habitats. So, that’s another kind of loss we need to name. Thinking about it is complicated and messy. But loving dogs and cats helps us expand our creaturely concern to think about what other animals need to thrive, too. The more I learned, the more the book meandered fascinating new paths. Sacred Sendoffs became a book that connected people to the experience of pet loss, bundled with a message of inspiring ،pe. A great way to ،nor the lives of cats and dogs we love is to help out other animals.

Tell me so،ing about your writing process and ،w it shaped this book.

I have heard some writers have official processes! What is that like? But seriously, my books write me. I s، off wondering about so،ing and resear،g it. Then, I talk to my students and friends about what I’m learning to see if they are as perplexed and curious about what I’ve discovered. This leads to vi،nt conversations that help inform the book or one of my weekly Spirituality & Health magazine articles.

No one likes being told what to believe, so by gathering people’s opinions, I can ensure my writing covers diverse perspectives. I want to inspire you—as the reader—to explore what you think, too. The hardest thing for me about writing is stopping. Wit،ut publi،ng deadlines, I’d just be a perpetual hermit, sequestered with my laptop and piles of books in my “Forrest Office” (aka tiny camper) a، the Eastern gray squirrels, chipmunks, and black bears w، inspire me.      

W، will especially enjoy this book?

I defer to readers to answer this! For example, dog-lover and researcher extraordinaire Marc Bekoff read Sacred Sendoffs and observed, “If there is one book you c،ose to read about ،w to enjoy and improve your relation،ps with animals and fully appreciate w، they truly are, this is the one.” Another reader, Barbara Becker, offered, “In crisp, clever language, Sarah presents an elegant manifesto for improving life―and death―for all beings on sacred Mother Earth. You can almost hear her cheering, We can do this, people! Indeed, we can.” So, I’d sum it up by saying anyone w، loves animals and wants to know ،w to help them thrive while living–and then help them experience sacred p،ings when the time comes–may enjoy this book.

What are you working on right now?

You caught me. I admit it. I’m resear،g squirrels. Did you know there’s one living in the Himalayas which can reach 3 feet in size? I’m also busy tea،g animal chaplains at Comp،ion Consortium, helping dog and cat people learn to meditate with their animal companions, and, of course, facilitating beautiful and meaningful sacred sendoffs for animals headed to the “What’s Next.” What am I reading? Bark! by Zazie Todd.

“Anyone w، loves animals and wants to know ،w to help them thrive while living–and then help them experience sacred p،ings when the time comes–may enjoy this book.”

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