Catholic Prayers for a Pet Who Has Died

Updated November 4, 2026

Catholic families often pray for a pet who has passed with a psalm, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be, plus their own words of thanks for the animal's life. The Church has no official rite for burying a pet, so this is a family prayer at home, not a Mass, a sacrament or a blessing. The Scripture below is from the Douay-Rheims translation, which is in the public domain, and the prayers are original to this guide.

Writing in the Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Catholic writer David A. King put it simply: "the church does not have an official liturgical rite for the burial of a pet." He describes his own family praying together when their cat passed, with psalms, Scripture and the familiar prayers of the Church. Many Catholic families do something similar.

What the Church teaches about animals

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of animals with care:

• "Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care." (paragraph 2416)
• "It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly." (paragraph 2418)

The Catechism also cautions against giving animals the affection due only to persons. That doesn't mean your grief is wrong. It means a pet's death is mourned differently from a person's. The Church blesses living animals, especially around the feast of St. Francis on October 4, a custom Catholic Answers notes became especially popular in the United States, and also on the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, January 17.

Scripture for a family prayer (Douay-Rheims)

Psalm 103:24-25 (numbered Psalm 104 in many modern Bibles)

How great are thy works, O Lord? thou hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches. So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great.

Psalm 35:7 (Psalm 36:6 in many modern Bibles)

Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord.

Psalm 144:9 (Psalm 145:9 in many modern Bibles)

The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

From the Canticle of the Three Young Men, Daniel 3:57, 80-81

All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. ... O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

For those who grieve: Psalm 33:19 (Psalm 34:18 in many modern Bibles)

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.

Matthew 5:5 (Matthew 5:4 in many modern Bibles)

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Original prayers for your family

These are written for this guide. Use, shorten or change them.

Opening

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord, we gather as a family to thank you for [Name], one of your creatures, who shared our home and our days. Be with us as we remember.

A prayer of thanks

Loving Father, you made every creature, great and small. Thank you for the gift of [Name], for [his/her] companionship, [his/her] loyalty, and the joy [he/she] brought into our home. We give you thanks for every one of those days.

A prayer for those who grieve

Lord Jesus, you know the sorrow of loss. Comfort each of us as we miss [Name]. Heal our hearts, quiet our guilt, and help us to be patient and kind with one another. Amen.

At the grave or with the ashes

Creator of all things, we return [Name] to the earth you made. We thank you for [his/her] life. Keep us mindful of your care for all creation, and help us to treat every creature with the kindness you ask of us. Amen.

A child's prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for [Name]. I'll miss [him/her]. Please help me when I feel sad. Amen.

Closing

May the Lord, who cares for every sparrow, give us peace tonight. Amen.

A simple family prayer at home

About 15 minutes. This is a family devotion, not a liturgy.

1. Sign of the Cross and opening prayer (above)
2. A reading: Psalm 103:24-25, or the verses from Daniel 3
3. Remembering [Name]: each person shares a memory
4. Family prayers: the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be, in the words you know
5. A candle: light a candle near a photo of your pet
6. Quiet prayer: a minute of silence
7. Closing prayer and Sign of the Cross

Some families also pray or read the Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi, which King recommends. Many translations exist, so use one from a prayer book you own.

What to leave out

To respect the Church's teaching and avoid confusion, Catholic pet funerals usually leave out:

• The words "Mass" or "funeral liturgy," and anything resembling Communion
• The Church's prayers for the faithful departed, such as "Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord," which are prayed for people
• Holy water rituals or blessings that imitate a priest's role

A priest may be glad to pray with your family or bless a living pet. It's fine to ask.

Ashes and burial

The Church's 2016 instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo says the ashes of the faithful should not be kept in a home, scattered, or divided into keepsakes. It addresses people, not animals, and doesn't mention pets. Catholic families choose all kinds of options for a pet: burial in the yard, a pet cemetery, an urn at home. If you want guidance, ask your priest. See cremation vs. burial vs. aquamation and keeping a pet's ashes at home.

Helping children

Children may ask whether their pet is in heaven. The Church doesn't give a definite answer, and it's honest to say so. You can tell them that God made their pet and, as the Catechism says, surrounds animals with his care, that it's good to thank God for the time you had, and that it's okay to be sad. See explaining a pet's death to a child.

Praying together from far away

If family members live far apart, you can pray together online. Bridgeside includes a free "family prayer at home" funeral order for Catholic households, with a psalm, memories and a candle, which you can share with relatives by link. It isn't a Mass or a rite of the Church, and you're always free to invite your own priest.