Churches find role for dogs in faith

LOS ANGELES -- When the Rev. Tom Eggebeen took over as interim pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church three years ago, he looked around and knew it needed a jump-start.

Most of his worshippers were in their 60s, attendance had bottomed out and the once-vibrant church was fading as a community touchstone.

Eggebeen had an idea: He would turn God's house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church's connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers.

Before the first Canines at Covenant service last Sunday, Eggebeen said many Christians love their pets as much as human family members -- but churches have been slow to recognize that love as the work of God.

"The Bible says of God only two things in terms of an 'is': That God is light and God is love. And wherever there's love, there's God in some fashion," said Eggebeen, himself a dog lover. "And when we love a dog and a dog loves us, that's a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor that."

The weekly dog service at Covenant Presbyterian is part of a trend among churches to address the spirituality of pets and their bonds with owners.

"It's the changing family structure, where pets are really central and religious communities are starting to recognize that people need various kinds of rituals that include their pets," said Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. "More and more people in mainline Christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul."