An additional ‘r’: Remembering the animals

Relationships inevitably develop between humans and animals, regardless of the function or use of the animal part-ners. The need to recognize the existence of these human-animal bonds, as well as acknowledge the use of the animals, is widespread. Religious memorial services for animals in certain areas of the world provide an historical basis for such acknowledgment activities. The diversity of sacred and secular approaches to memorializing or acknowledging ani-mals is illustrated by representative examples of such events. The need to establish such events, particularly in academic and research settings, is emphasized. The pros and cons of developing and establishing acknowledgment ac-tivities in addition to the benefits of implementing such events are discussed. Key Words: acknowledge; animal; attachment; human-animal bond; memorial; remember; service; tribut