This moving prayer, called simply "Prayer for a Lost Pet," asks the help of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, and St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things.

Father, We ask you to help us find, our dear pet who is now lost.

We know that you placed animals on the earth for many reasons, including companionship for man.

We therefore ask you to help us find our lost companion, and pray that You will keep him (her) safe and protect him (her) from harm until he (she) is found.

We join our prayers with St. Francis, St. Anthony of Padua, and all the saints, and pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I wish someone had given Jesus a dog.
As loyal and loving as mine.
To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes
And adore Him for being divine.

As our Lord grew to manhood His faithful dog,
Would have followed Him all through the day.
While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well
And knelt in the garden to pray.
It is sad to remember that Christ went away.
To face death alone and apart.
With no tender dog following close behind,
To comfort its Master’s Heart.
And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn,
How happy He would have been,
As His dog kissed His hand and barked it’s delight,
For The One who died for all men.

Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent Him mine,
The old pal so dear to me.
And I smile through my tears on this first day alone.

I will lend to you for awhile
a puppy, God said,
For you to love him while he lives
and to mourn for him when he is gone.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years,
or maybe for two or three.
But will you, till I call him back
take care of him for me?

He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
and (should his stay be brief)
you’ll always have his memories
as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise that he will stay,
since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below
I want this pup to learn.

I’ve looked the whole world over
in search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd life’s land
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love
Nor think the labour vain
Nor hate me when I come to take my pup back again.

O Lord, we thank you for all of the joy that you have given us through our wonderful dog, _____. He/she has always been an example of gentleness and goodness. Now, we are depressed and upset to see our loving dog so ill. Our most faithful companion is now struggling to live, and we are distraught by his/her suffering. We trust in you and ask that you heal our sick dog. If it is your will to take his/her spirit, we ask that you free him/her from pain and suffering. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Dear God, please send me somebody who'll care!
I'm so tired of running and sick with despair.
My body is aching and filled with such pain;
And dear God I pray, as I run in the rain
That someone will love me and give me a home,
A warm cozy bed, and food of my own.
My last owner left me alone in the yard...
I watched as they moved, and God that was hard.
So I waited a while, then went on my way
To rummage in garbage and live as a stray.
But now, God, I'm so tired and hungry and cold;
And I'm so afraid that I'll never grow old.
They've chased me with sticks and hit me with straps
While I run the streets just looking for scraps!
I'm not really bad, God, please help if you can,
For I have become just a "Victim of Man!"
I'm wormy, dear God, and I'm ridden with fleas;
And all that I want is an Owner to please!

I hope I'm not asking too much, Lord;
All I want is a home of my own,
And to know when my next meal is coming
Instead of the scraps I get thrown.

I've been out in the cold for so long now,
Just coping as best as I can;
But it's not been so long I've forgotten
The touch of a soft caring hand.

I look in house windows at Christmas,
As cats doze by the fire, quite replete;
How I'd welcome a box in the kitchen,
And tasty food for me to eat.

For me there was tinsel and giftwrap,
But the fun didn't last very long.
They put me outside with the rubbish;
I still don't know what I did wrong.

I really don't want to be greedy;
At the moment I'm all skin and bone,
So would it be too much to hope for
That someone will give me a home?

God, our Healer, we thank you for taking care of us and our pets each day. I know of the incredible miracles that Jesus performed. This is why I come before you asking for you to help heal my dog. I know you have the power to set it free of its troubling ailment. This dog cannot tell me what exactly the problem is, but I know that you are aware of what problem is. Almighty God, I ask you to give good health to my friend so that he may be whole again. My dog has always been with me in both good and bad times.

Dear Lord, as the saying goes, “Dogs are a man’s best friend.” They keep us company in the lowest points of our lives. They celebrate with us during the happiest moments of our lives. They bark when we get home from school or work, because they’ve missed us. They never fail to let us know that they’re happy by getting very excited about the most simple things. Dogs are our little protectors. Dogs provide us with joy, happiness, and companionship. They lift up our spirits and make us smile. I pray that people will continue to appreciate the companionship that their dogs provide. They are one of the most amazing animals on Earth. For as long as history can remember, dogs have always been a huge part of our lives.