D. Rebecca Dinovo, an Episcopal priest, is co-founder of the Episcopal Network for Animal Welfare. She spoke with Sojourners’ Mitchell Atencio.

I REMEMBER HEARING that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had adopted one of the beagles [from] the largest rescue that the Humane Society has ever done.

What struck me was how long people had been trying to whistleblow and alert authorities. It took years for real action to be taken, but [that’s] not surprising, especially when you’re dealing with a large corporation. I have found [animal welfare activism] incredibly challenging and at times discouraging. Criticisms I’ve received personally in the church [imply] animal welfare is a peripheral issue. The fact is these are God’s creatures who are suffering, and we’re responsible, as part of our Christian vocation, to be stewards of our earth and of all the animals.

While I was in seminary, our cat got into a trap that was for raccoons. Instead of releasing our cat, the trappers euthanized him. That led me to start the Episcopal Network for Animal Welfare, because when I reached out to the church, there was nobody who would stand by me and say this has to change.

We’ve created “animal-friendly churches” — offering pastoral care when somebody loses an animal, offering vegetarian options at church gatherings, rethinking fundraising efforts so that they don’t center on inhumane animal practices, such as lobster boils.

I would love people to think about what they eat. A really simple way is to take on a practice of going meatless, whether once a week, during Lent, or exploring that as a possible way of life. Anytime we make choices that don’t involve killing of animals, we’re reducing the need to put animals into situations of suffering.

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