Our pets deserve to be honored
They share our homes, our routines, our joys and our difficult days.
They become part of the family — and when they are no longer beside us, their place in our lives does not simply disappear.
Our relationships with animals are real, profound and worth the extra care.
Ways to Honor Your Pet
Here are three ways to begin.
"It felt like i gave my childhood dog the goodbye he deserved, that I couldn't give him at the time."
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How to support the shrine
The shrine stays open because people choose to help tend it — in whatever way fits you, a one-time gift or an ongoing part of the community.
The zen tradition
The shrine works the way it does because of Sōtō Zen — a tradition that has quietly honored animals as part of its practice for generations. In Japan, having a temple, a shrine, or a cemetery set aside just for pets isn't unusual at all. It's simply understood that a life worth loving is a life worth honoring.
I didn't invent this practice. I'm part of Daijihiji Temple, and what happens at the shrine follows the same Sōtō Zen practice used there to honor animals: simple, unhurried, and sincere.
From the Shrine
