Animal Gratitude Ceremony with Dr. Laurie Santos

It's estimated that Americans share their homes with over 150 million animal companions—cats and dogs, ferrets and fish, birds and guinea pigs, turtles and snakes, and much more! On the last day of Humanism at Yale Week, the Yale Humanist Community invites you to a formal ceremony to give thanks to the animals that make our lives richer. Although "animal blessings" originate out of the Catholic tradition, nonreligious people also experience gratitude toward the animals that share their homes, as well as the other creatures that inhabit the Earth with us. YHC's first animal gratitude ceremony, led by Canine Cognition Center at Yale director Dr. Laurie Santos, will allow us to formally acknowledge the animals in our life, communally express gratitude toward our own companion animals, and publicly appreciate how our lives have been enhanced by our animal friends.

Please bring a photo of your pet for the gratitude ceremony. Well-behaved/socialized dogs are also welcome to attend in person.

Dr. Laurie Santos is a professor of psychology at Yale University and the director of Yale University’s Comparative Cognition Laboratory. Her scientific research has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Forbes, The New Yorker, New Scientist, Smithsonian, and Discover. She was voted one of Popular Science Magazine’s Brilliant 10 Young Minds.

1 PM
Canine Cognition Center at Yale parking lot*
175 St. Ronan Street New Haven, CT
Free and open to the public

*In the event of inclement weather, this event will be moved to The Grove, 760 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT.

This event is a part of Yale and New Haven Humanism Week. Learn more at yalehumanists.com

This event is organized with support from the Yale Undergraduate Humanist Society and the None/Others at Yale Divinity School.