Gracious God, as we come to You in prayer, we thank You for our pets, all creatures great and small. We thank You for everything they teach us about unconditional love and loyalty and friendship. We thank You that they accept us and love us for simply being who we are. Lord God, as the health crisis continues, we are aware of the impact the virus is having upon the care of our animals: medical attention that is not given as people are anxious about paying vets bills, cruelty that goes unnoticed whilst people stay inside. So too, we think of the plight of zoos and wildlife parks as they face the issues of reduced financial income. God of creation, we celebrate the joy of animals and ask that You help us to be good stewards, to care for them and to provide for them, now and everyday, Amen.