Support groups for those grieving after the loss of a loved one, or caring for an ailing family member, are not unusual.
But recognizing the strong bond between people and their pets, members of North United Methodist Church go a step further, reaching out to those dealing with the illness or death of four-legged friends.
Bob Schultz came up with the idea for the ministry after seeing an upset pet owner at a local veterinary clinic.
“This young man was crying and so we were sitting there talking and said a little prayer,†he says. “And they just didn’t expect for his dog to live.â€
Soon after that meeting, the Pet Caretakers’ Ministry was launched, meeting once a month at the church. North United Methodist has also expanded its 24-hour prayer line (812-493-4487) to include prayers for pets and their owners.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13 (UPI) — A man alleged to be the love child of former U.S. President John Kennedy revealed his name and a photo to a Canadian newspaper in Vancouver Wednesday.Vanity Fair magazine has been quietly working on the story of the man for more than a year and a half but the New York Post broke the story last week about the man, who bears a strong resemblance to the late president.He retained his U.S. citizenship and married a Canadian woman and has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the past six months. He told Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper his name is Jack Worthington and showed a passport in which his date of birth is listed as Nov. 22, 1961. That’s two years to the day before Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.