"The Souls of Animals"

The Souls of Animals by Reverend Gary Kowalski is an exploration into what Kowalski believes to be the spiritual side of animals. Originally published by Stillpoint Publishing in 1991, this testament to the intelligence and compassion of our animal brethren is very nicely written, but remains a bit simplistic and unbelievable at times. The author uses his experiences both as a Unitarian minister and animal lover to compile this book which argues the case that if there is such a thing as a soul, humans are not the only ones to have them. Kowalski uses examples such as a female gorilla named Koko who learns American Sign Language and a family of elephants who attempted to revive an injured family member to emphasize his point that animals have feelings, morals, personalities, and even “animal faith.”
Kowalski’s book begins with an exploration into what a “soul” actually is and how it affects both humans and animals alike. The book continues on with the story of Koko the gorilla who used ASL to ask for a kitten, which she loved and cared for until its death. According to Kowalski, Koko “cried” for a week after the kitten died, thus proving his point that animals are aware of and can even grieve death. Continuing on with death in mind, Kowalski brings up the possibility that animals feel the presence of supernatural beings and reveals a few anecdotes about a Border Collie who supposedly had several encounters with “ghosts.” Kowalski wraps up the book by exploring animal music and art, arguing that animals must have souls if they are capable of creating beauty for the sake of beauty.
While The Souls of Animals is very beautifully written and contains some heartwarming stories, it is hard to believe that a pig putting flowers around its litter is thoughtfully creating a “barnyard nativity.” Also, there are many counterarguments regarding the “miraculous” things that these animals do, and none of them are addressed. It appears that Kowalski takes many of his opinions from his religion and disregards the possibility of coincidence. Overall this book is a pleasant afternoon read, but nothing more. Sappy stories and obvious religious undertones cannot take the place of solid research and an open-mindedness to all possibilities.