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Church offers blessings for four-legged friends
Pets are people, too.
That’s the consensus of most of today’s pet owners, and Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church supports that.
“This is an attempt to reach out into the community,” said Pastor Leigh Holder-Bobo.
The church, located at 2930 W. Broad St., will host their first “Blessings of the Pets” on Sept. 12 from 1-3 p.m.
“There are a lot of people out there without children, and people whose pets are just as important as their children,” said Holder-Bobo.
She explained that the practice of blessing pets began as a Catholic tradition, started by Saint Francis of Assisi, who believed that God cared for all creatures.
“The church recognizes all creatures,” she said.
Bobo described the event as an “outdoor service of worship centered around pets being a part of our lives.”
During the service, each pet will receive an individual blessing, along with a blessing certificate.
Pets of all varieties are welcome, though the church requires that all animals be caged or leashed.
“We don’t want to have a German shepherd eat a guinea pig!” said Holder-Bobo.
The service will be followed by a reception with dog and cat treats provided, as well as cookies and punch for their human companions.
“It’s not that we don’t want iguanas there, we just don’t know what they eat!” she added.
There is no charge to attend, but a collection will be taken during the service.
According to Holder-Bobo, the church hopes to donate around 20 percent of the collection to a local animal shelter.
“As owners, we are supposed to be responsible for our pets, and some people are not. We have to pick up that slack,” she said.
She hopes that pet owners across the Westside will attend the service, which will be held rain or shine.
“People who are very into their pets want their animals to be recognized,” said Holder-Bobo. “This is our way of saying, ‘Yes, we recognize that this is part of your family.’”
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