Blessing offers bond for pets, owners

    Tails wagged and pooches politely sniffed each other. Many say it’s a “dog eat dog” world, but not in Ottawa Saturday.

    Several pups waited patiently with their owners to be blessed at the “Blessing of the Animals” at the Grace Episcopal Church.

    The blessing was started eight years ago by John Heckert, church deacon, as a way to recognize St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.

    Animals in attendance included ones who were there for the first time and others who attend every year. Buddy, a 3-year-old mixed breed dog, was blessed for the first time, Gayle Morris, Ottawa, his owner, said.

    Although the only pets present were dogs, Gail Davis, Grace Episcopal Church priest, said she had performed the “Blessing of the Animals” many different times in many different places and to many different animals.

    The reason for blessing the animals comes back to the special bond between an animal and its owner, Davis said.

    “We call them pets instead of animals because we love them and they love us back,” Davis said.