More than 150 dogs, cats, horses and birds were part of the Blessing of the Animals Saturday morning at Hope Lutheran Church.
The event also attracted nearly 300 pet owners.
The service offered an opportunity for pet owners to give testimony to how their animal companions have impacted their lives.
Villager Bonnie Gallagher of Southeastern Guide Dogs showed off Patriot, who is now retired. These days Patriot acts as an ambassador for the organization which matches dogs with the visually impaired.
Dana Will of Fruitland Park brought her dog, Mr. Ed, to the Blessing of the Animals. Not a member of the church, it gave her a chance to sample a bit of Hope Lutheran.
She said she liked that the church recognized the importance of pets in people’s lives.
“I don’t know what I’d do without him,” she said of her dog.
And for Alice McMasters of Oxford, the event gave her a chance to meet a future member of the household.
The Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County had adoptable pets at the Blessing of the Animals and McMasters met Little Bits.
She had a dog for 16 years. After she lost her long-time companion, she’d sworn off dogs.
Until Saturday morning.
“The minute I saw her, I knew I had to have her,” McMasters said.
