Dixie Day Spay is hosting a community service for a Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m.
The blessing will be on the Greenway on Raider Drive and those attending are encouraged to bring their companion animals to be blessed by the Rev. Brian Merrit of Mercy Junction ministries.
The Blessing of the Animals is a service conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is celebrated on Oct. 4 and who is the patron saint of animals. Francis wrote in a “Canticle of the Creatures,” “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures."
For the safety of pets and their guardians, Dixie Day Spay requests that all animals attending the blessing be on leash or in a carrier. For pets who can’t attend the service, guardians may bring a bed, photo or favorite toy.