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Animal blessings

Public is invited to bring pets Sunday for annual tradition

-Submitted photo
The Rev. Kris Leaman blesses two dogs at the 2019 Animal Blessings event. The event will return at 2 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1007 First Ave. S.

St. Mark Episcopal Church’s parking lot will be going to the dogs, as well as other pets, this Sunday for their annual Animal Blessing event.

Usually held the first Sunday of October, animal blessings is a tradition in the Episcopal Church according to the Rev. Kristine Leaman.

“It’s a sweet tradition for people to bring their pets,” she said. ”At the last church I was at, one of the parishioners even brought bees to be blessed.”

Leaman said people can bring pets from “tarantulas to horses to anything in between” to be blessed.

Leaman said St. Mark Episcopal Church partners with Grace Lutheran Church just down the street each year. Sometimes they hold the event at St. Mark’s and other years they have held it at Grace Lutheran.

Leaman said a few years ago they decided to take a collection at the event for donations to Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa. Leaman said it became a great opportunity for outreach for their church to help the community. At the event, they will have a charity box to collect donations for Almost Home once again. Items such as kitty litter, cat food, hard dog toys, fleece blankets, dish soap, bleach, paper towels, trash bags, postage stamps, envelopes, post-it notes and much more are currently needed.

The animal blessing event will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church parking lot located at 1007 First Ave. S. in Fort Dodge.

The event is open to the community and they ask event goers to bring lawn chairs and have pets either in a cage or carrier or on a leash.

If it is raining, the event will be moved to Oct. 10.

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