SEBASTIAN — They might not have been on their best behavior, but they received special blessings all the same Saturday at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Sebastian. More than a dozen dogs and cats and their humans braved the rains to receive the blessing.
Among those waiting for Pastor Dan Newhart to bless them was Sasha and her human, Sally Swider, of Sebastian.
Pomeranian Sasha, a puppy-mill rescue, has been with the Swider family for three weeks and is finally growing accustomed to walking outside with Sally.
Swider and her husband, Peter, decided to bring Sasha to their church for the special pet blessing in hope of helping her to further overcome the trials she has already faced in her short life.
“She’s a good dog,” Sally said.
“God knows some of us need a lot of blessings,” HALO Animal Rescue volunteer Kim Kern said, while keeping an eye on Bruiser, who is available for adoption.
He and other pets staying at HALO while awaiting their forever homes need extra blessings.
“This dog needs a heck of a lot more help than most,” Kern said.
Chloe, a Schnauzer-Wheaten Terrier mix, came to St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church seeking more than the normal pet blessing, according to her human, Jennifer Plate.
Chloe is battling a urinary tract infection and is on medication to treat the painful condition.
Plate said that, along with getting the blessing, she wanted to get Chloe “out and about to see people.”
“She’s always been a good dog,” Plate said of Chloe, adding that the blessing, too, could help ensure she stays a good dog.
“They’re part of the family,” Plate said when asked why someone would take their pet to be blessed. “You’d have your kids blessed, so why not?”
“She’s my first daughter – with fur!” she added, noting that she brought her husband, Jeff, and their young son, John, to the blessing.
“He loves his Chloe,” Plate said of her 2 ½-year-old son.
While the vast majority of pets who braved Saturday’s rain were dogs, a couple cats were also in attendance.
Twelve-or-13-year-old Pepper stayed in her crate, safe from the noisy and nosey dogs, protected by her human of about 11 years, Rick Mandeville.
“She very seldom goes anywhere,” Mandeville said, adding that Pepper would most likely be mad at him the rest of the day – or weekend – for taking her out of her nice, comfortable home.
“I’ll take every blessing I can get,” Mandeville said.
The calico is a “sweetheart,” he said, who ignores most everyone except him. “She talks to me.”
Pastor Newhart told those who attended the pet blessing that the church had thought about canceling the event due to the inclement weather – but “I’m glad we didn’t.”
