Looking for Blessings of the Animals

The news along the East Coast is fairly good.  There were some fatalities from Hurricane Irene, although the storm was not as terrible as it might have been.  In the Good News column, we count the fostering arrangements made for a dog that made a huge buzz on FaceBook by being stranded and I found out about a network effort to get horses from evacuating areas and flooded areas, to safe barns and fields in the face of the Hurricane.  Most of the shelters I'm aware of have reported in that they have had enough volunteers and supplies to keep everything going for the animals; some adoption events have been postponed or will be rescheduled.  If you are  a would-be adopter, please check for new dates and times for any of the dogs or cats (or other species) that you have been oggling on the internet if you spent time watching the storm on your computer!

I'm looking for where churches will be holding Blessings of the Animals now -- this time of the year is usually good because our normal weather allows animals to be around church sites without getting overheated or too cold.  Does your congregation hold such an event?  Please contact me or let us know in the comments!  Thanks!

UPDATE:  I found several congregations holding Blessing events.  I'm told that one local church held one late in September this year.  I did not get to that one.  However, I managed to participate in Saint Matthew's United Methodist Church's inaugural Blessing of the Animals.  It was really lovely.  This church has a sheltered and secure garden area, and set up a small outdoor altar.   Participants set pictures of some pets on this altar, while others brought dogs, cats, and a bunny rabbit with them in carriers or on sturdy leads.  The celebrants led a brief prayer ceremony, then blessed each of the animals individually.

Seeing the great variety of pets was heartwarming!

Post in the comments if you were able to attend another of these events, or if there is one you are looking forward to next year!