Have you ever taken your dog to a church service where a special blessing is offered for pets? What if you could take your dog with you every Sabbath? A church in Los Angeles has recognized that people share an important bond with their dogs and is now opening its doors to dogs and their families every Sunday.
NPR recently reported on Covenant Presbyterian, a Los Angeles church that was looking to build its membership roster and the pastor, Tom Eggebeen, thought that including dogs might provide the needed boost. In addition to the regular pews, folding chairs and dog beds are provided to allow the dogs enough personal space.
Laura Hobgood-Oster, a professor of religion at Southwestern University, conducted a survey that found more than 500 churches nationwide conduct annual blessings of pets and animals. Pastor Eggebeen says, “When God created life, he blessed every dimension of it. So we share that with all the animals of the world.”
I’d love to take my dogs with me to church – how about you?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
What if one’s pet is a croc? Joke aside, in 17th century Dutch painting of church interiors, dogs are to be seen, walking around, lying down, etc.,
so in those days, they must have been tolerated inside churches, asf.