Blessings offered to pets

Salt Lake City's Christ United Methodist Church hosted a non-denominational event Saturday to offer blessings on all things furry, feathered or scaled.

The annual pet blessing, now in its seventh year, gave congregants and community members a chance to share a "little touch of heavenly grace" with the family hound, kitty ... or iguana.

The Rev. Steve Goodier has served Christ United for five years and noted in the opening of the service how significant a role animals play in many families.

"Our pets are an important part of our lives," The Rev. Goodier said. "They are extremely important in terms of relationships ... as our companions and as part of our families."

The Rev. Goodier said the relationship between spirituality and animals can be traced back to the Catholic saint, Francis of Assisi. St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, was also the founder of the Franciscan Order. The Rev. Goodier said that he was not aware of any animal blessings during St. Francis' day (late 12th-early 13th century) but he believes he "certainly would be in favor of it today."

Janette Mittelstadt, public relations director for the church at 2375 E. 3300 South, was in attendance Saturday with her silky black, part-whippet dog, Holly. Mittelstadt said it was the young dog's first blessing — something that felt important after the death of her last dog, Dottie.

"We had a Dalmatian who was 14 years old put to sleep, and I always felt bad that we never came," Mittelstadt said.

Mittelstadt's first-timer waited for her turn with the Rev. Goodier near a veteran dachshund, Lucy, who rested patiently in the arms of her owner, Lorraine Lakey.

"We come every year," Lakey said. "And we love it ... this is Lucy's fifth or sixth time."

On this Saturday, blessings were dispensed only to canines, though Goodier said they've had a bigger selection of family friends in past years.

"Usually we get a little more variety ... we usually have rabbits, hamsters and gerbils and some cats," The Rev. Goodier said.

The most unusual family pet to be blessed?

"The most interesting was an iguana who was a regular for several years," The Rev. Goodier said. Although the iguana has since died, it "was a lot of fun."

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