“There’s never a day that goes by that an animal doesn’t make me laugh and smile,” Ann Horst says. “They are true companions, and some days you might even feel like your fourlegged friends are better than those with two.”

Horst, who lives at Ann's Choice, was one of several pet owners who took part in the “Blessing of the Pets” ceremony held last month at the Warminster community.

Compassion for companions
On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and nature, Ann’s Choice residents and their pets gathered on the gazebo lawn for a multifaith blessing of their fourlegged friends.

The service, led by Pastoral Ministries Manager Richard Haddon, included Psalms, a Prayer of Saint Francis, a traditional Hebrew prayer, and special reflections for pets lost in death, followed by individual blessings of residents’ pets.

“If you’re a pet owner, you know that they are more than just an animal; they are companions that we interact with on a day-to-day basis,” says Ann’s Choice Community Resources Coordinator Dari Logan.

Logan sang a song for reflection during the ceremony. “They put smiles on our faces so of course there’s a connection there,” she says.

‘Lucky’ to be here
Camille Zagaroli attended the blessing of the pets ceremony with one of her cats. The previous year she took Pearl, but this year it was her white cat, Lucky, who had a reason to be thankful.

Camille and her husband, Robert, prefer to get their pets at the humane society, but Lucky came from different circumstances.

While visiting Cape May, N.J., and walking down the street, the Zagaroli’s watched a car drive past and launch a white cat out the window.

“I don’t know why they did it, but he literally landed at my feet,” she explains. “I’ll never forget it when the window of that car started to roll down,” she says. “They didn’t even slow down.”