By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

A new tradition began last year at Fox Run in Novi, and Gretchen Veneman couldn’t be happier about it. Gretchen, a five-year-old mini-dachshund, was officially blessed at a special pet blessing ceremony, as her “parents” Fern and Jack Veneman lovingly looked on.

Last fall marked the first official pet blessing ceremony. Sister Mary Bea Keeley, who was pastoral ministries manager at the time, officiated the event.

Keeley, now a chaplain at Fox Run says, “It was a wonderful event, and I’m sure we will do it again in the future. We had a couple of short prayers, a reflection, and then an individual ad-lib blessing of each pet.”

Finicky cats stayed home
A wide variety of dogs attended the ceremony; however, cats were noticeably absent. “It was too difficult to bring cats, so we blessed pictures of the cats,” Keeley explains.

“I think the blessing is for the owners as well as the pets. It is a blessing of gratitude and appreciation for the goodness and unfailing love of God  expressed by their pets,” Keeley says.

“We pray for health and long life for their pets.”

Finale sing- (or bark-) along
“I thought it was a lot of fun,” says Fern Veneman, who moved to Fox Run from Gulf Shores, Ala, with her husband, John. “Gretchen is like a member of the family. I was holding her during the ceremony.”

When the blessing came to a close, the Venemans began singing the hymn “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,” with the group.

“As they started singing, Gretchen started singing (howling) with them,” Keeley says. “It was wonderful!”