Churches' blessing offered for animals
Bond between pets, families celebrated
Churches' blessing offered for animals
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By Carla Hinton
Published: October 6, 2007
Staci Robertson's miniature horse inspired the Oklahoma City woman to pursue her dream of veterinary school.
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Blessings abound
Robertson found her miniature horse Little Sister limping around a pasture near her Oklahoma City home.
The then-telecommunications professional approached the small horse and gasped when she saw its deformed leg. Robertson said she'd just been awarded money as employee of the quarter and promptly offered to buy the little horse from her owner.
The animal lover took the horse for surgery to straighten its leg. Robertson said she sat with the new pet many nights as the horse healed.
"I slept out in the stall with her some nights. I got a crash course on horses,” she said, smiling.
Watching as Little Sister finally took her first trot around the yard, Robertson said she received the first of many blessings from her pet.
"She kind of helped me realize that I wanted to go to vet school,” Robertson, 41, said.
She left her telecommunications job and is now a veterinary technician at a local pet clinic where she had volunteered for three years. She is awaiting word on her acceptance into veterinarian school and marvels that her life has changed so dramatically since her Little Sister arrived.
The horse's life has changed, as well. Aside from romping around Robertson's yard with a goat named Clyde and another miniature horse named Steve Irwin, Little Sister is now a therapy animal with Creatures and Kids, a therapy program that connects friendly animals to schoolchildren and people in retirement homes, among others.
"Miniature horses have sweet personalities and she just loves people, and they love her,” Robertson said.
Her father, the Rev. Michael Robertson, pastor of Edmond's Church of the Good Shepherd, said his daughter's love of animals comes naturally. He said the family has always had several pets, and his wife, Mary, is president of Paws for Life, a not-for-profit volunteer group that works in conjunction with the Edmond Animal Shelter.
Robertson said Sunday's services at Church of the Good Shepherd, 1000 N Broadway, will include a sermon about extending St. Francis of Assisi's good will in today's world. Pets and the owners who love them are invited to hear the message and come to the altar for a group blessing. At 3 p.m., an outdoor service for individual pet blessings will also be offered.
Meanwhile, Hart, a longtime member of New Covenant United Methodist Church, said he attended his church's Blessing of the Animals extravaganza last year with his son, Micah's dog, Cosmo. Hart said he'll likely attend the event set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Hafer Park, Ninth and Bryant in Edmond. He's just not sure which of his animal friends he will take with him.
Hart said each of his pets bless him in simple ways.
"The first word that jumps to mind is companionship,” he said. "They're always welcoming and completely forgiving. They're very affectionate — if you don't mind cold noses and wet tongues.”
All in the family
Meinke, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City, expected to bless a veritable menagerie Wednesday. He said the church offered one service last year but due to its popularity expanded to two services this year in the church's courtyard area.
"For me, it's the job of seeing not just the mom and dad and the two kids but the mom and dad and the two kids and the dogs,” Meinke said. "I get to see them all relating to each other, and for me, that kind of rounds out the family values.”
Deb Corbett of Edmond, who is coordinating New Covenant's Blessing of the Animals service, said she knew the event would draw lots of people because pets are often considered part of the family. Her own family includes a yorkie named Harley, a tabby cat named Milo and a cockatiel named Mo.
"I got to thinking the family includes our pets,” she said. "When you talk to people about their pets, their eyes begin to sparkle.”
Corbett said last year's service attracted mostly dogs and cats and a guinea pig. Any pet is welcome as long as it is on a leash or in a cage. "We're hoping that we'll see some goldfish this year,” she said.
New Covenant's third annual event at Hafer Park's duck pond pavilion includes other activities, although she said the blessing service is always the main event.
Other activities include an Ask a Vet program featuring Dr. Rosemary Strong from Memorial Road Pet Hospital and Dr. Wendy Bray from Family Pet Hospital. Representatives from Free to Live will answer questions and take donations. Wyndam Leigh Portraiture will take family photos, and a new dog rescue program called New Leash on Life will be presented by Gill and Sarah Barnett.
Also, Corbett said the Edmond Police Department's canine unit will be blessed as civil servants of the community.
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