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2011 Pet Festival Pet Festival

Pet Blessing & Festival

On Sunday, October 2, 2011 we held a very special Pet Festival. In 2010 we greatly expanded our annual Pet Blessing to a full festival. 2011 continued that tradition.

You might say it was a Pet Extravaganza -- fun for pets and people alike. A couple of pets in 2010 were kind of creepy, though -- literally. One was a Tarantula and another a Hermit Crab!

Pets were leashed or in an appropriate container, as this is not just courtesy, but also a DeKalb County ordinance.

Festival Times

Pet Festival worshippers

Details

Special Worship Service

Pet blessingAll pets (on leash or crated) were welcome at this special worship service on our front lawn.

Pet Blessing

Pastor Tara Paul and helpers blessed individual pets at the end of the outdoor service. Shady and sunny seats were both available.

Pet areas and contests

Vendor area

Many vendors offered free advice and pamphlets. Some vendors also had items for sale.

The Fish, 104.7FM radio was on hand to announce and provide music.

Pet FestivalBelow is a list of vendors who participated in 2011.

Food vendors

We also sold cool souvenier T-shirts in a variety of colors and sizes.

Sponsors

The below organizations donated selected goods or services for the 2011 Pet Festival. Each logo links to their web site.

Chick-fil-A   The Fish 104.7 radio   Jabula Dog Academy   

Dearborn Animal Hospital  Wag-A-Lot   Paw Laps   Taj ma Hound

 

Student Volunteers,
Pet Goods Drive

HIES Pet Goods DriveIn additon to members of Avondale Pattillo UMC, in 2011 over a dozen students from the 7th grade volleyball team at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School also helped at the festival.

The students also spearheaded a Pet Goods Drive at the school. The items were donated to Lifeline Animal Project and Small Dog Rescue and Humane Society.

Lifeline Animal Project   Small Dog Rescue and Humane Society

Pet Festival Wallpaper

Play hard. Sleep often.
Eat plenty. Get blessed!

Play hard. Sleep often. Eat plenty. Get blessed!

To save the image as a wallpaper, either:

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi was born into wealth, became a warrior, was taken captive, and was later very sick. Out of that sickness came spiritual insight and he later sought poverty and began to preach.

Tradition reports him preaching even to birds, calming a wolf, and more.

He is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment.

St. Francis also founded the Franciscan order (Order of Friars Minor).

His feast day in the Catholic church is October 4th.

Pet-related information

You can be a blessing to your pet if you know what's good and bad for them. Here are some links to information.