All good pets go to heaven, blessed

Oamaru and Maheno pets are blessed. St Luke’s and St Andrew’s Anglican Churches held special pet blessing services on Sunday. St Luke’s vicar Rev Andrea McDougall (pictured) was at both services and said she blessed about 15 animals.

"We sometimes get a much wider variety of animals but this year it was all dogs. Sometimes we have cats or a baby goat. One kid one year brought a snail."

The annual event was held to "give thanks to God for all the joy that pets bring".

"It’s held at this time of the year because October 4 is St Francis [of Assisi] Day and he’s patron saint of animals and the environment. The community do enjoy it as a chance to ... come together and say thanks for their pets."