St. Anne’s blesses pets while donating money to Animal Welfare League

At right, Michael Basden, a former longtime rector with St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Warsaw, blesses a rescue dog named Bobby Sunday during a pet blessing ceremony at the church. At left is the Executive Director of Animal Welare League of Kosciusko County Tonya Blanchard. Bobby was rescued from a home in Cromwell Friday. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Warsaw hosted its annual Blessing of the Animals that included one rescued Friday from a hoarding situation in Cromwell Friday.

Representatives from Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County attended the church service Sunday and spoke about the rescue of ten dogs, which was reported on Saturday by News Now Warsaw.

John Lantz, president of the board of directors for AWL, talked during the service about the importance of a community’s role in caring for animals in the community.

Helping out a needy animal, he said, can be a life-changing event.

Members of the congregation were invited to bring their pets to Sunday’s service for an individual blessing.

One of those animals that received some extra attention was Bobby, a young Chihuahua that had been rescued from a home in Cromwell Friday. He had lost all of its fur due to malnutrition and was one of 12 removed from a house that was condemned.

Sunday’s pet blessing wrapped up a unique weekend for the church that included a  dog show on Saturday.

Carol Bianchini, the parish administrator, said the church spotlights different entities in the community each month and that it had raised more than $800 this month to support AWL as of Sunday.

A dog named Kiki attended Sunday’s Pet Blessing service at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Warsaw and remained well behaved. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.
Michael Basden, a former longtime rector with St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Warsaw, blesses Calloway, a dog owned by Mallory Petro (R). Assisting in the blessing is Isaiah Villarreal, at left. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.