Beth Stokes attends last year\u2019s Blessing of the Pets with Apple, a CCAS alumni. PHOTO BY MADISON SCHULTZ<\/p>\n
Four-legged friends around Cape Coral and Southwest Florida can be blessed this weekend as part of a local animal shelter\u2019s annual event.<\/p>\n
The Cape Coral Animal Shelter will host the seventh annual Blessing of the Pets on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. for owners, dogs, and cats of all backgrounds. This year\u2019s event takes place under the tiki at Wicked Dolphin Distillery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to the Blessing of the Pets every year,\u201d said CCAS Executive Director Liz McCauley. \u201cIt has become a very special tradition for our shelter and our community. It is a chance to come together, celebrate the animals who bring so much joy to our lives, and recognize just how much they mean to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something incredibly moving about seeing people come together simply to celebrate how much their animals mean to them. Our pets are there for us through our happiest days and our hardest ones. They ask for so little and give us so much-love, loyalty, comfort, laughter, and companionship. The Blessing of the Pets gives us a chance to pause and honor that bond. We hope families will bring the animals they love and share this very special afternoon with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The outdoor event is open to people and pets of all faiths. There will be a special service celebrating the special bond between pets and pet parents and each fur-baby will receive a special blessing from the shelter\u2019s special guests \u2014 Pastor Mark McAnlis from First Congregational Church; the Rev. Denise Sawyer, Chaplain, Lee Health; and the Rev. Aimee Goldmyer, Lee Health chaplain.<\/p>\n
\u201cAttendees can expect a warm, uplifting celebration of the special bond we share with our pets and all animals in the world,\u201d McCauley said. \u201cThere will be a brief service, music and an individual blessing for each pet. It\u2019s a joyful, welcoming event for people of all faiths, and always a lot of fun with so many different pets in attendance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Special touches for a special day include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Blessings and keepsakes: Each participant will receive a prayer card and a St. Francis medallion honoring the patron saint of animals.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Photo station: Capture a beautiful memory with a professional photo of you and your beloved pet.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sweet treats: Enjoy delicious baked goods lovingly prepared and donated by CCAS volunteers.<\/p>\n
McCauley said the event is truly for everyone, regardless of faith.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur pastors focus on the special relationship we share with animals, the important role they play in our lives, and our responsibility to care for them with kindness and compassion,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really about celebrating the love we have for our animals and how that brings us all together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dogs must always be on a leash \u2014 no retractable leashes. Cats, critters and other pets must be in a carrier.<\/p>\n
Donations are encouraged, with proceeds supporting the lifesaving work of CCAS. Since opening in March 2020, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter has saved and placed more than 6,700 animals into loving homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonations are more important than ever,\u201d McCauley said. \u201cWe\u2019re holding this year\u2019s event at Wicked Dolphin because construction has begun on our new 19,000-square-foot shelter expansion. This project will allow us to care for and save even more animals, but growth comes with significant costs. We rely on the generosity of our community, so every dollar raised truly helps us help more animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information on CCAS, visit\u00a0capecoralanimalshelter.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wicked Dolphin Distillery is at 131 SW 3rd Place, Cape Coral.<\/p>\n