World Animal Day 2022: Pet weddings highlight animal blessing ceremony in the Philippines

Fifteen four-legged canines tied the knot on Sunday in the Philippines. The ceremony was conducted to mark World Animal Day on October 4. A priest present at the ceremony also blessed other pets, including cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. The owners of the pets said that the blessing would protect their pets and give them good health.
Dog wedding

Photo: Twitter/Reuters

Weddings mark the union of two humans in most cases. However, a recent wedding that took place in the Philippines stood out for a reason. Instead of humans, it was animals that tied the knot.
Fifteen furry four-legged dog couples tied the knot on Sunday at a pet wedding ceremony. The couple included various breeds of dogs. The one-of-a-kind ceremony was organised in a park next to a shopping mall.
Owners Ianne De Guia and Bryan Largo were present at the ceremony to witness the marriage of their Pomeranians Michi and Mochi.
The ceremony was also attended by several other pet owners and pets including cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. A priest, who was present at the ceremony, blessed the animals by sprinkling holy water on them.
Speaking to Reuters about the animals being blessed, Paula Pacis, who had her five Shih Tzus blessed, stated, "The reason why pet blessings are important for us is for their protection, guidance from (the) Lord, especially good health and long life, and hopefully they won’t get sick."
The ceremony was held to mark World Animal Day. It is celebrated every year on October 4. The social movement is meant to uplift the condition of animals around the globe. Many welfare organisations along with citizens join hands on the special day to raise awareness of the need to protect and safeguard animals. Workshops and educational seminars are held to help people change their attitude towards animals. Some even organise vaccination drives for stray animals on the day.
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