Bearded dragons, guinea pigs, cats and dogs — including a corgi in a stroller.
Scores of people and their pets converged on Belmont Shore on Sunday evening, Oct. 3, to have their furry friends — and, in some cases, their feathered and scaled pals — blessed by an interfaith collection of religious leaders.
Don and Robin Johnston of Long Beach brought Ms. Bella, a long-haired chihuaua silky terrier mix, to the annual interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rabbi Scott Fox of Temple Israel in Long Beach offers a blessing on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 to the Barbre family and their dog, Emerson, at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Lizette Castro of Burbank displays Big Boss, a 7-year-old bearded dragon on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pamela Reilly of West Hollywood holds her 12-year-old wire-haired dachshund miniature poodle mix, Harley, at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Priestess Anna Dresdon of Orange County’s Goddess Temple blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A woman holding the remains of her dog approaches Pastor Samuel Nieva of Compton’s Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog’s remains on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Karen Chae, left, and Verabelle Greene of Long Beach display their guinea pigs on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rev. Ava Park of Orange County’s Goddess Temple offers a blessing on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 to Pamela Reilly of West Hollywood and Harley, her 12-year-old wire-haired dachshund miniature poodle mix, at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rev. Ava Park of Orange County’s Goddess Temple blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rev. Ava Park of Orange County’s Goddess Temple uses bells and a crystal as she blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Priestess Anna Dresdon of Orange County’s Goddess Temple offers a blessing on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 to Christine Siri of Westminster and her 6-year-old cockatiel, Destroyah, at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Priestess Anna Dresdon of Orange County’s Goddess Temple offers a blessing on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 to PG Herman of Long Beach and her 10-year-old Maltese, Hokulele, at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Reverend Dr. David Clark, senior pastor at Bay Shore Church, offers a blessing on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 to Javier Cantera of Long Beach and his rescued iguana at an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were among the pets brought by their owners to an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021 in Belmont Shore. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has spearheaded the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
It was all part of the 19th annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals, hosted by the Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit run by longtime Long Beach event organizer Justin Rudd.
A couple of hundred pets received blessings from their owners’ choice of religious leaders, including a Catholic priest, pastors from a Lutheran church in Compton and a United Church of Christ place of worship, and a rabbi. There was also a priestess from Orange County’s Goddess Temple.
There were plenty of dogs and cats, as one would expect. But the interfaith assembly was also open to pets of any kind — and people obliged: An iguana, a bearded dragon and a cockatiel were among the fish, birds, reptiles and other animals that received blessings. Some even brought the ashes of their dead pets.
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