“Pets are a part of your family,” said Sandy Betz of Pleasant Prairie, who brought her beagle-border collie Brandy to be blessed. “You want your pets to be blessed as well as your family.”

And some dogs needed a little extra prayer. That was the case with Diesel, a Chihuahua that had been abused and abandoned as a puppy before being adopted by Mark Gingerelli of Pleasant Prairie and his family.

While not even Lang’s sweet demeanor or soft voice could stop Diesel from growling, he still got his blessing.

“He (the dog) is not real friendly, but he’s good with the family,” said Mark’s mother Rose Gingerelli.

Other visitors, like Sandie Daugherty, of Kenosha, brought photos of some of the kittens she looks after.

“I thought I’d come out here to get the animals blessed. They’re such an important part of our world,” she said.

Ann Bradshaw and her fiancé, Jim Lura, who are both church members from Pleasant Prairie, brought Lura’s 10-year-old bichon, Lucy, to be blessed.

“I think it’s great to let the community know we’re here,” Bradshaw said. “We like to do something for others without asking anything in return.”