A New Jersey atheist group best known for its national billboard campaign against Christmas now has its hackles up over an event that it calls unconstitutional - the annual blessing of the animals at the Bergen County Animal Shelter.

The group, American Atheists Inc. of Cranford, claims in a federal lawsuit that the Teterboro shelter's event, in which animals are blessed by a Franciscan reverend, violates the First and 14th amendments.

It seeks an injunction against the county's participation, as well as legal fees. Bergen County, the shelter and its director, Deborah Yankow, are named in the suit.

Photographs of the events on the shelter's Facebook page show Reverend Kenneth Reihl of the Franciscan Order of the Divine Mercy in North Arlington blessing small animals, from "Bugsy the Bunny" to "Pittie puppy Petunia."

"It was a very moving and memorable moment that touched us all," the post states, and includes more than 20 pictures of the animals being blessed in 2016.

It was a "treasured occasion," according to the post.

Tuesday afternoon was a special day for all of us, including our adoptable pets. We were graced by Reverend Kenneth... Posted by Bergen County Animal Shelter on Friday, October 7, 2016

The shelter also promoted this year's event on Facebook reminding residents that they could bring their pets in to be blessed.

The group wrote Yankow a letter ahead of its event this year, asking for it to be canceled, according to the complaint. The group did not receive a response.

Candice Yaacobi, a North Arlington resident who is also a plaintiff, says in the suit that when she went to adopt a dog she saw Reihl "in full Franciscan vestmants."

"As a humanist atheist, being forced into an encounter with a member of clergy in order to avail herself of government services sent Candice the message that the BCAS and Bergen County regarded her as inferior to those citizens who happened to adhere to the favored religious view," the group wrote in its complaint.

After the Oct. 4 event, the shelter again posted pictures of the blessed animals, posing with Reihl, and thanked him.

Thank you to Franciscan Bishop Reihl for blessing All of our animals today 🙏🏼🐱🙏🏼🐶🐭🐰🙏🏼 Posted by Bergen County Animal Shelter on Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The suit alleged that Reihl proposed the idea in 2016 to Yankow, who got permission from an aide to Bergen Executive James Tedesco.

The Teterboro shelter is run by the county's Department of Health Services and receives money from the state, according to the complaint.

The county declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

"I've lived in New Jersey for more than 20 years," David Silverman, president of American Atheists, said in a statement. "When I walk into a government building to use government services, the government should be absolutely neutral on religious matters. Allowing a Franciscan friar to conduct religious services with staff is the antithesis of neutrality."

In addition to the shelter suit and billboard campaign, the group has fought against a Princeton 9/11 memorial and rejected New Jersey vanity plates.

"Not only were the shelter's actions unconstitutional, they were completely unnecessary," said Geoffrey T. Blackwell, staff attorney for American Atheists. "I thought it was well-settled that all dogs already go to heaven."

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4254819/20171113-BCAS-Complaint.pdf"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;BCAS Complaint (PDF)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4254819/20171113-BCAS-Complaint.txt"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;BCAS Complaint (Text)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips