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Sunshine and puppy dogs

Father Rick Dennis, right, blesses Brenda Hewitt’s dog Candee during a blessing of animals sermon Saturday, Oct. 5 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Pat and Ken Wignall’s dog Kirby is seen during a blessing of animals sermon Saturday, Oct. 5 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Carol Jaquis and her dog Abby attend the blessing of animals sermon at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Pat and Ken Wignall’s dog Henley is seen during a blessing of animals sermon Saturday, Oct. 5at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Lee Foster’s dog Journey is seen at a blessing of animals sermon at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake Saturday, Oct. 5. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Linda and Jim Pierson’s dog Aussie is seen during the blessing of animals sermon. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Anita Meserole’s dog Gizmo is seen at a blessing of animals sermon Saturday, Oct. 5 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)
Richard Hewitt reads the sermon with his dog Cleo. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

SARANAC LAKE — The sun shone brightly as Father Rick Dennis sat down with locals’ dogs and blessed them one by one. About a dozen people and their four-legged friends showed up to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, Oct. 5 for a blessing of the animals.

Some dogs wore fall sweaters. A few playfully nipped at each other’s neck. One scruffy-looking dog named Scruffy had to be held because he’s blind.

The ceremony was dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, the Christian patron saint of animals. It was open to all animals, but dogs happen to be more common pets than parakeets, elephants and monkeys.

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