Blessing of animals
Blessing of animals can be either of the animal or of the human-animal relationship, and can apply to pets and other companion animals, or to agricultural animals and working and other animals which humans depend on or interact with. Blessing of animals, or of the slaughtering process, before slaughter, is a key element of some religions. Ceremonial blessing of companion animals occurs throughout the world, for example, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Spain, and the United States. Blessing of animals is a religious activity, and occurs broadly across most religions in some form, including, for example, across Christianity , Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, Unitarian Universalism, amongst others. Secular respect for animals is also strong, for example, World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually, but is still held on 4 October, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a Christian patron saint of animals. Christianity. Annually now, on or around October 4, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis with a blessing of animals and prayers for creation. Catholicism has specific liturgies for the blessing of animals, highlighting creation and interdependence. United Methodists also have a specific liturgy highlighting creation and mutual  interdependence. Separate variants of Christianity will sometimes combine to hold joint, ecumenical, animal blessing ceremonies, for example Catholic and Episcopal Church (United States) churches. Judaism. Many synagogues now have ceremonies for the blessing of animals, and some say the idea may have originated in ancient Judaism. The Jewish ceremony is often performed on the seventh day of Passover (in the spring) as a celebration of the Hebrews’ (and their animals’) emancipation from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Many Jewish congregations schedule blessings of the animals after the High Holy Days, with ceremonies around the second weekly Torah  portion of the Jewish Year, the Parashat Noach, the portion about Noah and the ark, the saving of both humans and other animals, they also being gifts from God. Other Jewish ceremonies are derived from the Christian ceremony and are not derived from traditional Judaism, which gives some concern for more traditional followers of Judaism. Ritual slaughter. For meat to be kosher, a ritual blessing to God is required for the animals about to be slaughtered, shechita. Coming of age. A Bark Mitzvah is an observance and celebration of a dog's coming of age, analogous to the Jewish traditional  Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah terminology. The term has been in use since at least 1958. The bark mitzvah ceremony is not universally well regarded in Judaism. Islam. Ritual slaughter. Islamic dhabiha requires that God's name be pronounced before each slaughter. Culturalisation. Some towns and cities have the blessing of animals as a cultural event, for example: Culturally significant animals. Rare animal instances can have great significance in belief systems and may be ritually blessed as part of that tradition, for example the white buffalo, Kenahkihinén, in North America. Places blessing animals. There are now a very large number  of places blessing animals, in particular pets and companion animals, regularly on an annual basis. A very small sample of these include: Historical animal blessing and prayer. Pre-Christian. The Lorscher Bienensegen, believed to date back to the 9th century, is a Christian bee-keeping prayer written in Old High German to bring honey bees back to their hives in good health, and may arise from earlier Anglo-Saxon and apparently pagan "For a Swarm of Bees" in pre-Christian Germanic areas. Christianity. Saint Francis of Assisi is associated with the patronage of animals and it has become customary for  Catholic and Anglican churches to carryout animal blessing ceremonies on his feast day of 4 October. Saint Dwynwen is more known for being a Welsh patron saint of lovers but she is also lesser known as being the patron saint of sick animals which she would bless. Legend has it that in the 4th century, whole herds of wild animals would come for the blessing of Saint Blaise. Islam. Cats. According to legend, a cat saved Muhammad from a snake. In gratitude, Muhammad stroked the cat's back and forehead, thus blessing all cats with the righting reflex. Animal chaplaincy . Animal chaplaincy is typically associated with veterinary work. Veterinary chaplains minister in regard to the spirituality associated with animals and the human-animal bond and responsibilities, and perform animal blessings as part of a broad range of services. Types of animals blessed. Any animal can be blessed and a wide variety have been blessed during blessing ceremonies. It depends on what people bring on the day. Included have been: Practical issues. The safety of animals and people is important. Due consideration also needs to be given to any mess some animals may make. Counterpoint. PETA have an alternative view on  animal blessing events, and proffer the following points: