8TH ANNUAL INTERFAITH BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS presented by Haute Dogs @ Noon, , Sat., Oct. 3, 2009, Marine Stadium, Long Beach | bring your pets!

NEW: 2009 Photo Galleries
1 | 2 | more coming


Please bring your pets. The day will also feature the Ugly & Cute Dog contests, the Chihuahua Beauty Contest, pet adoptions and a vendor fair.



2008 PHOTO GALLERIES
1 | 2 | 3

WHERE
north side of Marine Stadium, 5225 E. Paoli Way (@ E. Eliot St.), Long Beach, 90803, grassy, shady park, on the waterfront | Free parking when you enter the lot off Nieto Ave. | MAP

4Pet Adoptions & Vendor Fair, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
4Ugly Dog & Cute Dog contests, 11 a.m. $10/advance or $20 at event; all breeds/sizes are welcome DETAILS
4 Interfaith Blessing of the Animals, noon
4 Chihuahua Beauty Contest, 1 p.m., $10/advance or $20 at event DETAILS

LONG BEACH | 8TH ANNUAL
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Interfaith Blessing of the Animals for Household Pets & Some Exotic Animals
< More than 300 animals to be blessed

BRING YOUR PETS
WE WILL BLESS THE PETS on St. Francis Day, Sat., Oct 3, 2009 at noon. The Interfaith Blessing of the Animals presented by Haute Dogs, Justin Rudd and Councilman Gary DeLong is free to the public and their pets.

Seniors, families, singles, and children, are encouraged to bring their dogs, cats, birds, lizards, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, fish, tortoises and turtles and other well-behaved pets. Some exotic pets are being brought from a professional wildlife education organization, and the Aquarium of the Pacific is bringing some other unusual animals. Details below.

WE WILL ALSO HAVE a moment of blessing, silence and vigil at the beginning of the service for pets who are unfortunately involved with sport dog fighting and other inhumane, unethical treatment.

After brief words from each of the faith leaders (listed below), the menagerie of participants will have the opportunity to line up single-file to be blessed by the faith leaders who will be dressed in traditional garb. Olive branches and holy water will be available. Choose one, or get blessed by all of the clergy (listed below).

THE EVENT will last approx. 45 minutes. It's important to recognize and honor the great bond and relationship between pets and their people. The religious leaders will talk or pray briefly on the interconnections among all living beings. This Blessing is presented by Justin Rudd and his nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (C.A.T.) and co-sponsored by Councilman Gary DeLong.


THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST PET BLESSING IN THE U.S. HELD IN CONJUCTION WITH ST. FRANCIS DAY.

SPECIAL GUESTS
Blessing to include a wildcat, monkey, ground hog, owl, monitor lizard, 7' python and…

THE BLESSING WELCOME SOME EXOTIC PETS. (a Coatimundi is coming, shown left) The blessing at noon is free and open to any legal, well-behaved pets.  There are always lots of dogs, cats, rats, snakes, fish, turtles, lizards, birds, fish, bunnies, etc.  This year, organizers are again working with a wildlife education team to bring some more unusual animals to get blessed by the various faith leaders.  These animals will be brought out one at a time at the very beginning of the outdoor service:

4“Chiquita” the Kinkajou - Potos flavus - Some people call me a honey
bear, but I’m actually a member of the raccoon family. I have a prehensile tail –
which means I can use it to grasp things as I make my way through the trees in
the rainforests of Central and South America. I am most active at night, eating an omnivorous diet that includes fruit, insects, bird’s eggs and small animals.
4“Einstein” the Tawny Owl - Strix aluco - I am a bird of prey that hails from Europe and parts of Asia. I like eating small animals such as mice, lizards, and snakes. I can see really well at night, and my neck has extra bones so I can move my head around 270°. My feathers are very special, because they allow me to fly without making a lot of noise!
4“Peepers” the Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri sciureus - I am one of the most peaceful and inquisitive primates in the jungles of Central and South America.
I have a lot of energy to jump on branches in the trees, where I spend most of my life. I especially love to eat fruits and berries, but sometimes I eat insects and small vertebrates. I have thick, soft and brightly colored fur and absolutely love to entertain human primates with my antics!
4 Serval wildcat - Leptailurus serval, is a medium-sized African wild cat under 50 lbs. and is one of the only cats with both spots and stripes and can jump incredibly high to catch its food!
4 7' albino Burmese python - can grow to be the length of a school bus making them the third largest type of snake in the world!
4 Latin American coatimundi - can turn its ankles 180 degrees so it can run face first down a tree!
4 Monitor lizard - is a scavenger that eats the food lions and other carnivores leave behind. They are also related to the Komodo dragon, the largest and scariest lizard on the planet!
4 Woodchuck (also known as a groundhog) - is a very shy rodent that digs burrows with different rooms just like our houses!

Additionally, the Aquarium of the Pacific is bringing:
4American Kestrel Falcon
4Desert Tortoise.  

T-SHIRTS
"Bless the Pets" and "Haute Dogs" event T-shirts will be available for $15.

SPONSORS
Justin Rudd!, Haute Dogs and Councilman Gary DeLong's office

ON-SITE VET
Dr. Greg Perrault, Cats & Dogs Animal Hospital in Long Beach.

EVENT DJ
Val Hopkins

2009 FAITH LEADERS 4Lacey Kruger Children's Pastor, Parkcrest Church 4Rev. Suzanne Shipp Ordained with the Universal Life Church, Long Beach 4Rev. Msgr. Sean Flanagan St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, Long Beach 4Rev. Ava Goddess Temple of Orange County 4Rev. Msgr. Chris Carpenter pastor of the Reformed Catholic Church Community of the Resurrection

DO ALL DOGS REALLY GO TO HEAVEN?
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Pets Partake in Innerfaith Prayer
< By David Rogers, Press-Telegram

It might have looked more like a regular religious service, were it not for all the animals waiting for a sprinkling of holy water at Heartwell Park.

But this was an interfaith "Blessing of the Animals," where about 300 pets and their people lined up Sunday afternoon for a blessing by eight clergy members, including Bishop Brian Delvaux of Good Shepherd Church in Lakewood.

"They are like members of your family," Delvaux explained, as he talked about Shadow, the 13-year-old Yorkshire terrier he adopted four years ago.

This was the fourth annual blessing organized by Justin Rudd and Haute Dogs, which produces other canine-related events like its annual "Howl'oween" and Easter parades. Most of the pets were dogs, but there were also a few cats, reptiles, and at least one pig and fish.

Laura Jones of Long Beach carried Beta, her blue 3-year-old fish, in a small fish tank to all of the clergy members. The fish has lived longer than expected, and "I figured I'd get him blessed while I could," she said.

The blessing was part of Animal Appreciation Day at the park, which also included a 2K and 5K walk that raised about $25,000 for Friends of Long Beach Animals, said Mary Carter, the group's treasurer. The money will be used for presentations at local schools, and for spaying and neutering pets, she said.

The blessing began with a vigil "to memorialize and honor pets" caught in Hurricane Katrina. One of the guests was Max, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever mix from St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, who is being cared for by Aaron Reyes, director of operations for the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey. The agency also found temporary homes for five other pets, Reyes said.

The blessing was organized before the recent hurricanes, but Rudd said it was important to recognize what happened.

"It makes it even that much more important … to realize what we have with our pets, and realize the bonds that we have," he said.

dog photography by Justin Rudd! | DETAILS

LONG BEACH
500+ Costumed Dogs to Parade on Howl'oween
< Poodles, pugs and other pups to pound pavement in world's largest Halloween pet event.

500+ DOGS IN THEIR best Howl'oween outfits will return to Belmont Shore for the annual Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade on Sat., Oct. 31, 2009, 2:30 p.m. More than 500 dogs in all shapes and sizes are expected this year to help raise funds for the 501c3 nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT) which benefits local youth, environmental, and animal welfare projects, including Haute Dogs and Operation Santa Paws. CLICK HERE to read more and see some great pics.

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