New York,

On Animal Day, people take their pet to the church to be blessed by a priest. I witnessed this strange but special ritual at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

The church was full of people and animals. Lots of cats and dogs, as you would expect. But also sheep, rabbits, an enormous snake, a camel, a donkey. And a parrot perched on the head of a woman wearing a USA shirt.Some of the animals were sick, some not.

Dancers dressed in white danced among the visitors. After the ceremony, the animals were blessed by a priest in the church garden.

It was the first Animal Day after September 11, 2001 so there were a large number of search and therapy dogs.