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Above: St Hubert is associated with Blessing of the Hounds & Blessing of the Hunt activities in November.

During my research, I found that the Blessing of the Hounds tradition goes back to the eighth century and the tale of St. Hubert.

Hubert of Liege (656-727) had a passion for horses, hounds, and for the hunt.

The  legend is that he was after a stag during a hunt in the woodlands despite the fact that it was a holy day.

In the heat of the hunt, amidst the baying of the hounds and with the wind in his ears, he galloped through the woods in passionate pursuit of the stag but as he cross over a hill the forest, a vision stunned him.

The stag was standing in a statuesque pose with a crucifix glowing within his antler rack.

Hubert of Liege was struck speechless and dismounted to kneel in humility.

As the stag approached, Hubert heard the voice of God which motivated him to become a devoted religious man.

Hubert of Liege eventually founded a monastery and Abbey of St. Hubert and bred and raised hunting hounds know as the Chien de St Hubert.

Those dogs are thought to be the foundation animals for many of the current hunting hounds.

In the Catholic tradition, Hubert was given the designation as the Patron Saint of Hunters which is how the saint became associated with blessings involving dogs, horses and fall hunting blessings.

St. Hubert’s Feast Day is November 3rd and so the month of November is filled with Blessing of the Hunt and Blessing of the Hound activities.

One of these will be the Aiken Hounds in South Carolina. This hunt club has a rich history associated with the sport of fox hunting that dates back to 1914.

The 2010 Aiken Blessing of the Hounds will take place on Thanksgiving.

Want to know more about animal blessing history and contemporary blessings? Perhaps you are seeking prayers and ceremonies for pets and other creatures, if so buy Blessing of the Animals now.

I thought you might enjoy this video of the Blessing of the Hounds (2010).

This site will go back to monthly updates now but feel free to post your finds and join us on Facebook: Blessing of the Animals.

Another short video of an animal blessing event!

Above: Cathedral of St John of the Divine Blessing of the Animals Camel

This weekend was a flurry of activity due to a wide number of animal blessings taking place and one of the most popular on the east coast is the twenty-fourth annual Feast of St. Francis at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York.

This free celebration of creation, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, always begins with a performance of the Earth Mass/Missa Gaia by artist-in-residence Paul Winter and his Consort as well as the resident Omega and Forces of Nature dance troupes.

This year the service included Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Very Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski, Cathedral Dean.

This year an outdoor fair was held and Cathedral clergy blessed pets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I would have enjoyed joining the Public Education and Visitor Services Department tour of The Stained Glass Menagerie which focused on the diversity of animal life in the windows and stones of the Cathedral.

Senior Cathedral Guide John Simko headed up the tour to highlight animals many miss such as a frog, an ape, and wolly mammoth, birds and bees, and a saint riding on the back of a crocodile.

The Cathedral of St John the Divine was highlighted in my book, Blessing of the Animals which you can buy now.

A children’s book that you might enjoy about the Cathedral is The Blessing of the Beasts.

One of the new trends I am seeing in blessing of the animal events is an increase of combined events and agencies.

This means that a variety of different charities or religious groups get together to celebrate animal blessings.

I’ve been to blessing animal events that have hosted 4-6 different ministers from different religious paths.

These interfaith activities attract a wide audience and build goodwill and cooperation between the different groups.

In some cases, the events include fairs, vendors, food, performers, parades, and contests.

In the past, it used to be simply a blessing event and the people would depart.

Sometimes there would be another message given to those attending.

But more and more the events are become half-day celebrations.

People enjoy being out with their pets and the positive interactions make it fun and memorable.

The local media is also covering the events due to their popularity.

Just today I saw 274 different news items related to animal blessings!

Some included animal adoptions, parades such as “strut your mutt”, fashion shows and art auctions.

If you have not yet attended an animal blessing, I’d encourage you to do so.

They are really so much fun.

If want to hold your own blessing of the animals or if you are hosting an animal blessing event, you might enjoy the hints and tips in my book, Blessing of the Animals so be sure to check it out!

A majority of Blessing of the Animals ceremonies will take place in the next month or so.

If you have not read this blessings book, it is possible you are not aware of the history behind blessing animals and the rising trend of pet blessings.

Most people immediately think about St Francis when it comes to the Blessing of the Animals but he is just one influential saint among many.

Secular folks tend to celebrate World Animal Day but the trend is that everyone celebrates animals with or without religious connections.

Take a look at the table of contents for my blessings book you can see a lot of different options immediately.

A lot of religious institutions are incorporating regular animal blessings and even services that include animals within them.

This brings up a question–should animal blessings be held inside or outside?

St Francis is always pictured blessing animals outside and I always enjoy being outdoors with animals–but the heat, bugs, and other hazards can be uncomfortable for some.

Then there are the problems with holding an event inside.

Some people are allergic to pets and the occasional pet toileting accident gets a little attention.

Occasionally, there are those who protest over having any animal within a religious sanctuary or place of worship.

Now I tend to be puzzled over that because animals are divine creations, right?

So, I just wonder what you think about this and if you have a preference.

Let me know your opinion why below in a comment.

And, by the way, if you need a pet prayer for your precious pet(s), click over and get your copy now and then you can have a pet blessing whenever you need one!