The 3rd annual Blessing of the Animals will take place Sunday, October 25, 2015 at Desert Foothills United Methodist Church in Ahwatukee from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The church is located at 2156 E Liberty Lane, Phoenix, Az  85048.  This is a FREE community wide event to bless all pets from cats and dogs to fish and turtles!   

Our pets have become part of our family and for many people pets ARE their family.  We enjoy the companionship of our pets.  We look forward to the wagging tails as we come home from a long day. Millions of households have a variety of pets from cats and dogs to rabbits, fish and hamsters.

When you bring your pet to the Blessing of the Animals this year you will find a picture booth to capture that picture of you and your furry loved one.

There will be FREE entertainment with an emcee and DJ.  No community gathering is complete with out food! There will be FREE hot dogs this year.  And, don't forget about feeding the animals!  The church will be accepting donations of pet food to donate to "Lost Our Home", which is an affiliate of Family Promise. Family Promise is an outreach program to support families that have lost their home and are in need of interim services.  This program allows families to keep their pets as they experience a loss of a home.  Often when facing this challenging situation a pet is a great comfort to children and parents alike.

Looking for something fun for the kids to do?  Tired of hearing "I am bored!"  Come and have fun in the Bounce House.  What kids do not like bouncing around in a fun Bounce House?

Don't have a pet of your own to bring?  No problem, there will be a  petting zoo for kids or adults young at heart!  We see very few petting zoos in Ahwatukee so bring the family and meet a few new "furry" friends!

There will also be a Pet Halloween costume contest!  Dress your pet in a great Halloween costume and join the pet Halloween costume contest.  Not sure where to find a pet costume?  Check out Petsmart for a variety of pet friendly costumes.   

What do you need to bring?  First, bring any pet you would like to have blessed on  leash or in a carrier. If you pet is uncomfortable around crowds feel free to bring a picture, leash, collar or toy of your pet to be blessed in their place.

Also remember donations of pet food will be accepted and donated to "Lost Our Home".

Please mark Sunday, October 25 on your calendar and join others in the community as pets are blessed, pet food donated and enjoy a great community event to bless our furry (and not so furry) friends.

Don't miss out on another FREE event in Ahwatukee this same weekend.

 Along with the Blessing of the pets, don't miss the semi-annual Shred-A-Thon on Saturday, October 24.  The Shred-A-Thon is another FREE event in Ahwatukee.  This Shred-A-Thon supports the Kyrene Resource Center and this fall we are collecting  Thanksgiving food to be  donated to the Kyrene Resource center's Thanksgiving food boxes for needy families.  Click on this link for more  information about the Shred-A-Thon location at Monte Vista Elementary school in Mountain Park Ranch in Ahwatukee.