People and their pets gathered on the lawn at St. James’ Episcopal Church for the annual Blessing of the Animals service in honor of the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi. Multiple dogs and a single cat present, as well as a handful of pets represented virtually, received a blessing from Father Scott Hollenbeck. Kathy Nelson’s pug, Vinny, who works part-time as a service dog at the elementary school, was eager to receive a prayer and a pat on the head.