Pet Parades: St. Patrick's Day

In Blessing of the AnimalsI talk about pet parades and "Kiss Me I'm Irish booths for dog breeds. In the snap I don't belive the smoochin' pooch is Irish, but who cares?! Follow the links to see more photos. Thanks to N'awlins for posting the photos. The other St Paddy's Day parade pictures are from the 5th annual Lucky Charms Parade held by a Florida pet rescue agency.

St Patrick's Day Pet Blessing Copyright 2007 by Diana L Guerrero. All rights reserved.

Photo by M&M

For those of you who missed the Ask Andrea radio show yesterday, here is the pet blessing I wrote especially for the event. Please note that this is Copyright 2007 by Diana L Guerrero and may not be reprinted without permission.

Enjoy!

As you listen, picture your cherished pet in your mind or hold your pet close.

Beloved Spirit everywhere present, we gather together today to ask for a blessing.

We give thanks for the life we enjoy and for the element, plants, and animals that are part of our daily existence.

We send thanks to our companion animals, domestic livestock, and pets.

On St Patrick’s Day we ask this blessing for our animals:

May your lives be filled with comfort and joy.

May your coats stay shining, your noses stay cold, and please may your breath stay sweet!

May the sun keep your warm when it is cold--and may the wind keep you cool when it is hot.

May each and every day be filled with adventure and be void of any woes.

May you always put a smile on the face of everyone you meet.

May your antics amuse and warm the hearts of all the humans you encounter.

May your friends be plentiful and your fleas be few.

May your owners always greet you, with a treat and a pat on the head.

May your bed remain warm, your food bowl stay full, and may you live a long and healthy life.

As your faithful owner indulges you, may God hold you close.

May we live in harmony with one another, and may this blessing be carried through the airwaves and into the homes of animals everywhere.

Blessings to you all.

St Patrick's Day Pet Blessing on WBAP, Dallas Texas (Listen Live)

You may have heard that author Diana L Guerrero will be on the Ask Andrea show today--you can listen live at WBAP at 2:45pm Central Time. Click here if you need to convert to your time zone.

We can't let the cat out of the bag...but tune in with your pet and stay tuned for the link AND make sure you subscribe to get the special blessing Diana L Guerrero wrote for the show.

Photo courtesy of M&M Photography at Flickr

Bark Mitzvah Cluster in St Louis, Missouri

I found an article today in the St Louis Jewish Light about a new online community. The social clubs focus on particular interests--one is pets and hence the name, the Bark Mitzvah Cluster...muzzle tov!

Pet Parade: Beggin Strips Barkus

Beastly trends are sweeping the nation. Do you like the queen? You will enjoy some of the slide show photos from the Beggin Strips pet parade.

Pet Parades: Strut Your Mutt!

I don't know how I missed the pet parade fundraiser for the United Way but I did. My buddies in the desert forgot to alert me. Check out the delightful pet parade photos at the Desert Sun website.

You'll also enjoy these pet parade photos online at the Olympian.

Pets need to go to school...and this bulldog beauty meets and motivates the kids when attending the elementary school near Lake Elsinore.

BTW here is the original announcement for the Worth Ave pet parade in Palm Beach.

These parades are becoming more and more mainstream and you can learn more in Blessing of the Animals (ISBN 14027296770) due out April 1st!

Is St Patrick’s Day Going to the Dogs?

Saint Patrick's Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1737. Green beer, shamrocks and corned beef and cabbage are traditions that most Americans are familiar with but not many realize that today’s St Patrick’s Day paw-tys have really gone to the dogs.

According to Diana L Guerrero, “Pet households now outnumber those with kids and today more and more celebrations include pets. Irish breed clubs and owners now can even give their pets bowser beer (non-alcoholic) and raise funds with pooch smooching at ‘Kiss Me I’m Irish’ booths.”

Guerrero is the author of BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: A GUIDE TO PRAYERS & CEREMONIES CELEBRATING PETS & OTHER CREATURES (ISBN 1402729677). The new book, scheduled for release in April, discusses pet pageants, pet parades, and the pet paw-ty craze sweeping the nation.

St. Patrick (387-461 AD) is the patron saint of Ireland and Roman Catholics celebrate his feast day on March 17th but the tradition has become a popular secular celebration.

Guerrero said, “One urban legend is that St Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland--but snakes were never native to Ireland. Some people believe the snakes were a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans.”

A traditional icon of St Patrick’s Day is the shamrock. The Irish tale is that St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity--representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—all separate parts of the same entity and this is why the custom of wearing a shamrock became a tradition on his feast day.

Guerrero said, “Pet owners now have a variety of fashion options available for their companion animals. Most grooming salons will use shamrock or green ribbons if you ask. I’d also encourage some beastly bling such as a shamrock pet tag. People can also find St Patrick holiday collars and bandanas. For those pet owners who want to dye their pets green for St. Patrick's Day? Ultimately it is the pet owner's decision but animal lovers should be alerted that the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center discourages the practice.”

Allergic reactions and toxic odors and residue from green dye could pose problems so before using any product on your companion animal make sure the product is non-toxic --and protect the pet's ear and eyes. Some safer alternatives? Try green Jell-O or professional grooming.

You know that a holiday has really gone to the dogs when there is a canine version of the St Patrick’s Day prayer:

May your dog rise up to meet you, with a bark and a wag of the tail.
When your day’s journey is over, may the woes of the day be gone.
As your faithful companion greets you, eager to welcome your home, may God hold you both in the palm of His hand.

-END-


Review copies of BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: A GUIDE TO PRAYERS & CEREMONIES CELEBRATING PETS AND OTHER CREATURES (ISBN 1402729677) are available to journalists. Contact Sterling Publishing Publicity at (212) 532-7160 or Krista Margies (646) 688-2510 (kmargies@sterlingpub.com).

Diana L Guerrero is available for interviews. Learn more at:
http://www.dianalguerrero.com
http://www.blessingoftheanimals.com
http://www.whatanimalscanteachusaboutspirituality.com


RESOURCES OF INTEREST:

Irish Canine Breeds

Irish red and white setter

Irish Setter

Irish terrier

Glen of Imaal terrier

Kerry blue terrier

Irish soft-coated wheaten terrier

Irish water spaniel

Irish wolfhound

St Patrick’s Day from Religion Facts

St Patrick’s Day from National Geographic

St Patrick’s Day from US Information

St Patrick’s Day from the History Channel

St Patrick’s Day Songs for Cat Lovers

What you might not know:

•In the United States wearing green is the typical attire for the day—but this was not the tradition in Ireland where the color was considered unlucky.

•Chicago is famous for dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick's Day. The tradition began in 1962.

•Guinness stout was first brewed by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland in 1759. The beer has become synonymous with Ireland and Irish bars.

•Cabbage was traditionally served with Irish bacon not corned beef. Immigrants to America substituted corned beef around the turn of the century.

Pet Parade with Photos

Pet parades are a whole lot of fun and are gaining popularity. Some could also be called pet pageants. I include a few references in Blessing of the Animals: A Guide to Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures (ISBN 1402729677) and thought that this pet parade in Palm Beach would be of interest--you'll love the photos!

Planning a Pet Funeral

In Blessing of the Animals the last section is titled, Grave Topics at Tails Endand is dedicated to ideas for pet bereavement ceremonies, prayers, and unique ways to memorialize your pet.

Today I found this article but beware of the obnoxious capture screen on the site that blocks the article and leads you to believe you can't read it unless you give over your name and email address. This is not true, if you click into the site, just click the X to close the window to view the entire article. You can visit the site clicking on the header.

Planning a Pet Funeral by Renae Hamrick, RVT

Pet burials and memorials have existed for a long time; records of them exist as far back as the B.C. years. In fact, according to National Geographic, the oldest known pet cat was found in a 9,500 year old grave on the island of Cyprus, buried with a human. As can be proven by the many elaborately mummified animals which have been recovered, ancient Egypt took the task of honoring their deceased pets very seriously.

Pet burials began between 14,000 and 9,000 years ago. a 12,000 year-old Natufian burial site (Israel) found a puppy buried with the owner but Salima Ikram an Eqyptologist with the Cairo Museum said that animal mummification reached its pinnacle of popularity between 664-525 BCE.

Today we memorialize our pets with funerals, cremations, burials in cemeteries and backyards, taxidermy, and some owners even use cryogenics and cloning. Paw prints, hair clippings, memorial stones, and gemstones made from a pet's cremains are some other means of keep the memory of a pet alive.

The options today are amazing. My editors requested that I edit out some of the taxidermy and freezedrying options since they found them distastful. If you purchase Blessing of the Animals you'll receive a code that will give you some of that bonus material...

Furry Funerals

Another article from the Vancouver Sun in Canada about Furry Funerals.

Pet Burial on the Rise in the UK

Pet burials have been an increasing trend in the United States but the practice is gaining hold in the UK as highlighted in the article from the Epoch Times.