Bubba Gump has become something of a legend since last year when he participated in the first Blessing of the Animals in honor of St. Francis of Assisi at Parkside Community Church in South Sacramento.  I wrote about the event in my Pets & Their People column for Inside Publications, and was told that readers enjoyed it, especially the line about how Bubba was sprinkling the neighborhood with holy water ever since being blessed.  He was invited to be the poster dog for this year's event on April 13, and I was happy to accept on his behalf.  

On a very rainy Thursday last week, I chauffeured my publicity hound to the church for his photo shoot.  He was still a little damp from being bathed that morning, but along with the downpour and repeated anointing to get just the right shot, he was one wet dog, probably the first of his kind to enter the church sanctuary.  He was a good sport the whole time and sat so nicely on the altar with Reverend Susan while the shots were being taken.  I've never seen him be quite so cooperative.  It was as though he understood the sanctity of the occasion and that, as a dog that was adopted to a loving home on his last day at the county pound, he is truly twice blessed.  The moment we left after the photo shoot, my holy hound wasted no time in anointing the shrubs outside the sanctuary.  

This year we may try to take Peaches, too, but I'm not sure how that will work out since she is still wary of new experiences and shy of strangers.  But I'd like to have her blessed, too.