These dogs are on their best behavior when they’re in the house of God. The pooches calmly sit in pews, seldom raising a fuss.
“We sometimes have 10 to 12 dogs at a time,” says Father Albert Cutie, the rector at the Saint Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Plantation. “You never really hear them much — unless they encounter each other after Communion and then they begin to bark at each other. But everybody expects that.”
Saint Benedict’s Episcopal Church, whose motto is “all are welcome,” began offering the dog-friendly service about 10 years ago, and it has been a popular offering ever since. The service, held at 6 p.m. each Saturday, can benefit owners who’d rather not leave their pets all alone at home while they’re at church.
“Can you really pray and leave a loved one behind?” Cutie asked.
“What I love about this service — and I think that’s the reason that we have it — is that many of our people do live alone,” Cutie said. “They are elderly, they’ve lost their spouse or they’ve lived alone for a long time. And their dog really does become their companion in every way and their closest family member.”
Leila Yocum, of Sunrise, has attended the service with her dog, Little Guy, for more than seven years. “It’s very nice to have him there,” Yocum said.
Cutie was bitten by a dog at age 7, so he doesn’t necessarily consider himself a dog person. But he said he hasn’t encountered any misbehaving dogs at church, and he in turn is very respectful to them.
The dog-friendly service isn’t the only pet-oriented gathering at the church.
Once a year, Saint Benedict’s also does the Blessing of the Animals, where people can bring all kinds of pets to be blessed, from cats to snakes to bunnies to birds. It’s done in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the saint who loved animals and nature.
Cutie said he’s glad that dogs join their owners at the church, at 7801 NW Fifth St.
“Why wouldn’t they be welcome in God’s house?” he said. “They’re God’s creatures.”