DOZENS of pet lovers took their dogs, cats and rabbits to a Roman Catholic shrine on Saturday for a rare religious ceremony to bless the pets in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of animals. A priest sprinkled holy water on pets after the Mass. Saint Francis of Assisi's feast day is on Monday, but the practice of having pets blessed in churches is usually observed on the first weekend of October. Priests expect more pets to be taken to churches to be blessed on Sunday.

The focus on pets coincided with an order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources reminding owners of exotic animals to register their pets in accordance with a three-year-old law on ownership and trade of wildlife.

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