BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Greenlawn’s second annual Blessing of the Pets will be held this Oct. 4 at their Southwest cemetery at 10 a.m. located just within the gates.

Officiating will be Rev. Theophane Nelliparambil Antony of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

All are welcome to bring along their pets for the blessing.

The blessing of animals is a traditional part of the Feast of Saint Francis, celebrated by Christians worldwide.

Greenlawn’s pet cemetery, dedicated last year, is the first such cemetery in Bakersfield.

“Pets are as much part of the family as any other loved one,” said Greenlawn president, Jim La Mar. “They deserve to be cherished, honored, blessed, and memorialized, and as a ‘Friend of the Family,’ we find it wholly appropriate to prepare a place for that to happen right here.”

For additional information, contact Jim La Mar at (661) 834-8820 or email jamesl@greenlawnm-c.com