# San Antonio, patron saint of pets



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Watching TV last night we saw all these people in Madrid with their pets dressed up in their arms, queuing to get a priest to sprinkle them with holy water. I had no idea about this previously, but apparently yesterday was St Anthony's Day, with the Blessing of the Pets.

Considerably more alarming is Las Luminarias in Avila, where they ride horses through bonfires for "good luck". Hmmm ... what strange things are done in the name of religion!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Watching TV last night we saw all these people in Madrid with their pets dressed up in their arms, queuing to get a priest to sprinkle them with holy water. I had no idea about this previously, but apparently yesterday was St Anthony's Day, with the Blessing of the Pets.
> 
> Considerably more alarming is Las Luminarias in Avila, where they ride horses through bonfires for "good luck". Hmmm ... what strange things are done in the name of religion!
> 
> YouTube - Fiesta de Las Luminarias


we have the pet blessing here - they parade throught the streets to the church - accompanied by fireworks!!

It never ceases to amaze me that the animals don't freak out - I've seen bulls in the parade in previous years!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Yes, ADANA organised a parade with blessing in Estepona. It was well-attended and we raised a few hundred euros for our dogs.
We couldn't participate with Our Little Azor as we were both on duty at the refugio on Saturday and in any case OH is an atheist and wouldn't have allowed Padre Pedro to bless OLA. So he is not in a state of grace, poor boy.
But I think it's a nice idea.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, ADANA organised a parade with blessing in Estepona. It was well-attended and we raised a few hundred euros for our dogs.
> We couldn't participate with Our Little Azor as we were both on duty at the refugio on Saturday and in any case OH is an atheist and wouldn't have allowed Padre Pedro to bless OLA. So he is not in a state of grace, poor boy.
> But I think it's a nice idea.


It´s good if it raises money for the sanctuary but I´m surprised you think it's a good idea otherwise. I hate seeing animals dressed up like babies, and I can't see that they are getting any benefit. 

Just out of curiosity, do they think the animals have souls?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Icky or what?


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## karunaji (May 3, 2010)

*St Anthony's Fiesta*

Here in Galera although 3 days are nominally dedicated to St Anthony, little went on except for those belonging to the "brotherhood". However, sadly, the day was marred by mainly Calle de St Anna and ravine end pet owners mutts going rabid! Not sure why people think their pet dogs can go unchecked, on the loose in Spain. Couldn't in the UK or elsewhere. Result was they went wild in a pack, terorrising a cat,baying for blood.Not sure was able to survive.These owners would be the first to go shock/horror at fox hunting.

Put your dogs on leads, don't let them roam wild.Excercise them, play with them, talk to them and train them not to go rabid at the sight of a cat.It can be done. Dreadful and heart breaking. 

By the way, blessings for animals at Mass is many centuries old-not just a Spanish custom. Along with St Anthony, the Saint who pre-dates him in his care and love for animals is St Francis of Assissi[/QUOTE]


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Icky or what?


yes, that is icky!

at least they don't dress the animals up around here!


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

I have to admit that I am learning more about Spain in this forum than any otherwise! I swear I had no idea that we were doing that to our pets! Never heard of such thing, ever! 

Blessing of Pets?!?! That's stupid! And about the horses, that's just beyond cruelty! IT must have been terrifying for the poor animal!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

karunaji said:


> Here in Galera although 3 days are nominally dedicated to St Anthony, little went on except for those belonging to the "brotherhood". However, sadly, the day was marred by mainly Calle de St Anna and ravine end pet owners mutts going rabid! Not sure why people think their pet dogs can go unchecked, on the loose in Spain. Couldn't in the UK or elsewhere. Result was they went wild in a pack, terorrising a cat,baying for blood.Not sure was able to survive.These owners would be the first to go shock/horror at fox hunting.
> 
> Put your dogs on leads, don't let them roam wild.Excercise them, play with them, talk to them and train them not to go rabid at the sight of a cat.It can be done. Dreadful and heart breaking.
> 
> By the way, blessings for animals at Mass is many centuries old-not just a Spanish custom. Along with St Anthony, the Saint who pre-dates him in his care and love for animals is St Francis of Assissi


[/QUOTE]


I bet that was a horrible sight, a pack of dogs going after a cat, but I don't expect the dogs were rabid  ie had rabies.  I'm guessing you mean they were out of control...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> It´s good if it raises money for the sanctuary but I´m surprised you think it's a good idea otherwise. I hate seeing animals dressed up like babies, and I can't see that they are getting any benefit.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, do they think the animals have souls?


We do NOT allow animals to be dressed up. It's undignified, naff and vulgar.
Why are you surprised that I think the San Anton a good idea? All we do is form a long procession, wander through the streets to the church and those who wish have their animals blessed. We rattle huchas at people and collect enough money to help feed and shelter our poor abandoned dogs.
I have yet to see at least in our procession a dressed up canary, dog, cat, donkey, horse, mouse, gerbi, pythol...ahd there were other animals there too.
As far as the animals are concerned, it's a walk. Nothing more, nothing less.
As for animals having souls, I haven't yet decided I've got one, let alone consider if Our Little Azor might possess a 'soul', whatever that is.
As I do not believe that there is a 'meaning' to life or that human life should be viewed as an ascending path on some sort of spiritually progressive 'journey' whether of a secular or religious character I would most likely think not.
But who knows who I-or any of us - might call for on our death beds.....


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> We do NOT allow animals to be dressed up. It's undignified, naff and vulgar.
> Why are you surprised that I think the San Anton a good idea? All we do is form a long procession, wander through the streets to the church and those who wish have their animals blessed. We rattle huchas at people and collect enough money to help feed and shelter our poor abandoned dogs.
> I have yet to see at least in our procession a dressed up canary, dog, cat, donkey, horse, mouse, gerbi, pythol...ahd there were other animals there too.
> As far as the animals are concerned, it's a walk. Nothing more, nothing less.
> ...


Well, obviously the processions down here are more dignified than the ones I saw on the TV in Madrid. 

I just don't think this is a very kind thing to do to a poor innocent guinea-pig just because the owners believe in the supernatural. It's nearly as bizarre as dipping human babies in cold water!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Well, obviously the processions down here are more dignified than the ones I saw on the TV in Madrid.
> 
> I just don't think this is a very kind thing to do to a poor innocent guinea-pig just because the owners believe in the supernatural. It's nearly as bizarre as dipping human babies in cold water!


Fancy dressing up a guineau -pig.... You wonder at the mentality....Our Little Azor wouldn't put up with that. I wanted to put him in an England football shirt, just for the World Cup but OH forbade it, we couldn't have found a shirt big enough anyway and Azor said he didn't want to be publicly associated with such a bunch of useless w*****s.
OH thinks there should be a law against subjecting animals to such indignities.
I'm not sure whether we're more dignified down here but we do it on a small, simpler scale. We also hand out educational literature about the correct treatment of animals.
One of the tasks of ADANA is to educate the wider public about the rights and needs of all animals.


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