PET owners took the opportunity to have their animals blessed as part of a special service in Abergavenny- with a pony stealing the show.

Pets and their owners joined together at St Michael’s Church, Llanvihangel Crucorney, for the sixth year running to be blessed by Parish deacon Derek Lee in the 45-minute service, held yesterday.

Over 20 people attended bringing with them a variety of dogs, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, a Tibetan Terrier, and a Jack Russell, and three guinea pigs.

Stealing the limelight was the biggest animal in the service, a pony called Little Toady.

His owner, Tara Mitchell, described the four-year-old pony as “well behaved but a little cheeky”. But he stood patiently in the church waiting for his blessing.

During the service, the congregation sang hymns including Think of a World Without, For the Beauty of the Earth and You Shall go out with Joy.

During his address, Deacon Lee said: “We may not speak their language... but they give back to us their love. The animals, they enrich our lives.”

He also gave a special thanks to the animals that do a service for society and at the end a collection took place for the charity, The Horse Society.

Abergavenny resident, Rebecca Drennan, attended the service with her Golden Retriever, Keeper.

She said that it was not her local church but attended especially for the service.

“We are really enjoying it, and I wanted to get him blessed as he really is precious to me,” she added.

Bringing along their guinea pig named Winks, was Rorie Delahook and her two daughters, Lilah and Tabitha Smith, age seven and four respectively.

“It’s been an enjoyable morning and we just thought it was something fun to do,” she said.

Local resident Liz Holloman brought her dog Bentley to the blessing.

She added: “He is part of the family.”

All the animals were blessed individually.

Sian Lloyd, a parishioner and trustee of Monmouth’s Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies, who organised the event, said: “It was another successful year.”

She added: “All of the animals were very well behaved throughout and it has been lovely to welcome some new faces into the church.”