Pets and their owners gathered at St Martin's Church in Martinstown for a special service.

A blessing of animals was held inside the church on Sunday, July 29.

Churchgoers were encouraged to bring along their pets to the service to show the bond shared between all animals.

Revd Jean Saddington said all of the pets were on their best behaviour with not a single woof heard throughout the service.

She added: “The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits for the Blessing of the Animals service. Held inside the church, the animals, consisting of around 12 dogs and one lamb with a broken leg, behaved beautifully. There was not a single bark or bleat throughout the service, though I confess to being a little disappointed that the dogs didn’t ‘sing’ along with the hymns.”

Revd Saddington explained the purpose of the occasion and said: “As part of the service we celebrated ‘Lammas’, meaning ‘loaf mass’, an ancient festival giving thanks for the first grain with the loaf used being traditionally baked from the first cutting of the wheat. The bread was distributed amongst the congregation. One member of the congregation commented that the service was ‘enchanting’ and that’s certainly how it felt, with impeccably behaved animals, and humans.”