THE gardens of St Adrian’s Church in Gullane are set to be the scene of a ‘pet service’ this Sunday.

Led by church rector, the Rev Simon Metzner, the service will be open to the public – and their pets.

Mr Metzner said: “We did it last year and it was a really good service; we had about 20 people come along with their pets.

“It was mostly dogs last year but I’m not sure if we’ll have any other types of animals this year.

“Hopefully this is something we can continue to do each year and continue to grow it.”

Mr Metzner’s 18-month-old golden Labrador Toby was just a puppy at the last pet service.

He said: “I brought my dog along last time and will be bringing him again. He’s marginally better behaved now than he was a year ago, so we’ll see how that goes!

“It was difficult last time as I was trying to lead while he was tugging and pulling at the lead! Hopefully this time around he’ll be a little more calm and hopefully all the cats and dogs get on.”

Blessing from a dog bowl

Members of the public are invited to bring their pets to the service, where their cute companions will be offered a blessing from a dog bowl.

Mr Metzner said: “Pets are so important to us and I think this is a good way to thank God for our pets and give thanks to him for their friendship.

“Many of us have seen pictures of Ukrainian refugees travelling with cats and dogs in tow as they flee the awful war in their country.

“It’s images like these that show just how important our pets are in our lives.”

And he added: “I think this is a really good celebration of creation, in a way, and all of the creatures God has created and brought into the world.

“We welcome anyone to come along with their pets and take part.

“It should be a fantastic service. I just hope the weather stays good for us.”

Anyone may attend the service, at 3pm in St Adrian’s Scottish Episcopal Church gardens on Sandy Loan.

Pet owners are asked to keep animals under control during the service.