Animal service returns to Ely Cathedral after three years

The cathedral said it was the first time a horse attended the service - he was very popular!

A service celebrating animals and the friendship they bring, has returned to a cathedral in Cambridgeshire for the first time in three years.

All creatures great and small were welcomed into the service, including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and even chickens!

Marley the rescue donkey from the Donkey Sanctuary also made a visit, as well as a "a very well-behaved" horse called Thomas.

The last time the event took place at Ely Cathedral was in 2019, before it stopped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The cathedral has put on this event to support local and national animal charities for 30 years

The service was led by East Anglia's first female bishop, the Right Reverend Dr Dagmar Winter and her dog Tilda, who is five years old and is a rescue lurcher.

Bishop Dagmar said it was "a wonderful experience... to bless all those who came, people and their animals, from a great big horse to a little bearded dragon, to commit together to care for all our animals and our environment."

Bishop Dagmar with her dog Tilda (right) and Charlie a 15-year-old whippet (left) she was looking after

Several animal charities and organisations like 'Pets as Therapy' and 'The Hearing Dogs' came to show their appreciation.

In the ceremony, people talk about how best to care for animals and to thank them for being there for us.

Marley the rescue donkey from the Donkey Sanctuary led the ceremony up the cathedral's central hall