Holy cow: dogs and more fill Jiggi church

JIGGI Uniting Church opened its doors to horses, cows, roosters, cats and dogs for a special service blessing animals alongside their owners.

The service, led by Reverend Denise Savage, filled the church to capacity with more than 80 people inside.

Cats and dogs were allowed in the pews, while cows and other animals gathered outside the building.

“We had something like this before, it’s a way to bring interest back to the church by doing something a bit different,” church member Heather Jeffery said.

“People really love their animals, and this was a great way for the community to connect.

“There were about 40 cows outside and one of the dogs inside was whacking his tail to the beat of the music.

“The horse that came was 24 years old, and he was walked down the road by his owner, they were there for the whole day and had a great time.”

People who could not attend in person sent photographs of turtles, snakes and other animals, which were blessed on the big screen along with a group of special needs chickens from Brisbane.

The church is also preparing for its 120th anniversary service in December.

“The church is symbolic of country life, and we’ve got a lot of younger families moving to the area who attend our monthly service,” Ms Jeffery said.

“Our Op Shop has really helped in recent years and it’s a place where everyone is welcome.

“This event definitely highlighted that and we’ve already had people asking if they can be part of the next animal service.”