Los Angeles

Free and Furry: Olvera Street Animal Blessing

Dress your pets and make for a blithe-filled day at El Pueblo.

Pondering the hashtags you'll want to use later, when you post photos of your pups or snake or goldfish at the annual Blessing of the Animals at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, is a fine activity to engage in as you make your way downtown LA.

You won't want to be thinking too much about hashtags once you arrive at the Saturday, April 4 gathering, however. Not only will you be at Olvera Street, with its many gewgaws and buildings to admire, and El Pueblo, one of our city's most historic and stately spaces, but there will be many animals in full springtime regalia.

There's whole heck of a lot to see, in short.

And a lot to be introspective about, too, of course. The Blessing of the Animals is an Easter season tradition that happens in towns around the globe. In our own town, Archbishop Jose Gomez will bestow benedictions on a host of beasties from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the 4th.

We aren't pulling tails here when we say "a host," either. Dogs show up in doggy droves, but so does the occasional reptile, horse, duck. If your pet can handle the busy scene, and wears a springtime crown of flowers well, or Easter bonnet, this could be the Sweetest Thing Ever.

As we all know, Sweetest Things Ever don't come around nearly often enough in this world. And being able to plan for a Sweetest Thing Ever happens far less. Translation: You've still got Easter bonnet-making time.

Should you arrive early to line up? You should. That begins around 1 p.m., and it will give you plenty of time to coo over other creatures in the queue.

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Do you need to dress up your animal? Of course not. May you? Of course.

So did you decide on the hashtags you'll use later? #sweetestthingever seems to fit, as does #springtimeblessings or #bulldoginabonnet (if you have a Bulldog, that is). You've got time to decide how you're going to Instagram all the animalia at El Pueblo, so best think about how you'll transport your frog/chinchilla/hamster around the plaza.

Have a baby sling? A little wagon? A way to carry that goldfish bowl? You're set.

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