Praying for pets in Nicaragua

Hundreds of dogs, many dressed as babies or clowns, were taken to celebrate mass in Masaya Nicaragua on March 9, an annual ritual where the owners pray for their pets to be cured or avoid falling ill. A long queue of Catholics, carrying their pets or leading them on leashes, waited their turn to pass by an image of San Lazaro. The faithful thank the saint for curing their pets or ask for the dogs to be protected from illness. The town's priest always conducts a special canine mass. Source: Reuters