Snakes, Turtles, Birds And More Attend LA's Annual Blessing Of The Animals

In a series of three photos: A little girl with medium skin tone wearing a gray sweatshirt and white knitted beanie holds a cockatiel on her shoulder and a tortoise in her arms. A woman with medium skin tone wearing a green coat and white and green knitted beanie, holds a boa around her neck and shoulders. A woman with medium-light skin tone and long dark hair wearing a pink fleece sweater holds a white, orange, and black spotted long hair cat in her arms.

When it started on Olvera Street near downtown L.A. in 1930, the Blessing of the Animals was meant to impart good health to farm livestock and horses. Decades later, the annual tradition now attracts people with creatures ranging from dogs and cats to reptiles and birds.

And this past weekend, they came out en masse under a rainy sky to carry on the tradition — dogs, parakeets, snakes and all — and get their blessing from the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gomez.

An archbishop wearing white and gold robes stands on a stage with a fluffy brush spraying water down at a woman wearing a pink coat and smiling as she holds a white bulldog.

We spoke with people attending the blessing about their pets and what they mean to them. (Interviews were edited for length and clarity.)

A woman with medium-light skin tone kneels while holding onto a white dog next to a little girl wearing a gray sweatshirt and white beanie holding a tortoise and cockatiel who stands next to an older woman with medium skin tone wearing a dark flannel while holding a small cage with love birds while standing next to a tall teenage boy who wearing a poncho and a beanie in the shape of a unicorn who holds another cockatiel and a cage with love birds.

A little girl with medium skin tone wearing a gray sweatshirt and white knitted beanie holds a cockatiel on her shoulder and a tortoise in her arms.

Allison Cueto brought her 12-year-old tortoise, Bon Bon, to get blessed.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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A boy with a cockatiek on his left shoulder faces the camera, but looks off to the right.

Joshua Cueto with the family cockatiel, Charlie.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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Allison Cueto, with her brother Joshua, mother Jesse Guzman and grandmother Maria Serrano, on their tortoise, Bon Bon, cockatiel Charlie, and a variety of love birds:

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“Since people started giving us animals, my house has become like a zoo, and we all take care of the animals. My grandkids are also fascinated by animals. We’ve had snakes and even tarantulas.”

A woman with medium skin tone wearing a green coat and white and green knitted beanie, holds a boa around her neck and shoulders.

Alma Cielo Livingstone with her 20-year-old boa, Bigote.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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A Colombian red tailed boa faces the camera.

A Colombian red tailed boa at the Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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Alma Cielo Livingstone and her Colombian red-tailed boa, Bigote:

“I met him the same day I met my husband. Bigote from the start was so charming. The man took a little while for me to warm up to. We’ve had him for 14 years. I dance with him, I play music with him. [Bigote] is a beautiful dance partner.”

An older man with medium skin tone wearing a black sweater and camo baseball cap holds a green parrot in his finger as they look at each other.

Rosalio Gonzalez and Pepe the parrot:

“I found Pepe in July 2021. We were driving by and we saw him in the middle of the road after a few cars that actually went over him. I picked him up and he was still alive.”

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A woman with dark skin tone, a short black afro, wearing a white sweatshirt and large silver hoop earrings, holds a white scruffy dog wearing a blue and white dog tuxedo while they both stand against a black wall.

Obehi Ehigie and her Chihuahua Shitzu Mix, Teddy

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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A Chihuahua and Shih Tzu mix with scruffy white hair wears a a dark blue blazer, white undershirt, and dark blue bow with a gold chain.

Teddy, a Chihuahua and Shih Tzu mix, wears a tuxedo for the annual Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

LAist

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Obehi Ehigie and her Chihuahua Shih Tzu Mix, Teddy:

“We realized a couple months ago that we wanted him to look really nice for his blessing. It's a special day.

“This is my first pet and he is spoiled like the first child. He brightens up my entire life. After any type of day, I always want to come home to him and tell him everything.”

An older man with medium-light skin tone wearing a red, white, and black poncho holds a medium sized turtle with a red bow wrapped around its body.

Panchito Zetino and his turtle Anacleta:

“Anacleta likes to dance. She likes to pose so that people can take pictures of her. She's very intelligent.”

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A woman with medium-light skin tone and long dark hair wearing a pink fleece sweater holds a white, orange, and black spotted long hair cat in her arms.

Evenny Argueta and her cat, Sindel:

“She's very calm and follows me everywhere. She’s my baby, I have to get her baptized. She means the world to me. I think me and her were meant to find each other.”

A Black woman with dark skin tone and long blonde curly hair wearing a black jacket holds two small birds on her shoulders while standing against a white wall.

Sonja Rideout with her conures, Jodeci and Corny Collins:

“They're great companions. If I'm feeling sad or anything, believe it or not, they'll sense it and they'll make me feel better. If anyone were to ask me if I have any kids? I'll probably say yes and they have feathers.”

A man with medium skin tone and dark curly hair and black mustache holds a blonde and a black chihuahua in each arm.

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Genaro Ruiz and his chihuahuas, Paco Loco and Lola Loca:

“Everybody could use a blessing. Plus, my old man here needs one. I like them more than people because they don't talk back, they have unconditional love, and they're amazing. And they're happy to see me every day, no matter any circumstance.”

A little girl with medium-light skin tone wearing a patterned pink, white, and yellow fleece sweater holds a plastic and pink container with a turtle inside.

A woman with medium-light skin tone wearing a red and blue feathered headdress holds a Mexican hairless dog.

A woman wearing a long yellow satin dress with bright pink trim sits on a black horse.

An older man wearing a charro outfit and puffer jacket stands next to a brown cow in the middle of the street.

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Snakes, Turtles, Birds And More Attend LA's Annual Blessing Of The Animals

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