Dogs, cats and chickens mingled outside the church doors as their owners came together for the Blessing of the Pets ceremony.

The ceremony takes place on October 4 each year in remembrance of St Francis of Assisi and his love for all creatures.

In Launceston, pets were each individually blessed by priest-in-charge Warwick Cuthbertson before they were given their own certificate and a special treat courtesy of a local vet.

Reverend Cuthbertson said  the day was a chance for the community to celebrate their pets.

‘‘St Francis believed that all nature reflected God – that you could see the beauty of God in all creation,’’ he said.

‘‘He loved all creatures great and small and treated them like family, just like we do our pets.

‘‘We don’t bless the animals to make them holy. We bless them because they are holy and worthy of blessing.’’

Reverend Cuthbertson said although the day a happy one for the church, it was a reminder that not all animals are treated with love.

‘‘As we bring our animals today for a blessing, we are aware of the abuse and cruelty endured by animals throughout the world,’’ he said.

October marks Happy Tails month for the RSPCA, a month-long celebration of animals.

RSPCA general manager Peter West said it was necessary for humans to look out for their furry friends as so many animals were treated for cruelty each year.

‘‘Each year, around 5000 animals come into our Animal Care Centres and we receive over 3000 calls to our Cruelty Hotline,’’ Mr West said.

Happy Tails will continue throughout October with activities, announcements and stalls set to pop-up across Launceston in the coming weeks.