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<p>SWOYERSVILLE &#8212; Playful pooches in all shapes, sizes and breeds gathered outside the St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church for a blessing of animals, and to partake in a Halloween parade for both children and pets Saturday.</p><p>The event was held by Tracey&#8217;s Hope &#8212; a nonprofit hospice care and animal rescue organization &#8212; to gain funding for medical costs and care for the animals under its care.</p><p>Marty Kumor stood outside the church, wearing a dog costume and welcoming attendees. Kumor and his wife, Denise, created the organization in 2004 after the passing of their furry friend, Tracey.</p><p>Shortly before 1 p.m., roughly a dozen costume-clad canines gathered in front of the church with their owners and Father Gary Messinger.</p><p>As Messinger walked around blessing the pets with Holy Water, he stopped in front of two Pomeranians, Romeo and Juliet, owned by Andy Mizenko of Luzerne.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if you can bless jail dogs,&#8221; Messinger joked, as both dogs had inmate costumes on.</p><p>Mizenko said this isn&#8217;t the first time time he brought his pets to a blessing.</p><p>&#8220;This is our church,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I gotta take care of them, they need prayers, too.&#8221;</p><p>After the blessing, both animals and children were invited to walk in a Halloween parade, then go into the basement for food, activities and contests.</p><p>Sharon Hopkins attended the event with her dog, Rita, a German Shepard mix donning a batman costume.</p><p>Hopkins sits on the board of directors for Tracey&#8217;s Hope, and has been a part of the organization for five years, since finding Rita through the organization.</p><p>She said she became affiliated with Tracey&#8217;s Hope after her last dog had to be put down. After going through the organization&#8217;s Hospice Program, she found Rita.</p><p>Hopkins said the event, in its second year, helps raise money that goes toward medical costs and ongoing care for the animals the organizations helps. Currently, Tracey&#8217;s Hope is fostering 30 dogs from John Tanis, who was charged and found guilty of multiple animal abuse cases in Moosic last year.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s fun to get kids and animals together, and to see both dressed up in costume,&#8221; she said.&#8221;We&#8217;re just trying to help as many animals as we can.&#8221;</p><p>Along with Rita, many other animals came in costume.</p><p>Laura Prushinski of Larksville brought her dog, Ornell, as a Bishop, and Chris and Kim Arnone of Jenkins Township clad their Maltese, Leonardo, as a bumblebee.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Romeo and Juliet, a pair of Pomeranians owned by Andy Mizenko of Luzerne, make a stop after a pet blessing during a Halloween costume parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_51.jpg</photo0><caption0>Romeo and Juliet, a pair of Pomeranians owned by Andy Mizenko of Luzerne, make a stop after a pet blessing during a Halloween costume parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_31.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Four-year-old Selina Gallagher of Taylor puts on her jellyfish costume before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_31.jpg</photo1><caption1>Four-year-old Selina Gallagher of Taylor puts on her jellyfish costume before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_41.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Rev. Gary Messinger, pastor of St. Nichiolas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville, says a pet blessing before the start of a Halloween parade on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_41.jpg</photo2><caption2>The Rev. Gary Messinger, pastor of St. Nichiolas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville, says a pet blessing before the start of a Halloween parade on Saturday afternoon. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_11.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Laura Prushinski of Larksville puts a mitre on her dog, Lanie, before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_11.jpg</photo3><caption3>Laura Prushinski of Larksville puts a mitre on her dog, Lanie, before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_21.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rita, a German shepherd mix owned by Tracey&#8217;s Hope board of directors member Sharon Hopkins, relaxes in her Batman costume before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL101815Pets_21.jpg</photo4><caption4>Rita, a German shepherd mix owned by Tracey&#8217;s Hope board of directors member Sharon Hopkins, relaxes in her Batman costume before a pet blessing and Halloween parade at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church in Swoyersville on Saturday afternoon. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Pet blessing, Halloween parade held in Swoyersville</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Online</p><p>For additional information about Tracey&#8217;s Hope, go to www.traceyshope.com</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>The Times Leader newsroom may be reached at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Costumed canines help raise funds