You may have been excused for thinking you stumbled on to the set of The Vicar of Dibley at Isfield’s St Margaret’s Church, on July 9, 2002.

The pews were packed, the vestry overrun and it was standing room only in the nave. But the majority of the congregation were not residents – not human residents anyway.

Instead the picturesque village church was packed to the rafters with cats, rabbits, dogs, chickens and hamsters.

‘Slayer’

The annual pet service saw the various creatures queue up to be blessed by the Reverend Brian Melbourne.

Wendy Chandler, from the village, was there for the tenth year with her 19-year-old cat Sadie.

She said: “I like her to be blessed because she is very special to me. I think it has helped her live to such a ripe old age, although she is a bit fed-up today.”

Carefully assessing each pet for signs of danger, the reverend then placed his hand on their head and repeated: “I hope you live a long, healthy life and are a good pet for your owners.”

However, he saved a few special words for the more challenging members of the congregation.

He told Buffy the Staffordshire bull terrier-cross: “You need a lot of prayers saying for you.”

After all, Buffy, nicknamed Slayer by her owners Sue and Michael Andrews, had just lunged at a timid spaniel.

But it wasn’t just cats and dogs. Eight-year-old Jonathon Gilman brought along his pet hen, Naughty.

He said: “She has been very good today. When we brought her last year she ran around all over the church. We brought Philip the cockerel too then.”

But while the day did help boost numbers at the church, it also had a serious message for the rev Melbourne.

Speaking to The Argus at the time, he said: “It’s marvellous. I’m glad there were a few barks during the prayers and hymns.

“I think the animals were joining in because they respond to what goes on around them. As a nation we have a reputation of being a bit daft and we tend to spoil our pets.

“I think the French have the right idea. If you go into a restaurant there you often see a poodle sitting up at the table and I think that’s lovely.

“We have a sentimental attitude towards animals.”

Veteran churchwarden Robert Smith has witnessed the unusual service for the last 30 years.

He said: “In the past we’ve had horses and donkeys coming to be blessed. Last year there was a cat that miaowed in time to the hymns.

“There was a bit of a confrontation between two dogs who ended up running off out of the church grounds. It is a lot of fun and very popular.