They were an unruly congregation, but the animals that gathered Sunday on the lawn of Trinity Episcopal Church got their blessings nonetheless.

About a dozen pets  including a snake, rooster and tortoise  scratched and squirmed, whined and barked while the Rev. Jonathon Jensen performed a short service, then blessed each animal.

The event took place in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the 12th century founder of the Franciscan Order and the patron saint of animals.

For those who attended, the event was a mixture of a little fun and some serious recognition.

Brad Carter, Lawrence, doubted whether the blessings really made a difference for his tiny dog Bodhi.

“She’s perfect already,” he said.

But with a giant schnauzer at the end of a leash and a symbolic stuffed pony under her arm, Catherine Robins was hoping the blessing would help her animals.

A horse left at home had recently strained a muscle and scratched its face, she said, and Joss, the dog, was just a little mischievous.

“She’ll benefit from it,” the Lawrence resident said as she tried to divert the dog’s attention from the street.

Others hoped the blessing would add years to their pets’ lives.

Jane Getto Allen of Lawrence had her arms full with a 6-year-old rooster named Red.

“There’s not many roosters that live this long,” she said, attributing its longevity to its three blessings.

Seemingly oblivious to the graces about to be bestowed upon them, the animals waited restlessly during the service. One terrier kicked dirt onto those behind him, the tortoise trundled slowly over the grass, and a slight skirmish involving a bull dog broke out near the end of the event.

But never mind, Jensen said, the day was really just a chance to reaffirm and give thanks for the relationship people have with their pets.

The day offers a unique chance to connect with animals in a spiritual way, he said, and to recognize that “you’re a caretaker, not an owner or a master.”