90 | Blood Sports accompanies the growth of the pet industry, the ownership of pets, and other companion animal-related issues of the same time period However, it should be recognized that the rituals can be problematic, in particular for some of the animals While ritual, spectacle, and performance are certainly connected, the spectacle and forced performance of companion animals is ethically questionable It is possible that Blessings of Animals serve no purpose for the animals, but only provide humans with a circuslike atmosphere and a sense that they are expanding their ethical horizons or, of even less value for the lives of animals, these Blessings are simply a way to bring new humans into various religious communities Blessings of Animals also fit within the larger environmental or green movement within some forms of Christianity, so animals become symbolic of a commitment to God’s creation or to the human stewardship component of creation stories This is indeed a focus at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine In the ideal world—the world of the peaceable kingdom that is prophesied variously in Western religious traditions—otherthan-human animals are often included A number of animal welfare organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States, suggest that a focus should be on animals in confined animal feeding operations Public Blessings of these animals could draw awareness to this mass production system that relies on inhumane systems of confinement, among other issues However, it could also be argued that Blessing of the Animals rituals suggest a shifting attitude toward animals, specifically in the early 21st century While they were excluded from sanctuaries for generations, now animals are being invited to return (once a year, anyway) They have sacred significance and are worthy of blessing This is indeed an expansion of the religious sensibility that dominated the Western world in the post-Enlightenment era Interpreting the cultural impact will take decades In the meantime, the numbers and variety of Blessings continue to expand As the roles of animals shift, so the roles of Blessings, from those that acknowledge animals’ usefulness to humanity to those that also recognize their role as humans’ companions and, in some cases, to Blessings that recognize their own intrinsic value See also entries beginning with “Religion and Animals” Further Reading Hobgood-Oster, L (2008) Holy dogs and asses: Animals in the Christian tradition Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press McMurrough, C (1939) Blessing of animals: Roman rite Orate fraters, 14(2), 83–86 Laura Hobgood-Oster BLOOD SPORTS Definitions Blood sports are organized activities in which animals are placed at great risk of injury or death for human entertainment Among the most common current blood sports are bullfighting, dogfighting, cockfighting, and non-subsistence hunting and fishing Non-subsistence or sport hunting includes hunting with weapons (rifles, shotguns, bows, etc.) as well as with other animals, such as falcons or dogs Bullfighting is an example of animal baiting, in which an animal is goaded into aggression through pain,