Via a reader comes this story:<\/p>\n
WEST FARGO, N.D. –The newest greeter at the Holy Cross Catholic Church has a wagging tail, cuddly fur and beseeching brown eyes. Lucky, a golden retriever puppy, belongs to the Rev. Dave Syverson. But he’s also the parish dog.<\/p>\n
Besides his Sunday morning duty, Lucky visits religious education classes, Syverson said, to make the experience more fun for the students. A pet carrier, where Lucky stays during Mass, sits in the priest’s office.<\/p>\n
"When you have a dog, it’s a license for people to come right up. Then they open up and talk about their own pets or this and that," Syverson said.<\/p>\n
Like any 9-week-old puppy, Lucky is a bundle of energy. His long tail wags excitedly as children approach, and jumps up on adults bending down to greet him.<\/p>\n
One woman, after greeting the pup, walked into the sanctuary and then came back after she realized she forgot to say good morning to the priest.<\/p>\n
Syverson is getting used to it. Although Lucky doesn’t know the command for "shake" yet, all hands go to his paws after church services.<\/p>\n
"I used to get 300, 400 handshakes. Now that number is less than 10," Syverson said.<\/p>\n
Lucky knows the command "sit" and listens when his owner tells him not to jump or bite. He’s learning how to relate with Syverson’s other pet, a 14-pound cat named Buddha.<\/p>\n