For the first time since the quakes, Christchurch’s iconic cathedral has opened its doors to animal visitors.
Within moments of stepping inside the cathedral, my dog Maggie appeared to be having a divine experience. She gazed up at the heavens as the morning sun streamed in through the temporary plastic roof panelling. Illuminated by the rays, her golden fur created a glowing halo, her big brown eyes unblinking as she communed with something – or someone – high up above us. A moment later, a flutter of wings in the rafters. Of course: the damn pigeons.
In a thrilling turn of events for Cantabrian pet owners who love a mosey, the Christ Church Cathedral is open all of this week for people to bring their pets inside for tours, photos and an optional blessing, with all proceeds going to the SPCA. Having been in various states of pause and progress since being severely damaged in the 2011 earthquake, the cathedral has been stabilised and since 2022 is safe for small groups of people (and now animals) to enter.
This is the first time that pets have been allowed in the cathedral since the quakes, reviving an annual tradition where members of the public would visit each year and have their pets blessed. But these are far from the only animals the cathedral has hosted. After the quakes, so many pigeons moved in that they had to clean out two tonnes of poo. Dozens of stray cats and kittens have also called it home, and even a robot dog has paid a visit.
Our visit began with a brief comfort stop for Maggie (a literary poo outside Tūranga) before we donned hard hats and hot pink high-vis vests for the safety briefing. It was at this precise moment that I realised we were all now cosplaying as yassified versions of Maggie’s worst enemies: tradies. She looked at me as if I had just revealed myself at the Traitors roundtable. In the words of Patricia Lockwood: jail for mother, jail for one thousand years.
There were just a handful of dogs in our small morning group, including a cavoodle pup, a regal king charles cavalier, and another curious spoodle type who made the grave mistake of trying to take Maggie’s treat and subsequently got snarled at (so sorry omg). Revered Ben Truman welcomed us, explaining that a pause in construction meant groups were able to re-enter for Pet Week. “Is that a pun?” joked Chaplain Peg Riley. “Paws in construction?”
The immaculate vibes continued as we entered the cathedral through a side door, soon dwarfed by the towering ceiling and exposed pillars showing off wooden skeletons. After seeing the pigeons up above, Maggie indulged in more avian antics down below, gorging up a giant bird turd in front of the Reverend. Perhaps related, he then informed me there were three options for an animal blessing: a gentle touch, a bit of water, or a blessing from afar.
Before I could ask if he also did exorcisms, the socially-distanced blessing was under way. As the reverend got down to Maggie’s level, his white robes appearing to her like a large tradie ghost, I could tell she was cooking up one of her earth-shatteringly loud barks, the kind that once caused one of the most experienced dog trainers in the Canterbury region to clutch her heart like she was in a pantomime. Miraculously, she let it peter out of the side of her mouth quietly as the reverend spoke of all god’s love.
With Maggie now reborn as Magdalene, we wandered around as Carolyn Grant, head of Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project, filled us in on the progress. After construction paused last year due to an approximate $85 million shortfall, a new plan will see the work completed in stages. Starting next year will be work on the tower and nave, including the famous Rose Window, which is currently replaced with a large scale print-out. All going to plan, she reckons the cathedral will be open again by 2030.
The final boss level of the cathedral visit experience was getting Maggie to take a picture on an almighty gilded throne, complete with a furry leopard print pillow and bedazzled lion armrests. She jumped up on it OK but then proceeded to bury her face in the pillow, terrier snout sniffing in overdrive at the scent of many, many bums gone by. I managed to sit down with her and, after coercing the photographer to speak in a Mickey Mouse voice instead of scary man voice, Maggie even stopped growling.
We managed to get a half decent picture and Maggie came away with a luxurious gift bag that was basically the dog equivalent of a Remuera housewife going hundies on samples at the Food Show. And while there have only been dogs through the cathedral so far, there was apparently a mouse coming to the next session, and a tortoise and blue-tongued lizard from Willowbank stopping by tomorrow. All pets are welcome until October 4, so who knows what others critters the future will bring.
