Metro

Atheists sue shelter for using Catholic priest to ‘bless’ animals

Don’t push your dogma on these pets!

A group of atheists is suing a New Jersey animal shelter because it used a Catholic priest to “bless” cats and dogs, a new lawsuit claims.

Last month, the Bergen County Animal Shelter enlisted a rosary-sporting Roman Catholic priest in a ceremony for the furry sinners, according to a federal lawsuit, filed by the American Atheists in Newark on Nov. 13.

The priest — who wore a large cross around his neck and a hooded cassock — performed the ritual in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, according to the lawsuit.

But the Teterboro-based shelter receives government cash and shouldn’t mix church and state, according to the American Atheists — which claim it’s a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

The fur first began to fly when Candice Yaacobi, a New Jersey atheist who has used the shelter, learned about the annual Oct. 4 blessing on Facebook, according to the suit.

The Facebook page proclaimed, “Tuesday afternoon was a special day for all of us, including our adoptable pets. We were graced by Reverend Kenneth Riehl from the Franciscan Order of the Divine Mercy in North Arlington for the blessing of the animals.”

The post featured photos, adding, “It was a very moving and memorable moment that touched us all.”

The blessing irked Yaacobi, who did more research — and learned the shelter is supported by state funds and Department of Health Services, according to the lawsuit.

“BCAS is supported by state funds, which it utilizes in order to administer governmental services to residents of Bergen County.”

The lawsuit added, [Riehl] dresses in the traditional vestments of his order, including a brown, hooded cassock, a large cross on a chain around his neck, a rosary around his wrist, and a white stole draped over his shoulders.”

The shelter didn’t immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.