Beliefnet has the story of a female Anglican priest who gave communion to a dog:
A snip:
The Toronto Star reports that according to those in attendance, it was a spontaneous gesture intended to make both the dog and its owner — a first-timer at the church — feel welcome.
Peggy Needham, a lay official who was sitting near the altar, said that when it was when it was time for Communion, the man went up to receive the bread and the wine, with the dog.
“I am sure for (Rea) that was a surprise, like it was for all of us,” Needham told the Star. “But nobody felt like it was a big deal, because it wasn’t a big deal.”
Needham added that she doesn’t recall the man asking for the sacrament for his dog. Instead, she said the priest leaned over and placed the wafer on the canine’s wagging tongue. No wine was offered to the dog.
The congregant who quit the church has also filed a complaint with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, saying the sacred ritual had been desecrated.
Bishop Patrick Yu said he wrote to the parishioner that “it is not the policy of the Anglican Church to give Communion to animals. I can see why people would be offended.
OK, now I would even draw the line here. I don’t think the dog should be given communion for the same reason that a child who isn’t of the age of reason shouldn’t: They don’t understand what the sacrament is.
However…(there’s always a however), I also don’t think that we should get all bent out of shape over this at this point. OK, the priest made a bad call and now it’s over. Move on. Besides, since Jesus went to the cross, died and came back, I think He can probably take care of himself just fine.
And a further note: Bread isn’t good for dogs–even if it were the bread of life. Yahoo answers has more:
Dogs are true omnivores, while humans are frugivores. Dogs undoubtedly have the strong stomach acids to break down the EMPTY carbs of white bread and thus utilize it while humans, lacking the enzymes for this and many other foods we eat today, excrete it for the most part. If you want a good idea of what happens to the dog would be if you went on a fast for a few days, then ate only white sugar for a day: your starved body will attempt to utilize the sugar your body knows is bad and you will come down with pneumonia from a compromised immune system and digestive problems from trying to process the white sugar.
Dogs going to mass is a whole other story which as you know, I wholeheartedly support. Communion for dogs? Not so much. Even Haze the Dog agrees.
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/07/priest-under-fire-for-serving.php#ixzz0uXWufpi3