People from all walks of life love dogs. They can’t help but pet them and give them the belly rubs that they want so much.

The same can be said of José Geraldo Sobreita, a priest who had his church service crashed by an adorable dog who was just looking for attention.

A Sunday Mass is interrupted by a dog

The dog, who had shown up out of nowhere, made its way inside of the church, Paróquia Nossa Senhora das Dores parish in Brazil. After walking around for a bit and causing a commotion, he was soon by Father Siberia’s side demanding attention.

At first, the dog grabbed the priest’s robes trying to get his attention. Instead of chasing him away, the priest calmly petted him while the service continued. You can tell he is a true dog lover as he continues to rub and pet on the dog throughout the service.

At first, the dog was unruly

According to church officials, the dog came in off of the street after the Sunday Mass had already started. At first, the dog walked around the church acting unruly. He bit and pulled the towels from the altar before knocking off some flower arrangements. He was wearing a collar, so he probably had an owner who had lost track of him.

As he got up to speak, Father Sobreita grabbed the playful dog by the collar. Soon, the service was over, and the kind Father turned the dog over to someone else who took him to find his home.

Father Sobreita is a noted animal lover

Father Sobreita is a noted animal lover, having adopted a puppy abandoned in the church on Christmas Eve one year. A homeless person later identified the dog as belonging to a nearby household. It seemed his owner, who has Alzheimer’s, had left the door to the home open and had lost track of the dog.

The Father was all smiles as he petted the dog

It seemed Father Sobreita enjoyed the experience as much as the dog did, giving a big smile to the camera when he realized it was focused on him, as he petted the pooch.

Watchers of the video were impressed with the way Father Sobreita handled the whole interruption.

“Beautiful father! I loved your gesture!” said one commenter. “Each day that passes I realize animals are in this world to teach us what pure love is and that all humans should spread it.”

All in a day’s work

So far, the video has gotten over 8.6 million views after it was posted on the church’s Facebook page. The priest’s reaction is a perfect example of how all of God’s creatures, including dogs, are special and deserve respect.

You can watch Father Sobreita’s adorable interaction with the lost dog in the video below.

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Source: Facebook/Paróquia Nossa Senhora das Dores

H/T: Paw My Gosh, Bored Panda