England's 900 year old Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire has welcomed Eric and Flo to its team.
Believed to be a national first, the two black labradors became church staff after the head verger of the ancient abbey, Chris Skepper - who owns the dogs - encountered a bit of a scheduling problem.
He was left in a bit of a quandary last year when his wife and daughter went away from home for an extended period of time leaving him alone with the two dogs. So, he decided to seek permission to bring Eric and Flo to work with him, so they would not be left on their own for long stretches. It was initially only meant to last whilst his family were away, but the hounds became popular very quickly - so now they are a permanent part of the church team.
They arrive like clockwork at Tewkesbury Abbey on three days every week and every other Sunday - having been enrolled as official ‘assistant vergers’. The pair are also acting as therapy dogs for anyone who visits the Abbey.
“People absolutely love them - staff and visitors alike,” said Chris. “Labradors are bred for a job, and they want to be with you and please you. As long as you give clear direction, they know their purpose.”
As head verger, Chris is responsible for doing all the ‘behind the scenes preparation’ for the Abbey - including preparing for all the services, moving chairs, polishing, and cleaning.
Chris says the Labradors are brilliant at their new jobs and love coming in to 'work'. “I can tell, when I bring them to work and they hop out the car and I put their lanyards on, that they they know what they’re doing - and their tails are wagging away!”
"All God's creatures are welcome in Tewkesbury Abbey," he added.