If your pet is a bit too spirited, the D+ Kirishima spa in southern Japan offers a Pet Dog Exorcism Plan that'll make your pup's head spin.
Pet exorcisms are performed by the senior Shinto priest at the Shingariyu shrine, located on-site at the D+ Kirishima spa in Kagoshima prefecture. Even if your pooch doesn't appear to be possessed, the ritual is recommended for dogs in their so-called “unlucky health years”.
According to the D+ Kirishima spa's website, “Seven-year-old, 10-year-old, and 13-year-old dogs need to be careful of their health, as it's easier in those years for them to gets diseases of aging.” The more you know!
Under the spa's Pet Dog Exorcism Plan, the shrine's priest conducts a ceremonial blessing that will supposedly banish any evil spirits tormenting your pet, followed up by prayers towards its good health moving forward.
The cost is just 31,000 yen (just over $300) but be aware that the plan includes not only the 30-minute exorcism ritual but the use of a luxurious room for the pet and up to two owners, along with breakfast and dinner for everyone.
A short (ten seconds!) video at the D+ Kirishima Facebook page features the highlight of the ceremony: the priest clothed in traditional Shinto attire brandishing a shaggy nusa wand to drive out the evil spirits from a surprisingly calm poodle.
Once the pet is thoroughly exorcised and dispossessed (repossessed?), the spa suggests a dip in their private swimming pool designed exclusively for dogs. The pet owners, meanwhile, enjoy a sumptuous full-course meal served with champagne... the latter likely to soften the blow when the bill arrives. (via Toronto Sun and Oddity Central)
