Patron Saint of animals and the environment!

A legend tells that in the city of Gubbio, where Francis lived for some time, there was a wolf "terrifying and ferocious,
who devoured men as well as animals. Francis had compassion upon the townsfolk, and went up into the hills to
find the wolf. Soon fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, but the saint pressed on
and when he found the wolf he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one.
Miraculously the wolf closed his jaws and lay down at the feet of St. Francis. "Brother Wolf, you do
much harm in these parts and you have done great evil"; said Francis. "All these people accuse you and curse you;
But brother wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people."; Then Francis led the wolf into the town,
and surrounded by startled citizens he made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had; done evil out of hunger;
the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks
. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis, ever the lover of animals, even made a pact
on behalf of the town dogs, that they would not bother the wolf again. This is just one tale of the
good deeds of St. Francis of Assisi. A friend of animals, the environment and the natural world!

Prayer for the Animals by Albert Schweitzer
Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends, the animals. Especially for animals who are suffering
for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death.
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them, we ask a
a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends
to animals, and so to share the blessings of the merciful

Prayers for Sick Animals
Healing and transforming God, your love knows no boundaries, and in your sight every life is
precious; look with compassion on [name of animal], and make us your agents of
healing in a broken world. Amen.

God of the universe, be present with this your creature. Bless [name of animal] and
[name of human companion] who cares for him/her, now and always. Amen.

May God, who heals the sick, defends the vulnerable, cares for the poor, and liberates all
creation from suffering and injustice, bring us all to that peaceable kingdom when
all creatures shall live in harmony and all suffering shall be transformed
into joy. Amen

Prayer in Memory of a Pet
Almighty God, I was fortunate to receive the gift of (pet name) from You
Now that he (she) has left this life, please help me cope with my loss with
strength and courage. I know that my beloved companion no longer suffers,
and will live on in many fond memories.
May they be treated with the care and respect
As he (she) has enriched my life, I pray that I may enrich the
lives of others. Amen. Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation.

I hope you find these animal quotes and pet sayings enjoyable & inspirational.
If you have any favourite pet quotes about our animal companions you would like me to post on these pages, please let me know

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language." ~ Martin Buber

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~ Immanual Kant

"My little dog -- a heartbeat at my feet." ~ Edith Wharton

"A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution." ~ Hazel Nicholson

"The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals" ~ Anonymous

"Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!" ~ Theophile Gautier

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras

"There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat." ~ Wesley Bates


"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us" ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

"A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself." ~ Josh Billings

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

"Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to." ~ Joe Gores
"Dogs have owners, cats have staff." ~ Anonymous

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful." ~ Ann Landers

"In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat" ~ Warren Eckstein

"A house is not a home without a pet." ~ Anonymous

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul." ~ Jean Cocteau

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans" ~ James Herriot

"I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contained,

I stand and look at them long and long." ~ Walt Whitman

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." ~ Ben Williams

"A dog maybe a man's best friend but a horse made history..." ~ Anonymous

"No heaven will not ever Heaven be; Unless my cats are there to welcome me." ~ Anonymous

"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives." ~ Sue Murphy

"To err is human, to forgive, canine" ~ Anonymous

"To err is human, to purr, feline" ~ Robert Byrne

"A horse gallops with his lungs, Perseveres with his heart, And wins with his character." ~ Tesio

"A Horse! A Horse! my kingdom for a horse!" ~ Shakespeare

"All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it." ~ Samuel Butler

"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

"There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before." ~ Robert Lynd

"The dog was created especially for children. He is the God of frolic." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"The Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him." ~ Rudyard Kipling

"If I have any beliefs about immortality it is that certain dogs I know will go to heaven, and very very few people." ~ James Thurber

"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg." ~ Samuel Butler

"I've met many thinkers and many cats, but the wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." ~ Hippolyte Taine

"Every boy should have two things: a dog, and a mother willing to let him have one" ~ Anonymous

"Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled" ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue." ~ Anonymous

"The dog represents all that is best in man." ~ Etienne Charlet

"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp." ~ John Berry

"And God took a handful of southernly wind, blew His breath over it and created the horse." ~ Bedouin Legend

"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." ~ Andrew A. Rooney

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." ~ Chinese Proverb

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." ~ Mary Bly
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." ~ George Elliot

"The Trouble with a kitten is That Eventually it becomes a Cat" ~ Ogden Nash

"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too." ~ Samuel Butler

"I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." ~ Abraham Lincoln

"If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because you lap is warmer." ~ Alfred North Whitehead

"...he will be our friend for always and always and always." ~ Rudyard Kipling

"The best thing about animals is that they don't talk much." ~ Thornton Wilder

"When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her." ~ Montaigne