St. John Bosco had a pet dog in his youth while St. Philip Neri had a cat in his old age. St. Francis of Paola had a pet fish that was cooked one day. So, St. Francis of Paola raised it from the dead by the power of God.
Saint Brigid even tamed animals. Back in her time, the law stated that if a thief was in a Church no-one was allowed to arrest him. One day a group of hunters chased a wild boar into Church and wanted to come in and kill it. The men said that the Church refuge rule did not apply to animals. Saint Brigid said the rule did indeed apply, and so the hunters were forced to leave. She then gave the exhausted boar a drink and it ended up living on her personal farm with the cows she owned.
St. Rocco and St Lazarus the Beggar are pictured with a dog, and St. Anthony of Padua even preached to fish that listened to him. St. Francis negotiated with a wolf and even preached to birds telling them to glorify God. St. Jerome had a lion, and St. Giles had a deer.
As we can see, kindness towards animals and creation is a sign of holiness and respect for God. Whether or not if we can talk with animals like some saints, we all need to show them respect.
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St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, had a dog named Tom. When her family home was broken up and some of the furniture was delivered to the Carmel where she lived, Tom followed the wagons down the hill and wandered into the courtyard of Carmel. Although the nuns had lowered their veils over their faces, as they usually did when outsiders entered the enclosure, Tom knew Therese and jumped up on her, hiding under her veil. She was so moved by seeing him again that she had to tear herself away.
A spider saved Pope Felix's life from Roman soldiers. A dog saved St. Don Bosco from being dragged away and killed by two men. St Elizabeth of Hungary had a falcon. St. Rose of Lima made a bargine with the mosquitoes in her grotto, not to bite her and she would not kill them. St. Matin de Porres made a bargine with the mice who where eating the brothers and his grain , to stop eating the grain and he would feed them at the end of the field.
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