The earliest records of this story come from Stephen of Bourbon, a Roman Catholic Church authority, around the 13th century.
Guinefort belonged to a noble family in a rural region of France. One day the lord and lady left the house, leaving their infant son in the care of their loyal dog. When they returned, they found the cradle turned upside down, the baby missing, and their dog's mouth covered with blood. Thinking the dog devoured his child, the nobleman killed Guinefort in a fit of rage. Moments later, he found his son safe behind the cradle and a dead venomous snake with blood on its body from the dog bites. Realizing his dog saved his child, the nobleman buried him in a well near his castle, covered the body with stones, and planted trees next to the grave in Guinefort's honor.
The story about the brave greyhound spread throughout the region, and the local people named Guinefort a Saint. According to Stephen of Bourbon, "The local peasants hearing of the dog's noble deed and innocent death, began to visit the place and honor the dog as a martyr in quest of help for their sicknesses and other needs." Despite the Roman Catholic church prohibiting the veneration of the dog, the legend of St. Guinefort continued for several centuries.
