St. Francis tames a wolf terrorizing the town of Gubbio and makes a pact with dogs to leave him alone.
St. Francis saw all animals as brothers and sisters, and believed they should be treated as equals:
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men. All creatures have the same source as we have. Like us, they derive the life of thought, love, and will from the Creator. Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them; but to stop there is a complete misapprehension of the intentions of Providence. We have a higher mission. God wishes that we should succour them whenever they require it."
According to The Little Flowers of St. Francis, written by Brother Ugolino di Monte Santa Maria in the early 1300s, Francis of Assisi saved the Italian town of Gubbio from a ferocious wolf who was killing livestock and some of the people. The town was unable to kill the wolf so they went to see Francis to ask for his help - they had heard that God talked to him and he could talk to animals.
Francis came to the town and and went out to confront the wolf. The wolf ran up to him with his jaws open and ready to attack. As the wolf came closer, Francis made the sign of the cross and said, "Come hither, brother wolf; I command thee, in the name of Christ, neither to harm me nor anybody else." At that moment, the wolf lowered its head and was as gentle as a lamb.
Francis led the wolf to the town, and because the wolf had killed out of hunger, the townsfolk agreed to feed him and the dogs agreed to leave him alone. Everyone got along peacefully, and when the wolf died of old age two years later, the people of Gubbio mourned his loss greatly.
