It’s a Dog’s Life
The example of St Francis of Assisi
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider the importance of taking responsibility for the care of animals.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides accompanying this assembly (It’s a Dog’s Life) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Welcome the students. - Explain that you are going to show a series of slides and you want the students to see if they recognise the celebrity they see on the screen.
- Show Slide 2.
Listen to responses from students.
This is Toulouse – the dog who featured on the front cover of Vogue magazine, alongside his owner, Ariana Grande. Toulouse is a Beagle-Chihuahua mix whom Ariana adopted from a shelter. - Show Slide 3.
Listen to responses from students.
Here we see Roscoe, alongside his owner, Lewis Hamilton. Roscoe, a bulldog, was adopted by Hamilton in 2013. In September 2025, Hamilton posted on Instagram about his love for Roscoe after the death of his beloved pet. - Show Slide 4.
Listen to responses from students.
Here we see Rodney, alongside his owner, reality TV show star, Pete Wicks. Rodney is a rescue Rottweiler puppy, adopted through the Dogs Trust in Basildon, a charity for which Pete acts as an ambassador. - So, why are dogs the stars of the show in our assembly today?
It’s because International Dog Day is held on 26th August every year and 2026 is no exception. International Dog Day was created in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige, to bring awareness to the condition of animals and to encourage adoption of rescue dogs. The aim of the day is to help people take better care of their pets and make more responsible choices when choosing or looking after a dog. Each of the celebrities we’ve seen on the slides are keen dog lovers and have gone to great lengths to care for their pets, all of whom are rescue dogs. - In honour of International Dog Day, let’s consider four facts about dogs that we may, or may not be aware of:
Firstly, did you know that dogs can help us relieve stress?
Studies show that when we stroke a dog our body releases the hormone oxytocin that helps us to relax and relieves stress, which also lowers our blood pressure. Alongside that, there is good news for dogs – being stroked helps a dog to get an oxytocin boost, too!
Secondly, dogs have a fantastic sense of smell. According to vet charity PDSA, the area of cells in the brain that detect different smells is around 40 times larger in dogs than humans. This means dogs can generally use their sense of smell far more effectively than humans, which explains why they are often used as sniffer dogs in the police force.
Thirdly, dogs can learn to understand language. With training, dogs will respond to language. For example, they can learn words such as ball, walk or fetch. Studies have shown dogs have the capacity to learn around 100 words, with some dogs able to learn to understand a wider vocabulary of up to 1000 words. A 2026 study found that specifically gifted dogs can learn the names of new toys simply by listening to their owners speak, even without direct training or seeing the item.
Finally, did you know that dogs sweat too? Unlike humans, dogs cannot sweat through their skin to cool down, so they rely instead on panting, which evaporates moisture from the tongue and lungs as their main method of temperature regulation. Dogs can also sweat through their paws, so hot or stressed dogs will leave damp paw prints.
Time for reflection
Dogs can enrich our lives. Ariana Grande, Lewis Hamilton and Pete Wicks all speak about their love for their dogs, and how much joy they get from their pets. Dogs are often called a man’s best friend; they can be great company and are often loyal helpers to humans.
Christians believe that dogs, like all animals, are part of God’s creation. As such, they see humans as having a responsibility to care for animals, including their dogs. To hurt, mistreat or abuse a pet dog would go against the Christian belief that humans have a duty to care for God’s creation.
This idea of caring for animals is something that the medieval figure, Saint Francis of Assisi, was famous for.
Show Slide 5.
Here we see an artistic impression of Francis of Assisi, surrounded by animals. He is someone who loved animals and the environment. St Francis was renowned for his deep love for animals, treating them as brothers and sisters. In some Christian traditions, the example he set us in remembered on 4th October where a blessing of the animals takes place in his honour. People are invited to bring their pets, including their dogs, to church to remember and honour animals as a celebrated part of God’s creation.
Whether or not we are dog lovers, and whether or not we have a pet dog, let’s take a few moments to consider ways we can care for the creatures and animals of our world.
Let’s consider 3 questions:
Firstly, what animals matter to you?
Pause to allow time for reflection.
How can you show care and responsibility to animals?
Pause to allow time for reflection.
Finally, how do you feel about Francis of Assisi’s belief that animals are created by a loving God?
Pause to allow time for reflection.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Many people know what it is to love animals, including their pet dogs.
Francis of Assisi was one of these people.
He loved all of your creatures and saw them as brothers and sisters.
May we be inspired by this example to treat every living thing with kindness.
Please help us to be caring and responsible pet owners.
Please help us to be humans who share our planet generously with animals.
Amen
