Things got a little wild Sunday at St. Andrew&8217;s Episcopal Church in Montevallo.

All creatures great and small&8212;but mostly dogs&8212;got a special blessing to commemorate the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

Each year, the church hosts a Blessings of the Animals to honor the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a nature lover and patron saint of animals and the environment.

According to legend, St. Francis quieted a wolf and saved the lives of those in its path by speaking to the wolf and giving it a blessing.

But church rector Father Jim Tuohy said the day is about far more than honoring a saint. He believes man has a responsbility to take care of God&8217;s creation.

He quotes the Book of Genesis, where Adam is given dominion over the &8220;beasts of the field&8221; and the &8220;fowl of the air.&8221;

&8220;We are charged to stewardship of this creation of God&8217;s, to take care of all the critters, even the mean ones,&8221; said Father Tuohy.

On Sunday, Tuohy blessed about a half dozen cats and dogs, including Em, a 20-year-old American tabby, and Packo, a 6-year-old Chihuahua who was decked out in Harley Davidson gear.

However, during past services, Tuohy has blessed everything from dogs and cats, to iguanas and snakes, and even fish and ducks.

Before the blessings, the congregation sang &8220;All Things Bright and Beautiful&8221; and prayed for Alabama&8217;s endangered species.

Blessings of the Animals services are typically done at Episcopal, Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches