Christ the King Episcopal Church in Sturgeon Bay celebrated the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Saturday by holding a blessing for area animals. Assisi is the patron saint of animals and is acclaimed across Christian denominations. Reverend Olin Sletto presides over Christ the King and Holy Nativity in Jacksonport. The Sturgeon Bay blessing is the larger of the two events, hosted on the first Saturday of October. Sletto says the blessing has become a community tradition but there's still one thing missing. 

Sletto stood guard out in front of the church with Deacon John Koski, armed with Assisi pins to attach to a collar or leash and a supply of Milk Bones. It's not always lighthearted. Sletto recounted a time when he was asked to bless a dog in its final days. Video of the blessing accompanies the story at Door County Daily News dot com.