St. Bernards are truly Catholic dogs — monks were the ones who bred them! Living high in the treacherous pass between Switzerland and Italy, the Augustinian Canons of the Great St. Bernard Hospice trained these big, fluffy rescuers to search for travelers lost in snow and avalanches. The iconic little barrel they’re known for is likely a myth, but their heroism is real: they rescued over 2,000 people. | Catholic Tradition & Evangelization

In 1800 a mountain dog became a guardian of the Alps. In 1800, a St. Bernard dog named Barry began service at the Great St. Bernard Hospice, a dangerous mountain pass between Switzerland and Italy used by travelers and armies. Barry was trained to locate people lost in snowstorms and avalanches. Using his strong sense of smell and resistance to cold, he helped monks find stranded travelers buried beneath snowdrifts. Over a working life of more than a decade, Barry is credited in hospice records