How much for that doggy in Switzerland?

The original line of St. Bernard dogs, raised and bred by Augustinian monks in the Great St. Bernard Pass, Switzerland for more than 300 years, is for sale. These larger-than-life national symbols of Switzerland are credited with saving as many as 2,500 travelers who were trapped in avalanches of the snowy pass over the centuries. But the 18 remaining dogs, which each consume 4 to 5 pounds of meat a day, are too much for the dwindling number of monks-in-residence to care for, and the dogs are no longer needed for rescue services that can now be accomplished with helicopters and heat sensors.

According to The New York Times, there are only four Augustinians left at the hospice St. Bernard himself founded in 1050, and they have said they need to devote their time to the service of needy people in the area. This has caused quite a controversy on a local, national, and even international level.

Chief breeder for the dogs, Bernard Leger, told the Times the monks do not love the dogs. "The people around the world think how nice a story--monks, dogs, avalanches--but if you think [that], it's not true, The monks don't like the dogs. They don't caress them. No, no."

But the monks insist the only thing that will change is the ownership of the dogs and the administration of their breeding, puppy sales, and kenneling. The dogs will still live at the hospice in the warmer months, and tourists can still flock to the location to see them. The monks have been receiving as many as 15 media calls a day on the subject, much to the irritation of Brother Frederic Gaillard, who told the Times that the outcome of the American election ought to worry people more than Swiss dogs.