St.Bernard dogs are Catholic. And they were bred by monks!
The big fluffy dog with the barrel around its neck was bred for holy rescue missions.
These dogs were bred by the Augustinian Canons of the Great St. Bernard Hospice, a monastery located in the dangerous, snowy pass between Switzerland and Italy.
The monks trained the dogs to find lost travelers buried in avalanches. The famous barrel (though perhaps legendary) was said to contain brandy to warm the victim. They saved over 2,000 lives.