History of the Saint Bernard Rescue Dogs

The Saint Bernard dog, legendary for its mountain rescues, was first bred by the monks of the Saint Bernard Monastery in Switzerland, from whom the dog borrowed its name. It was in the sixteenth century that the Pass and the Monastery were given the name of Saint Bernard.

Around 1050 AD, a fearless monk, the Holy Saint Bernard of Menthon founded a monastery high in the Swiss Alps, with the Saint Bernard Pass in the valley below. The pass was a popular route for travelers and pilgrims, as well as many traders traveling to and from Italy. These traders were the first to bring dogs to the Saint Bernard Monastery. For the next five hundred years the pass was largely abandoned and few travelers passed the monastery. No new dogs entered the Saint Bernard Monastery, and it was during this time that the Saint Bernard breed arose.

In the early 1700s, the monks began using the Saint Bernard dogs to rescue people trapped in the cold Alpine wilderness. The shaggy dense coat of the Saint Bernard protected it from the cold and allowed it to spend large amounts of time in severe conditions. They had a keen instinct for predicting bad weather, like snowstorms and avalanches, which was very useful to the monks. The dogs also began working with mountain guides who led people across the Saint Bernard Pass. They had an incredible sense of direction during the heavy snows and helped guide travelers to the safety of the monastery. Also, the monks and the dogs performed a lot of preventive work, like reports of the dogs having chests so broad that they could clear paths in the deep snow for travelers. Who knows how many thousands of people would have died if the monks and their Saint Bernards had not been there to guide travelers to safety.

It was not until 1774 that the Saint Bernard dogs became well known for their rescue abilities and were receiving international notoriety. The infamous barrel attached to the collar of the legendary Saint Bernard is only a legend; barrels filled with alcoholic beverages were an invention of storytellers. By the end of the 1800s, as many as 20,000 people stayed at the monastery each year, taking advantage of the three days' free lodging and meals offered by the monks.

Today, after almost three centuries of incredible rescue work, the Saint Bernards' work is handled by the Swiss Rescue Teams armed with helicopters and other state of the art rescue equipment. However, the monastery continues to breed and maintain Saint Bernards.

RESCUE ROOFER and the Saint Bernard Story

Discovering that you have a leak in your home coming from your roof during a rainstorm is never a pleasant experience. So, after more than a 30 years of helping thousands of customers resolve their roofing problems, Cannon Roofing's Rescue Roofer has formally adopted the practices performed by the dogs and monks of the Saint Bernard Monastery in the following manner: First, by responding quickly to the needs of our clients with 24 HR "'On-Time" Emergency Service & Repair. Secondly, by predicting and preventing roofing problems before they occur. Thirdly, by guiding and directing our clients on the right path to a mutually satisfying roofing solution. Finally, by serving our clients with the utmost respect and dignity we can offer.

Cannon Roofing's Rescue Roofer is geared up for the roofing season by staying close to our clients in their respective neighborhood. We have added a fleet of emergency-stocked vehicles and roofing equipment to be able to fix your problem (in most cases)on the spot. If the problem requires more extensive work, we offer temporary tarps and/or repairs that may be credited towards a future guaranteed expert repair or a permanent re-roofing solution.