Monastery Adopts Stray Puppy, And Now He's Living His Best Life As A Friar

by Elana

1 Oct 2022

There is no denying that dogs are remarkable animals. They are resilient and infinitely loyal, and they're capable of things we can't even imagine.

But, have you ever imagined a dog becoming a monk? Nope, neither have we, yet here we are.

Meet Carmelo, or Friar Bigotón as he's now known. He is a unique resident of the Franciscan Monastery of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The reason he's so unique is that, well, he has fur! And the pup is not just a friar by name alone - he even has his very own habit to wear.

As crazy as it may seem, it's kind of appropriate that the monastery would have a dog as a friar since the saint after which the Franciscan order was established was St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. How cool!

Carmelo may have a super cool life now, but life wasn't always easy for the pup. He lived on the streets for a long time, but thankfully he was rescued by a local animal shelter, Proyecto Narices Frías, before being adopted by the monastery.

The shelter hopes that Carmelo's successful story may lead to other dogs being adopted. And perhaps even some other monasteries might embrace the concept of adopting a furry resident of their own.

So, what exactly does a doggy friar do at a monastery? Well, according to Jorge Fernandez, a fellow monk, he spends his time as any other pup would.

"His life is all about playing and running," Jorge said. "Here, all of the brothers love him very much. He is a creature of God."

You can see some adorable pictures of Carmelo in action below. Keep scrolling to see the furry monk living his best life as Friar Bigotón.