From stray to monk: abandoned dog becomes ‘Brother Whiskers’ at Franciscan monastery

The roads that once connected the villages of the distant Württemberg region in southwestern Germany with the rest of Bavaria—then divided into countless counties and duchies—were far from reliable. Travelers had to remain on high alert: from bandits to storms, those paths were a geyser of dangers. It was in that setting that the schnauzer emerged—a friendly little dog that accompanied local shepherds on their journeys.

For some twist of fate—a curious outcome of the decisions that end up shaping history—schnauzers are once again trending on social media. Not because of any German adventure. The reason is Friar Carmelo, known online as “Brother Whiskers”: a schnauzer who lives in a Bolivian monastery and, like the rest of the friars, wears a brown habit.

The story of ‘Brother Whiskers’

His chronicles began in 2017, when the story of his adoption first came to light. A group of monks from the San Francisco convent in Cochabamba went out in search of a puppy to brighten the days at the monastery. And they found one. Little Carmelo was at a local shelter, his home after being found wandering the streets of the Bolivian city.

A man named Tomás shared his short story in 2023: “After being abandoned by his family, this puppy was adopted by Franciscan monks and now lives with them in their community; he became ‘Brother Whiskers,’” he wrote. The overwhelming majority of users celebrated the dog’s new life and his spiritual transformation. Others took a bit longer to process what they were seeing. “He looks like a Jedi,” one user joked.

Animals, a key part of the Franciscan imagination

And so, “Brother Whiskers” was born. And the Franciscan monks smiled once more. “The dog has plenty of space to play and run freely. He even has a fountain to drink from and cool off whenever he wants,” one of the friars said when the story went viral, clarifying that “he has no duties of any kind” and confessing the love they all feel for him: “We all love him very much here. He’s now one of God’s creatures.”

This tale actually makes sense from a religious—and more specifically, iconographic—perspective. The Franciscans follow the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, veterinarians, and environmentalists. Old writings describe how even swallows followed him with devotion, forming a cross in the sky above his head. Centuries later, fate would have it that a schnauzer from the distant region of Württemberg would end up in a monastery in Bolivia.

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