Friar Bigotón, also known as Friar Moustache, was a stray dog living on the streets of Cochabamba, Bolivia until he was adopted by St Francis Monastery. The Franciscan monks, who follow the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi – the patron of animals – took the poor orphaned dog under their roof and have since given him a happy life filled with playing, running and cuddles.
According to fellow friar Jorge Fernandez, everyone in the monastery loves Friar Bigotón and sees him as a “creature of God”. In fact, the dog is so beloved that he even gets to wear a habit, and was once spotted attending to his “monk duties”.
The local animal rescue organization, Proyecto Narices Frías (Cold Nose Project), commended the monastery’s kindness and called on all churches in Bolivia to follow their example: “If only all the churches of our country [would] adopt a dog and care for him like Friar Bigotón … we are sure that the parishioners would follow his example.”
