Sergeant the St. Bernard

Hi, kids! Sergeant the St. Bernard here! I’m one of the largest dog breeds in the world—but also one of the most gentle.

I belong to the dog kind—but of course there are hundreds of species, subspecies, and breeds of dogs, from the tiny Chihuahua to, well, me. When Noah went on the Ark, he took one pair of the canid (dog) family. From that pair of dogs came all the other canine species and, later, breeds of domestic dog. Isn’t it incredible that God put the genetic diversity in that first pair of dogs to make so many species and breeds?

St. Bernards like me originated in Switzerland and France. Many years ago, St. Bernards were used in the Alps (a mountain range in Switzerland) to help find travelers who were stranded in the snow and cold.

Imagine that you were trapped by an avalanche. Wouldn’t you feel relieved to see a big, friendly looking dog coming to find you and lead you to warmth and safety.

Today, St. Bernards are used to track the scent of people who are lost.

I go out on rescue missions to find and save the lives of people who are lost in the wilderness. But Jesus came to save people who were spiritually lost in sin—even people who don’t realize they are lost. Jesus came, lived, died on a Cross, and came back to life because he loves you. God’s Word says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus always has been and always will be ready to forgive those who truly want to be found and become his children.

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus/Species: Canis lupus
Subspecies: Canis lupus familiaris
Size: 28–35 inches high
Weight: 140–260 pounds
Life Span: 8–10 years

Learn More

• St. Bernards
• Dogs