Rescuing the rescuers

Saturday, Aug. 5, 2000 | 9 a.m.

Adoption

To adopt a dog or make a donation, call the local chapter of the Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation Inc. at 896-1049.

They bounded through the snowy drifts of the Great St. Bernard Pass, digging out travelers trapped in avalanches.

The drooling, massive dogs are said to have saved nearly 2,000 people on the route that crosses the Swiss and Italian border.

Today Oli Lewis is repaying the favor the dogs provided to so many.

As a volunteer for the local Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation Inc., a national nonprofit organization that places rescued dogs in suitable homes, Lewis tours local shelters looking for Saint Bernards or any dog with a mix of the breed.

She takes calls from owners who no longer want the large dog or from residents moving into apartments with weight restrictions on pets. She also scans classified ads to see how many Saint Bernards are for sale.

The friendly dispositions of the droopy-faced dogs make Saint Bernards good house pets, Lewis said. But not all owners are committed to the investment.

"People buy a puppy because they are cute, but in three months (the dogs) are 'too big.' "

Grown males weigh between 140 and 180 pounds. Grown females weigh between 120 and 140 pounds.

The cold-weather breed is not common in Las Vegas, where summer temperatures often hit triple digits, but Lewis said she has rescued and placed more than 20 Saint Bernards in the 2 1/2 years since the local chapter became a nonprofit.

With the video release of "Beethoven's 3rd" last month, she said she expects to see a surge in sales, followed by more dogs being taken to local shelters later.

"Beethoven's 3rd" -- a sequel to "Beethoven" and "Beethoven's 2nd" -- features a family driving across country to a reunion with a huge, lovable Saint Bernard, which causes a series of distressing, but comical, events.

The original movie reflects a common situation: a family taking in a cuddly Saint Bernard puppy that grows into an unruly, massive dog.

"Nine months from now, when they get big, I'll probably be getting phone calls," Lewis said.

"The priority is to get them out of a shelter. Big dogs are the first to (be put down) in shelters, because they take up so much room."

The "Beethoven" movies aren't the only films that send parents to pet stores. A local woman who rescues unwanted Dalmatians is preparing for the release of "102 Dalmatians" this fall. Previous releases of Walt Disney Co.'s original "101 Dalmatians" resulted in an increase in abandoned Dalmatians.

"It's impulsive shopping," Lewis said. "They see how cute the puppies are. They run out and buy one. Six months later they have a big dog."

Lewis is picking up a Saint Bernard this month in Bullhead City, Ariz., from a soon-to-be mother who won't be able to handle both her baby and the large pet.

In her spacious Green Valley home, the dogs' heavy panting bounces off the walls. When not trailing behind her, the hairy masses lie sprawled on the cool tile for hours.

When newly rescued dogs -- most 9 months to 3 years old -- come to Lewis' home for foster care, they occupy a spare bedroom before being introduced to other dogs. Lewis said she has had up to five in the house at one time.

Taking in the breed is not a burden for Lewis. A Saint Bernard lover, she has already adopted three of the animals.

They're easygoing, she said. "The breed sleeps a lot. I call them area rugs."

Isabella was her first adoptee. She found the dog three years ago while walking through the Henderson Animal Shelter. Katie was rescued from a domestic dispute, and Beauregard, a 175-pound-male "that only a mother could love," came from the Animal Foundation. Lewis uses Katie for canine therapy at convalescent homes.

Portraits of the females hang on the Lewis' walls. Saint Bernard collectibles and stuffed animals are scattered throughout her house.

She evens wears Saint Bernard earrings.

Lewis said after adopting her first dog, she "truly fell in love with all dogs." But the Saint Bernard's history drew her in.

The dogs were trained for rescues during the 1700s by monks at the St. Bernard Hospice, which served travelers caught in the snow. Bernard Montijoix, the patron saint of alpinists and skiers, began shelters for travelers in the Swiss Alps.

Legendary "Barry," a Saint Bernard who lived from 1800 to 1814, is said to have saved more than 40 people. A dog's body representing Barry is on exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Berne, Switzerland. The last known documented rescue by a Saint Bernard was in 1897.

The famous keg attached to rescue dogs' collars, however, is a myth, Lewis said. The dogs never carried them.

On May 28, the Roman Catholic feast day for St. Bernard, Lewis, with her husband, Fred, and the dogs watched "Beethoven's 2nd," their favorite of the series.

Dogs adopted from Lewis' rescue cost $100 to $150, depending on how much medical attention such as spaying, neutering or shots was needed. Local pet stores charge about $600. The average breeder in Las Vegas will charge $450.

"These are pet-quality Saint Bernards, not show dogs," Lewis said fondly as she pointed to Isabella's cock-eye and lazy tongue.

Even so, homes are always found for the dogs -- even the odd breed mixtures, such as Hedgehog, a dog with a German shepherd face and a Saint Bernard body. Hedgehog was adopted in three days.

The Animal Foundation, 700 N. Mojave Road, also places abandoned Saint Bernards with families.

Because of their size, the dogs at the Animal Foundation take a little longer to adopt out, according to Mary Herro, founder and president of the shelter. The foundation holds animals for 30 days, which gives them a better chance.

"We do maintain wish lists of people's favorite breeds," she said. "That helps us place bigger dogs."

The foundation's shelter receives about two Saint Bernards a month -- not from people who are moving, which is the main reason that animals are brought in each month, but usually because Animal Control officers found the dogs wandering through neighborhoods.

"They're just like lumbering little children," Janie Gonzales, a shelter receiver, said. "They like to wander around. But when they come in, they're just exhausted. The heat is really bad for them."

Saint Bernards are hard to keep at the facility because they get so hot, she said. "We usually try to foster them out or call Saint Bernard Rescue."

Lewis said many of the breed-specific rescue groups keep in contact with each other. If volunteers from KC's Pug Rescue, Basset Hound Rescue or Samoyed Rescue spot a Saint Bernard, they'll notify Lewis. Likewise, she contacts other groups when she sees their breeds in shelters.

Lewis said she just wants people to learn more about a breed when they are buying so that they know what they're getting.

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