Bolivian Monastery Adopts Stray Dog & Now He’s The Cutest Friar In The World.

Picture a friar, and Friar Bigotón is probably the last image that comes to mind. He has fanged teeth, a thick, white mustache and stands barely two feet tall. And that’s only when he’s standing on his hind legs.

Yes, you guessed it. A a stray dog joined the order of a Franciscan monastery in Cochabamba, Bolivia, last spring, thanks to local animal rescue group Proyecto Narices Frías — which translates to “Cold Nose Project.â€

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The Friars just so happen to have mini-habits for the puppets they use to entertain kids, so they commandeered one of the outfits for a photo shoot soon after their newest recruit joined the order.

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And once images from the photo shoot went public, people couldn’t get enough of him.

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Officially, this adorable Schnauzer’s name is Carmelo, but unofficially, he goes by Friar Bigotón (“Brother Mustacheâ€). The name was inspired by one of the other friars, a mustachioed brother named Carmelo.

The order teaches the ways of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, so it appears this little guy couldn’t have found a better home.

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The friars take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but they say this little friar has a habit of biting and hiding things in the gardens. As far as anyone knows, he just stares longingly at the koi and hasn’t ever tried to go fishing.

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He obviously has some impulse-control issues he needs to work on before he can fulfill that last vow, but for the most part, it’s a win-win situation and the brothers couldn’t be happier.

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

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Meanwhile, Proyecto Narices Frías hopes Friar Bigotón’s story will encourage other churches to open their doors to strays and set an example for their parishioners.

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