Barry the St Bernard is living at a Cambridgeshire shelter waiting for someone to give him a loving family
A blind St Bernard with an extraordinary survival story is searching for a forever home. Barry, who has been blind since birth, is currently being looked after at a Cambridgeshire shelter..
It is run by Saving Saints, a volunteer-led rescue network operating across the UK. His carers say he is ready for a fresh start, but he needs the right home.
Barry was first owned by an organised crime boss, living alongside three other large dogs. The owner was jailed for drugs offences, leaving the dogs in limbo and needing new homes.
“At first it was thought Barry and the other St Bernard, Delilah, were a bonded pair,” said Rachel Wesley, 53, who runs Saving Saints. “But once they reached what was meant to be their forever home, it became clear Barry was struggling.”
Barry was reactive towards men, which rescuers believe may be because of trauma from his early life. He also became stressed and unhappy when living with another dog.
“He was getting grumpy and overwhelmed,” said Rachel. “That’s when we knew we had to step in and give him the calm, structured environment he desperately needed.”
Barry was moved into Saving Saints’ Cambridgeshire shelter, where he underwent a full behavioural assessment. The charity has now found that to thrive, Barry needs a quiet, rural, female-only home where he can be the only dog.
Although Barry is blind, his hearing is exceptionally acute and he is confident when navigating familiar spaces. As a double-coated breed, he enjoys spending time outdoors, but he is also deeply people-focused and needs strong bonds with his humans.
“St Bernards are incredibly sociable,” said Rachel. “Barry wants to be near his people, to know where they are, to feel safe. He may be blind, but emotionally he is very tuned in.”
Potential adopters have been told they need to understand the realities of owning a giant breed. St Bernards can weigh up to around 120kg, vet bills can be high, and their thick double coats require grooming every two days to prevent matting.
“They’re lazy most of the time, but they do have bursts of energy,” said Rachel. “They slobber, they shed everywhere, and yes, your carpets will never be the same. But what you get in return is a dog with an enormous heart.”
Rachel, who has four St Bernards of her own, says the breed’s emotional intelligence is unmatched. “They are the most amazing dogs,” she said. “They are so in tune with people’s emotions. They know when you’re sad, when you’re stressed, and they just want to be there.”
Saving Saints relies entirely on volunteers and foster homes. The charity is listed on the Pet Remedy rescue map, a gold-standard directory of trusted UK rescues, but keeping a dog like Barry in long-term care places significant strain on its resources.
“We’re small and we don’t have a lot of money,” said Rachel. “What Barry needs most is a loving home where he can finally relax and just be a dog. Wherever that home is, from the Isle of Skye to Cornwall, we’ll get him there.”