Losing a Bernese Mountain Dog is not easy, especially because they are easy to spot.
They can weigh up to 110 pounds, and their ancestry can be traced back, in part, to the ancient Roman mastiffs. The American Kennel Club describes them as loyal, calm, and high-energy. They are known for being loyal, calm, and energetic, according to the American Kennel Club.
Two Bernese Mountain Dogs have been found in the same area of Murrysville since January. One of them was diagnosed as malnourished by a local vet. This has raised concerns among residents that the dogs may have been abandoned.
The first dog was found on Jan. 7 at the corner of Hilty and Maiolie roads. It was a female with a flea collar but no tag or microchip. Despite sharing its information and photo on Facebook over 1,000 times, the owner could not be found.
Lynn Petrocelli of Murrysville said, “When the first dog was found, after about two weeks I’d called a bunch of local police departments, local vets, Walkers Pet Ho-Tail (on Route 22) and we got no response. We thought maybe it could be an older dog owner who doesn’t use social media.”
Another Bernese was found early Wednesday morning on the porch of a Sinan Farm Drive home, less than two miles from where the first one was found.
Karen Artuso of Norvelt, president of the Three Rivers Bernese Mountain Dog Club, found it odd and is now working to locate the owner.
Maria Germansky of Murrysville, who is currently looking after the second Bernese, said, “We’ve been calling him ‘Moose,’ because he’s a giant. He does have a chip, but it’s unregistered.”
Petrocelli and Christine Jurmann of Murrysville used the chip's number to trace the manufacturer.
Jurmann explained, “The first few numbers will give you an idea of where the chip is from. This one is a type you can buy on Amazon and put in yourself. A lot of ‘backyard’ breeders tend to use those chips.”
Germansky said ‘Moose’ was in poor condition when she first saw him.
She added, “It seems like either he was out for a very long time, or he escaped from a place where he wasn’t taken care of. His coat was very matted. At first we thought his nails were trimmed, but when we took him to the vet, they turned out to be worn out, almost to the quick, from running. The vet said he was malnourished.”
Germansky spent most of her day off Wednesday trying to find the owner, reaching out to Artuso’s group and another club, Berners of Pittsburgh, but without success.
She said, “Somebody has to be missing him. I’d bet money he came from a ‘backyard’ breeder, especially considering the other Bernese that was found nearby.”
