Monks of the Hospice of the Great St Bernard, in the mountains on the Swiss-Italian border, announced in September that they lacked the funds to continue breeding and caring for the huge dogs. They said that their 15 St Bernards would have to be sold.

Now 33 local villages — 22 in Switzerland and 11 in Italy — are setting up a foundation to shoulder the financial burden of the kennels. They are joined by St Bernard breeders’ associations in both countries.

Under the new arrangements, experts from the Italian and Swiss St Bernard clubs will take over the technical side of the breeding.

“These dogs represent the history of the breed,” Giovanni Morsiani, president of the Italian St Bernard Club, said. “If they were no longer there, it would be like having Naples without any pizzas or England without roast beef. We are determined that the tradition should continue.”

Each of the dogs at the snowy hospice where the breed was created four centuries ago costs €200 (£141) a day to keep. These costs will now be divided among the 35 members of the foundation, which is to be formally constituted next month. Benoit Vouilloz, the abbot of the hospice, said that he was relieved that a solution had been found. The monks, who these days have no real use for the dogs, have reportedly come to see them as an unsustainable burden on their finances.

The monastery was founded in 1050 by St Bernard of Monthen on Mont Jovis, above the St Bernard Pass, as a refuge for medieval pilgrims and travellers seeking shelter from avalanches and robbers.

Its monks were the first to use the dogs to rescue people lost in the Alpine snow, relying on their sense of direction, their instinct for sensing bad weather and their outstanding sense of smell.

The big, shaggy dogs, renowned for their loyalty and good nature, soon became famous the world over and a source of pride for local people.

Carlo Cerise, head of the local Friends of St Bernard Dogs committee, said: “This is a wonderful Christmas present. Thanks to the collaboration of all these mountain villages, we have been able to guarantee a secure future for these dogs that have always been the emblem of our valleys and our pass.”

The news also delighted the local tourist business, which would lose an important attraction if the St Bernards no longer lived in their traditional home. “Mountain lovers always ask about the St Bernards when they are in the area,” one Alpine guide said. “Lots of them make a detour to visit the kennels.”

The dogs, often referred to affectionately as “saints”, are believed to have rescued 2,500 people over the years. The most famous St Bernard was a dog called Barry, who is said to have saved about 40 lives in the early 19th century. One of the dogs at the kennels is always named Barry in his honour and the new foundation bears his name

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