GALLERY: Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch’s 8-month-old Saint Bernard canine ambassador brings 98 pounds of joy to guests
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Bachelor is 8 months old and already weighs 98 pounds.
Casey Russell | crussell@vaildaily.com
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Bachelor plays on the lawn outside the Fireside Bar.
Casey Russell | crussell@vaildaily.com
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Bachelor loves meeting kids and taking pictures.
Casey Russell | crussell@vaildaily.com
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Bachelor’s owner brings him to the hotel Tuesdays through Fridays to meet guests.
Casey Russell | crussell@vaildaily.com
Guests at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch have been playing with puppies since the canine ambassador program started years ago. This year, guests have been meeting a new face: Bachelor, a 98-pound, 8-month-old Saint Bernard puppy.
Bachelor and Scout, a Bernese Mountain dog who’s been a dog ambassador for four years, can be found with their owners in the lobby or outside by the Fireside Bar at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. They take hikes up the Bachelor Gulch ski slopes with the hotel’s resident naturalist and guests hiking up in the mornings. In the winter time, he curls up by the fire.
The program started when Vail Valley local Kristin Yantis worked as the director of public relations at the hotel, from 2002-2004. The first dog ambassador was a labrador. As the program grew over time, the hotel determined that a lovable and lazy Saint Bernard would be perfect, then realized that playful Berneses would make a great complement.
Bachelor is always excited to meet kids, who often come over to say hello between swims in the pool.
“It’s one of the first hotels to have a dog program, and even allow dogs to stay at the hotel,” said Jean Alexander, director of sales. “It’s something of a tradition we’re keeping. People come back year after year, looking for the dog.”
