AN IRISHMAN has made a seemingly im-paws-ible discovery about the St Bernard he rescued from an animal shelter.
Pilot Brian Kavanagh adopted his beloved pet pooch Ben roughly 18 months ago.
However, it was only recently that he learned his cuddly canine was actually part of Hollywood acting royalty.
Tracing back Ben’s blood lineage, Brian was shocked to discover his dog was actually the grandson of Chris, aka the star of the hit Beethoven film franchise.
Released back in 1992, Beethoven centred on the Newton family and the comedic trials and tribulations they face after adopting a slobbering St. Bernard.
Named Beethoven after he barks along to a piano rendition of the composers famous Fifth Symphony, the film stars Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt and features an early role for future X Files star David Duchovny.
It was a huge hit, raking in over $147 million at the box office against a budget of just $18 million. It also spawned four sequels and a further three spin-off movies, making Chris kind of a big deal in the process.
Chris had already fathered a fair few pups by the time Beethoven hit cinemas – he was 12 at the time – so it makes complete sense that Brian’s beloved pet Ben would be related.
"He is pretty much famous, we got his blood lineage done and he tracks all the way back to the original Beethoven in the lineage of his family and his paperwork, so he has that bit of pedigree," Brian told The Irish Sun.
"He is one of the last grand puppies from that dog, you trace it back through their paperwork and his family tree is recorded all the way back to the original Beethoven."
Still just two-and-a-half, Ben has enjoyed a rags-to-riches upturn in fortunes, having gone from a life of torment and abuse with his previous owner, to one of luxury and jet-setting via Brian’s job as a pilot.
"I don’t fly commercially, it’s all private, so he comes with me," Brian told the newspaper.
"The biggest flight he has been on is Hong Kong last year, we are going to New York soon too."
After a spate of stories about abandoned dogs being left for dead in Ireland, it’s nice to have a story with a happy ending.
See More: Beethoven, Dog, Film, Irish, Movies
