st. JOHNSBURY, VA (AP) — Anpce has been asking about Dog Mountain for many years, but hasn’t traveled to the park until earlier this month.
“I really wanted to see this place,” she said as she visited the property with one-year-old border collie Tam. “I put a note on my previous border collie. He was my best companion.”
Set on 150 acres on the hillside of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Dog Mountain has become a destination for dog lovers who want to explore nature, incorporate art, and salute their pets.
The park was created 25 years ago by Vermont folk artist Stephen Hanneck and his wife, Gwen, and features hiking trails, swimming ponds, art galleries and dog chapels, allowing visitors to add thousands of photos and notes to pets covering the chapel’s walls.
“It definitely takes a breather. When you think about each of the photos here, it’s a lot of love,” said Vanessa Hurley, who visited with her husband and two dogs in Ohio. “Both dogs and cats, they just bring so much fun to our lives,” she said.
Inspired by the bond he shared with his dog, Hanneck wanted to create a space where other animal lovers could celebrate their beloved pets, said Pam McCann, the gallery manager.
“Dog Mountain is truly a place for pilgrimage and a sanctuary,” she said.
Huneck’s sculptures, prints and furniture are featured in the gallery and are scattered throughout the park. His love for dogs is clear in detail as a black lab and golden retriever are carved on the edges of each pugh, and images of his own dog sari are carved into stained glass windows.
Scott Richie and his wife, Julie, travel across the country in RVs with three big dogs, and thinks Dog Mountain is the perfect place for them to stretch their legs. They enjoyed it so much on their first visit that they decided to come back the next day.
“It’s very rare to see something like this anywhere. We’ve been traveling around the US for five and a half months. It’s just a beautiful area,” he said.
McCann says the park was built for visitors like Richie.
“It’s for people who really care about it and people who are very connected to everything around them,” she said. “Includes animals that they are guardians.”
