SAINT JOHNSBURY, Vt. — Chuck's Big Adventure is traveling to New England. It is an area known for its beauty, history, lobsters and, in autumn, it's explosion of color.
Dog Mountain
How do you honor unconditional love? How can you praise a friend who would cherish you until your last days on Earth? Is there a meaningful way to honor the memories of those friends, who met you at the door, jumped in your lap, and loved you ... even on your worst days?
Welcome to Dog Mountain.
In 1995, renowned artist Stephen Huneck and his wife, Gwen, bought the private mountaintop near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, turning a barn into a studio.
The couple's love for dogs gave them an idea: Create a place to enjoy and honor dogs, while giving them an unspoiled 150 acres to roam with their owners.
The highlight of Dog Mountain is the Dog Chapel, a place where the walls are filled with photos, notes and memories of the joy dogs have brought to their families. Read the notes and you'll take in poignant, sometimes heartbreaking stories of these pets who were part of families, pets that had grown with children from toddlers to college, dogs who brought joy to an elderly widow, and dogs who gave their lives in service.
Look closer and you'll see notes and pictures from every corner of the world. Facility manager Pam McMann said the chapel has a profound effect on those who enter the doors.
"What's cool about the chapel and how people are after they exit is that everybody is really real and raw, and their guard is down," McMann said. "You meet people, you know, they'll just start talking to you, without pretense, and they might be really emotional, and they'll tell you about their life and their dog, and that's really special. You're really privileged to be at the receiving end of that and try to be very respectful and just kind of help people through their process — that's what we do here. We help people through their process; it sort of goes with the territory. It takes a certain personality to work here."
Dog Chapel
There is a tinge of sadness in part of Dog Mountain and the chapel. The staff at the Friends of Dog Mountain work hard to strike a balance, though.
This unique destination is joyful but is a place born of grief.
Stephen came up with the idea after surviving long hospitalization and a coma. He learned to walk, talk and paint again after a serious fall. Stephen's sculpting, art and most of his life was here. As his condition improved, Stephen gained fans with his artwork concentrating on dogs. His work drew legions of fans, and in many of his pieces, his black lab, Sally, was featured, and she became a staple part of his catalogue of paintings.
Tragically, after learning Stephen would have to lay off employees during an economic downturn, he took his own life in 2010. Three years later, his wife, Gwen, took her life, never having gotten over the death of her husband.
Despite the tragedy, a group of friends and employees worked hard to keep the Huneck vision going. Since then, the Friends of Dog Mountain has rallied to keep the chapel functioning, with the Stephen Huneck gallery featuring gifts and artwork at every price range and a robust following online. Shoppers from around the world have bought Huneck art pieces and prints, but those who come to pay a personal visit leaved changed, especially those who leave a note in the chapel.
"Pets are family members, pets are insentient beings. They find us, and, you know, they’re family. That's just the way it is, and people come in here and they get to express all of that," McMann said. "I think they can write so prolifically about it because they are expressing it every day when they are living with their pet, and sometimes, it’s easier to just talk to your animal than it is another human being, and sometimes, it’s easier to express what you feel or felt about them than it is another human being. "
By the way, remember Sally, the inspiration for so much of Stephen's art? While we were shooting our Big Adventure story on Dog Mountain, a man named Scott got out of a pickup with a beautiful black lab. Yes, it was the last Sally that Gwen owned before her death. Scott has raised her for the past nine years, and the dog has become a staple, greeting visitors and having her photo taken. She often can be found in the Huneck Gallery taking a nap or enjoying a treat.
Scott thinks Sally belongs here.
"I've met many people, whether it's trails around here or the town forest, trails of people just walking their dog. It has forced me to get out to give her exercise, and I've met many people through town simply because of her," Scott said.
Though Stephen and Gwen's lives ended tragically, their legacy is joyful. They left a place unlike any in the world, and generations of dog lovers will continue to celebrate.
Celebrate the hugs, the loyalty and the simple grace of man's best friend. What a place.