dog chapel

Thanks to Atlas Obscura, I've learned that somewhere in Vermont, on a place called Dog Mountain, there exists a chapel/gallery where dogs and their love are celebrated on every square inch.  It's the Dog Chapel in Saint Johnsbury, and stands as a testament to just how much dogs can inspire from us puny humans.

The Dog Mountain website is a colorful exploration of the chapel, the gallery, and the man behind it.  Stephen Huneck was a woodworking artist who suffered a life-threatening illness in 1994.  After emerging from a coma and coming home to his wife Gwen and their three dogs, he began celebrating the love and healing power of his pets through woodcuts. The success of these works enabled him to build the Dog Chapel, where people could have a space to gain closure over the passing of their beloved furry family members and celebrate them.  It's a marvelous idea and even more marvelous reality, and you can see it today.  Sadly, Stephen Huneck lost his battle with depression in 2010 - what a tragic end for someone with such a gift for art and love.  Yet he did leave this marvelous place to carry on his idea, and you will delight in it.
Visit Dog Mountain.