Dogs line up to pray at Vermont
St Johnsbury, Aug 27
A chapel for dogs has opened in Vermont with the doctrine, “All creeds, all breeds, no dogma”, reports the Daily Telegraph. Up to 15 dogs at a time have been attending chapel in a forest near the town of St Johnsbury.
The chapel was built by Stephen Huneck, a folk artist, as a tribute to his five dogs who, he says, helped him to recuperate from a serious illness three years ago. Local clergy, he said, had raised no objections either to the idea or the canine theme. “In fact, quite a few of them have been to see if there is anything they can do.” Huneck told the Telegraph: “The dogs played a really important part in my recovery. They understood that I needed to become well and would surround me whenever I went out.”
After recovering from a virus that left him in a coma for two months, Huneck, 51, went to work on the chapel, which is modelled on a traditional early-19th-century design and made out of white clapboard. Huneck, who spent £140,000 on the chapel, is an artist with a growing reputation, with works in the Smithsonian in Washington, the Museum of American Folk Art and the American Kennel Club in New York. After opening this summer, the chapel has become a haven for man and dog, particularly owners who have lost pets. “I was up there today,” he said, “and there were 15 dogs. They seemed really happy to be there.” The entrance to the building is already covered with photographs and messages from bereaved owners. “I want dogs and people to feel as if they are in a cathedral,” he said.