- Do you want me to talk
about like, Vincent's death?
Like, Vincent passed away in June '18, of cancer.
Just to provide context? - [People In Background] Yeah.
If you wanna talk to what that was like.
- [Sam] Yeah.
Let's, let's go there.
Yeah. (laughs)
- [Woman In Background] We just didn't wanna push you.
- [Man In Background] Yeah.
- [Sam] Nah it's, I mean, let's try, yeah.
- I'm Sam O'Brien, I'm an editor
at Atlas Obscura.
And I'm here on Dog Mountain,
in St. Johnsbury, Vermont
with my own dog Garbanzo, to visit the dog chapel.
Hey Garbanzo, come here!
Come on!
Ah, good boy!
Good boy! (clapping)
Thank you.
You having fun?
Good boy.
- Dog Mountain was founded
by Stephen and Gwen Huneck.
They met in art school, in the '80s.
And spent their whole lives together
doing art and pursuing their dreams.
Stephen recognized that we had so many important
rituals and places for other milestones in our lives.
But there was nothing to sort of signify or mark
the passing of our pet friends.
He really felt dogs
represented all that was so good
and joyful and comforting about life.
- [Sam] I've had Garbanzo for about three years now.
He is mostly chihuahua.
He's probably around five or six years old.
He is a very calm chihuahua,
loves affection, loves attention,
is very popular with pretty much everyone he meets.
He's just a love machine.
Banzo's not really used to being off leash.
So, this has been a bit of a learning experience
with him coming when called.
Yeah, I think it just means, he's really excited
and he's really having a good time.
Bye.
So many smells.
Banzo, you wanna follow me?
Oh wow, that's so pretty.
It almost feels like a monastery.
It's very remote, everything's very spread out.
It very much feels like this is a space
that's built with dogs in mind.
Aww! (clapping)
Come here!
- [Scott] Dogs are family.
In some ways they're almost better than family.
But they don't talk back to you.
They're always happy to see you.
Their general nature is just basic goodness
and unconditional love.
And that's something that Stephen was just so tuned in to.
- [Sam] Come here.
Agh! (laughs)
Gotcha.
Come on.
(door closes)
- [Scott] The dog chapel is really the centerpiece
and spiritual ground around which Dog Mountain's built.
I myself have been in it hundreds of times
and each time I go in the dog chapel,
I have the same experience.
I'm held very still.
You'll see that the walls are covered in inches thick
of notes and photographs commemorating
dogs that were once part of a family.
- [Sam] Gizmo and Trouble, may be gone,
but never ever forgotten.
I miss you, and look forward to seeing you again.
My precious companions,
who knew and loved me unconditionally.
Love, Mama.
To my one and only Scout,
how lucky I am to have shared 16 years with you.
There will be no other.
My sweet brilliant girl.
You were so, so loved.
Banzo, who's that?
Big brother?
Vincent, died in June of 2018,
after a heartfelt battle with cancer.
He was an incredibly tough dog.
And just up until the end just very tenacious
and strong, and I loved him for it.
I need tissues. (laughs)
(crying and laughing)
Thanks.
Thank you.
(sniffling)
- [Scott] Stephen was just an amazing personality
and a creative genius.
- [Sam] Banzo, let's go!
- [Scott] In addition to all the great
art that he produced,
he had a lot of really great sayings
that also captured sort of the spirit of Dog Mountain.
And one of them,
was that, Dog Mountain
was the happiest place to be sad.
- [Sam] Go man, go!
(laughs) Go man, go!
Good boy!
We're out of breath. (laughs)