As many of you know, Dog Mountain is faced with more hurdles as we say good-bye to our beloved and visionary friend, mentor, and leader, Gwendolyn Huneck. But we are absolutely determined to make it through this period and set things on a course to make Dog Mountain stable and sustainable in a way that would make Stephen and Gwen very, very proud. It was their life's work, and it cannot be allowed to fall apart, because once it's gone, it'll be gone forever. We can't let that happen. We won't let that happen.

Jon and Gwen Pictured above at Stephens Remembrance Celebration

Gwen's brother, Jon Ide of Madison, Wisconsin, speaks for the heirs of Dog Mountain, and he is insistent on keeping Dog Mountain open, with the intention of seeing Dog Mountain survive... and thrive! We couldn't be happier about this, and we are grateful to work with him and his wife, Tricia. We know we're not alone when we thank Jon and Tricia for having Dog Mountain's back!

The Dog Mountain Team is committed to keeping Stephen's, and now Gwen's, vision and legacy alive by doing everything we can to overcome the tragedies of losing both of our Dog Mountain parents. Stephen and Gwen were more than just employers. We are like a family here, and now it's up to all of us to keep things moving forward, not just for Stephen and Gwen, but for everyone who holds Dog Mountain near and dear to their hearts.

Everyone on Dog Mountain wants to thank all of you who have sent your condolences and well wishes to our far corner of Vermont. Most of the emails we've received have been from folks asking what can they do to help. We know that you are all concerned about the fate of Dog Mountain, and we want you to know that we will do everything it takes to keep our doors (and dog doors) open.

Gwen's brother Jon writes:

"Dog Mountain is many things, all of them wonderful. It's the mountain itself, with the trails and ponds, the gorgeous views, the lush, green surroundings, the serenity, stillness and peace, and the happy dogs (and humans) having the time of their lives."  

"It's the Dog Chapel, unique in all the world, filled with all the emotions and memories and color captured in the thousands of notes left by visitors in remembrance of pets they've loved and lost. "

"It's the gallery, filled floor to ceiling with Stephen's extraordinary art and all the joy and soul that infuse it. It's the barn, where casting and framing and shipping are done. It's all that and more, and all of it taken together is like one great, unified work of art. It's a case where the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts."

"Many of you have been to Dog Mountain. Some of you come here often to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the opportunity to let your dog be a dog. Some of you may only know us through Stephen's art and dogmt.com . But Dog Mountain is so much more than dogmt.com . If you haven’t been here, we urge you to come. You’ll fall in love with it, like we have."

"We love Dog Mountain, and we love what it means to people. We view it as a privilege to be part of it, and we are devoted to seeing it continue."  -Jonathan Ide

Right now, we need your help. If we can get some breathing room, we believe we have identified a number of ways to operate Dog Mountain more effectively and sustainably, ways to make it stable and secure and lasting. Please help us through this period, and we will do the rest.

We hope to see you on Dog Mountain. We will be here!

With love and gratitude,

The Dog Mountain Pack

Labor of Love Party

-Stay tuned to next week's newsletter, when we announce our Labor of Love Party, taking place July 12th through the 14th.  

This will be a weekend-long event to give Dog Mountain some serious TLC. We hope you can join us!

It is with heavy hearts that we share with our Dog Mountain community that our dear leader and friend, Gwendolyn Ide Huneck has passed away.

Gwen never got over the loss of Stephen and missed him terribly every day. As you all know, after Stephen's death, she devoted her life to continuing his legacy as a great artist. She continued to manage the gallery and she kept active in community affairs. She vowed to help turn St. Johnsbury into one of the most dog-friendly places in Vermont.

Gwen became a beacon for people who had lost loved ones and pets and we think she absorbed a lot of that emotion and she may have had difficulty in releasing it.

Many of you knew her as Gwen, Gwendolyn, and Mrs. Stephen Huneck. To us, she was "Gwennie." Emails sent to the Gallery may not get checked regularly, but please post your condolences on the new Memorial Facebook page for Gwennie. This is a great, great loss and she will be sorely missed.

We love you so much Gwennie and we will do everything we can to keep Dog Mountain going.

With love and gratitude,

Everyone here on Dog Mountain

While sitting at your computer, drinking hot cocoa, be sure to use Stephen's NETWORKING MOUSEPAD on sale for only $7.96! Buy a bunch and be the hero of your workplace.

To warm up after you have been out playing in the mud, I  recommend some hot cocoa served in a STEPHEN HUNECK MUG. The mugs display Stephen's popular prints with themes ranging from very funny to simply romantic. There is a perfect mug for every situation. At only $11.96 each, you can collect a whole set of mugs or give them as a gift.