Pilgrim Bark Park
Route 6 and Shank Painter Road
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Telephone: (508) 487-1325
Website: ProvincetownDogPark.org
Historical records tell that in 1620 when the Pilgrims landed at what is now Provincetown, they were accompanied by an English mastiff and a springer spaniel. Thus, the non-profit group behind P-town’s new dog park named their project “to remember those first canine explorers of Cape Cod.” The Pilgrim Bark Park comprises almost an acre of land divided into two sections (one for dogs under 25 pounds and the other for all dogs) enclosed by a six-foot-high fence and double-entry gates that face away from the street. Stone blocks and whimsical woodwork art dot the well-tended grounds – and provide launch pads for dogs fond of jumping around – and fundraising is ongoing for the installation of water fountains, shade pavilions, and additional benches. (Brontë and I could certainly have used the park’s hooded canine sweatshirts the wind-whipped day we visited!) Dedicated to nationally syndicated cartoonist Howie Schneider, friend of Provincetown and of dogs everywhere, the Pilgrim Bark Park is the ideal model for what a community dog park should be. (March 2009)
