Museum goes to the dogs

David York is turning North Adams into a city for “dog people.”

Dozens of men, women, children and a few canines toured the Museum of Dog during its grand opening earlier this year, checking out an extensive collection of antique dog collars dating to the 1700s and marvelling at pieces of a Jeep Wrangler that York’s 11year-old Weimaraner, Daisy, has destroyed.

The museum organized its grand opening to coincide with the statewide ArtWeek in April.

“When my daughter comes to visit, she often brings her dogs,” said Elaine Nickerson of North Adams. “We’re often looking for places that we can bring our dogs.”

Museum of Dog is that kind of place. As families toured the main gallery, located in the former Quinn’s Wallpaper and Paint building on Union Street, they struck up conversations with other visitors about their own dogs.

York, who grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and started his career developing private-label merchandise, including the Aeropostale brand, has loved dogs all his life.

While growing up, his family took in retired police dogs at its farm north of Memphis.

After selling his family business, the Tennessee chain restaurant H.R.H. Dumplins in the 1990s, York started travelling more, but discovered how difficult it was to do with dogs.

York then opened Barking Hound Village, a chain of doggie day care and boarding facilities.

“I started the dog motel about 22 years ago, and that’s when I really started collecting,” York said, while pointing out one of his favourite treasures, a dog carved out of a single piece of wood from the land of his Connecticut home more than 200 years ago.

Opening the museum in North Adams allowed York to display all of his pieces of canine-related art, including a bulldog pop art piece by Marc Tetro that hung in the Central Perk coffee shop on the set of “Friends.”

The museum also features rotating exhibits.

Find out more about the museum at the website