Bark in the Park

Plymouth’s Bark in the Park Festival features over 30 pet-friendly vendors, many adoptable dogs and lots of activities for both the 2 and 4-legged members of your family. This annual event presented by the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, puts the “wow” in “bow-wow,” attracting over 2,500 people (and their dogs) to browse our vendors and raise awareness for local rescue groups and non-profits.

Did You Know…

The Pilgrims did not bring any large livestock animals with them on the Mayflower. In fact, the only animals known with certainty to have come on the Mayflower were two dogs, an English Mastiff and an English springer spaniel, who are mentioned on a couple of occasions in the Pilgrims’ journals.

The first mention of these two early canine settlers appeared in the 17th-century publication “Mourt’s Relation,” a document describing the lives of America’s early colonizers.

Pilgrim John Goodman, a 25-year-old Mayflower passenger brought his Mastiff and English springer spaniel along for the voyage. Though the names of these dogs were not recorded, they have been recognized in history for helping the Pilgrims establish their settlement on Cape Cod.