Sophie, a 15-year-old shih tzu from Burlington, has made canine history: She's likely the first pup to have peed in nearly every town in the state — and she appears to be the first pooch to have visited each one.
Stephanie Young, executive director of the 251 Club of Vermont — an organization of enthusiasts whose objective is to visit all the state's towns and cities — does not know of any other dog that has completed the feat. The nonprofit, which formed in 1954, has nearly 5,000 active members. (Including the newly formed city of Essex Junction, the state now has 252 cities and towns, but the club is not changing its name.)
Sophie's owners, Glenn McRae and Hollie Shaner-McRae, adopted her in 2008, then began their every-town quest in 2015. Luckily for the couple, Sophie, who enjoys dressing up for Halloween and wears booties in winter, is "very chill," a trait that came in handy for the long car rides to each municipality.
McRae and Shaner-McRae researched each town before visiting and sought the best places to bring dogs. Sophie has a soft spot for town greens, which proved especially lavish locales for her ceremonial wee.
"We actually spent longer in each town because she was interested in sniffing," Shaner-McRae explained.
Sophie's favorite towns were St. Johnsbury, home of the Dog Chapel at Dog Mountain, and Rupert, where Merck Forest & Farmland Center offered an unparalleled sniffing experience. Sophie also enjoyed vanilla creemees, though she refused to comment on her favorite.
The trio visited its final municipality, Winooski, in November 2022. But that's not the end of the journey: McRae and Shaner-McRae plan on doing it all over again. They say they are excited to learn more about each town and will try to visit every public library in the state.
Sophie will be tagging along, though "she's 15 and a little bit grumpy about being yanked out of the car every hour for a stop," McRae said.
First pooch to visit every Vermont town ... twice?