A stroll through Greenwood’s winding paths often has visitors asking about the presence of canine sculptures on the grounds. Though now permitted only as statuary, there is a long and happy history of dogs enriching the lives of those who called Greenwood home.

In the Spring 2022 issue of our newsletter, Seasons, Peter P. Blanchard III, Greenwood’s beloved Co-founder and Founding Chairman, wrote about Greenwood’s canines, both the sculptures and the live breeds that populated the gardens over the years. His father, Peter P. Blanchard Jr., kept as many as 20 dogs in a kennel comprised of six dog houses and fenced-in runs. Peter once shared this memory:

“For regular exercise, the pack – some 20 dogs at peak population – was released in unison. After I had placed a ‘Dogs Crossing Now’ sign on the main road, I opened a gate and the multitude charged into a field, which would later become part of Old Short Hills Park. My father was there to greet the dogs before setting off on his daily walk in their joyful company.”

Footage of the late Peter P. Blanchard Jr. with his cherished pack of dogs was recently discovered in Greenwood’s archives. This video, from between 1960 and 1970, shows Greenwood blanketed in snow while he accompanies them on their trek.