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Meaford, Ontario, Canada: Famous and Heroic Dogs Park

Originally the grave of Beautiful Joe, a Canadian saved-from-abuse dog, the park has expanded with monuments for other famous and heroic canines.

Beautiful Joe Heritage Park

Address:
Owen St., Meaford, ON, Canada
Directions:
Beautiful Joe Heritage Park. Along the north bank of Bighead River, at the junction of Edwin and Berry Sts, just west of downtown. The park entrance is on Owen St., just south of the Bighead River bridge, between Legion Rd and Edwin St.
Admission:
Free
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Beautiful Joe monument.

A True Dog Park

Beautiful Joe Park is a memorial to a local dog, Joe, who was abused and then rescued. Back in 1890 a local man, Walter Moore, rescued Joe after learning that he was being abused by another resident. He took the dog in and nursed him back to health.

In 1892 Margaret Marshall Saunders from Nova Scotia wrote a novel about Joe and entered it into an American Humane Society contest. It won first place and was published later that year. The style of the novel was unique because it was written from Joe's point of view. It did a lot to raise awareness about animal cruelty. It was the first Canadian novel to sell over a million copies.

In 1963 the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society purchased the land next to the house where Joe lived out the rest of his life and turned it into a city park. Joe's grave became the first monument to be dedicated, and throughout the years, other memorials were dedicated to guide dogs, search and rescue dogs, and police dogs, making this a true dog park.

[signmanjoe, 06/01/2015]

Also memorialized in the park is Sirius, the only police dog killed in the WTC attacks on 9/11.


Nearby Offbeat Places

Bronze Scarecrow in Scarecrow CapitalBronze Scarecrow in Scarecrow Capital, Meaford, ON, Canada - < 1 mi.
World's Largest Porch SwingWorld's Largest Porch Swing, Meaford, ON, Canada - 2 mi.
Tiny ChurchTiny Church, Shallow Lake, ON, Canada - 23 mi.
In the region:
Front Yard Miniature Village, Chatsworth, ON, Canada - 23 mi.

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