THE STORY OF THE WOODS HOLE BLACK DOGS AND MOOSE

During the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's, the traditional Woods Hole May festival featured a contest that offered honors to the best black dog. Rumor has it that the source of the Woods Hole black dog gene pool was a female lab named Hopkins. In three litters, Hopkins had an astonishing 39 puppies, most of them black! Thus, began the so-called Woods Hole black dog scenario, a noteworthy topic of conversation among local villagers and tourists.

Val Worthington, a retired Woods Hole oceanographer, told me that one time he overheard a visitor say, "This town seems to be overwhelmed with BIG BLACK DOGS!" The pack hung out in front of the Fishmonger Cafe, looking for handouts. One Woods Hole black dog originally taken in by builder Terry Eisen, was later adopted by the owner of the Black Duck Restaurant and accordingly named "Scraps." The black dogs were everywhere, cruising Water Street and basically leading a playful and interesting life during the day.

At night, they returned to their various home bases, although some were known to carouse throughout the evening hours, perhaps contributing to the continuation of the Woods Hole black dogs! The first litter of puppies was sired by Dick Edwards' black Labrador Retriever, named Jib. Eleven beautiful puppies were born and found homes with various local residents. The second litter, so I've been told, was somewhat of an accident. Hopkins was in heat and confined to the house. During a winter snowstorm, the back door blew open and a black dog named Smokey belonging to the Ketchum family snuck inside. This time 14 puppies were born! Sometime later, the third litter arrived, the exact sire unknown, or at least questionable. Again, the result was 14 puppies, one of which unfortunately died.

Today, the Woods Hole black dog population has declined substantially. The moose seen on our Howlingbird T-shirt honoring the Woods Hole black dogs, remains somewhat of a mystery. Legend has it many years ago, before one could dine on the scenic deck of the Captain Kidd, there was a surprise visit from a lost and wandering moose. The moose took up residence in the woods of Woods Hole and was occasionally seen swimming in Eel Pond. The moose was said to be such a deep, rich dark brown in color, that when it was wet it looked almost BLACK!!! Hard to believe? Do you believe in Santa Claus? How about the tooth fairy? How about magic? Or...?

Another possibility is that one of the larger black dog puppies was named Moose because it had weird, contorted ears resembling antlers. Or perhaps the Howlingbird artist simply has a thing for moose. Or, maybe, all of the above contributed to the Woods Hole black dog and moose T-shirt.

I do miss the black dogs roaming on the streets of Woods Hole. Recently, there seems to be a steady stream of trash hunting skunks and seagulls, not nearly as endearing as the black dogs. We welcome all animals. We prefer that you leave your ice cream cones and snacks outside before coming into the shop, but by all means, do bring your pets, especially if they're BLACK!

Anyone who can drum up a real live moose will receive a free T-shirt. Please keep all moose on a leash, however. Today, with more strict leash laws, a loose moose may end up at the Falmouth dog pound!