Stephen Huneck (Born 1948) was born in Columbus, Ohio. He was an American author, painter, furniture maker and wood carving artist. Most of his artwork is composed of dogs’ carvings. He also wrote several children's books. Pieces of his artwork are in the permanent collections of the American Kennel Club, Dog Museum of America, and Smithsonian Institution. He received commissions from politicians and celebrities including US Senator Patrick Leahy, Dr. Phil McGraw, and Sandra Bullock. Much of the pine, cherry, maple, and basswood he worked with came from his farm. Huneck is known for the Dog Chapel which he started building in 2007 and which took him 3 years to complete. The chapel is located next to his studio in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
It has a dog door, large doors, dog-themed stained windows, and carved wooden dogs on the pews. Huneck achieved a level of success that comes only to a few artists. The Dog Chapel he constructed has been a popular tourist attraction since it opened in 2000. His work is sought after by collectors, featured often in the news media and exhibited widely. He studied at the Massachusetts College of Art before he became an antiques dealer. He shot himself and died on 7 January, 2010 after driving himself to a psychiatrist's office in Littleton, New Hampshire. He was suffering from depression and is survived by his wife, his parents, five sisters and a brother. All his network of galleries have collapsed except the one on Dog Mountain.
