Liberty, who is getting trained as a therapy dog as well as entertainer for visitors to DoG Street, is a Briard.
There’s a new face walking Duke of Gloucester (DoG) Street these days, shaking her wavy fur and offering a warm, friendly tail wag to locals and visitors alike strolling arguably America’s most dog friendly corridor.
At a September event of the Williamsburg Inn, George Washington himself (technically an interpreter) introduced Liberty, Colonial Williamsburg’s first official mascot. The Williamsburg Inn was chosen for the unveiling in part because it’s a pet friendly hotel.
“The idea of a mascot came from our witnessing the everyday interactions between our guests—particularly children and people with special needs—and the dogs of DoG Street,” said Colonial Williamsburg President and CEO Mitchell Reiss on the Making History blog, presented by Colonial Williamsburg. “We saw these not only as moments of affection and warmth, but also as teachable moments that could bring history to life.”
Liberty, who is getting trained as a therapy dog as well as entertainer for visitors to DoG Street, is a Briard. The breed was ideal for Williamsburg’s mascot because, thanks to minimal cross breeding since the 19th Century, their appearance and behavior has remained largely unchanged in the last 200 years.
Read more about Liberty and her Williamsburg adventures at makinghistorynow.com.
This article appeared in The Holiday 2015/Winter 2016 issue of the Local Scoop Williamsburg Magazine, pg. 33.