At the end of a dog’s life we hope our beloved pooches go to doggy heaven and this unique dog chapel might just them on their way to the pearly gates.

The world’s only Dog Chapel was built in Vermont in 1997 by mutt-lover and artist Stephen Huneck.

The chapel is rammed from floor to ceiling with mementoes, notes and photos of deceased dogs that are left by their mourning owners as tribute.

Stephen says the idea for the chapel came to him in a ‘vision’ after he emerged from a coma in 1996. “My wife thought I had brain damage at first but now she loves it,” says the 61-year-old who estimates that the chapel has seen about 40 000 international visitors since it opened.

The Dog Chapel is designed as a place to reflect on the relationships between dogs and people and it also features, dog sculptures, dog pews, dog stained-glass windows, and paintings.