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Autumn winds breathe a welcoming whisper. Hilltop cabins are cloaked in a freshly fallen snow. As the temperature rises in most places this time of year, Vermont’s fall and winter seasons lay in wait for the calendar to gingerly pace forward. That pace, of course, welcomes the two- and four-legged variety to its hilltops, frosty mountains, reticent slopes and sprawling communities.

Affectionately termed the Green Mountain State, leaves abound as far as the eye gazes in Vermont. Foliage seekers wish upon a leaf, as green turns to oranges, reds and yellows during Vermont’s busiest time of year: the first two weekends of October. Looking for the fire in the hearth and red on the trees? Vermont’s red maples are amongst the first to change. Hues change from vibrant to rich as the weeks pass and the cooler winds take form in the mountains.

If visiting in the fall, it is recommended to make reservations early and check if innkeepers require a two-night stay, as many have a minimum. This is particularly enforced on weekends so now’s a good time to plan ahead. Delight in the digs for your dogs at Chalet Killington. In the heart of the Rutland County, Killington is a well-known skiers delight town in the central part of the state. Staff welcome the opportunity to walk Fido while you ski downhill or walk uphill for the day. Fido’s got friends in snow places! Love the lore of a small town with the charm and antiquity of a downtown bustle?

Look no further than Vergennes, which stakes its claim to the very fi rst city of Vermont as well as America’s smallest city. Stroll sidewalk style, Fido in tow, and peruse the farm and craftsperson market from May through October. Let Fido channel his nature puppy at nearby Button Bay State Park, a 253-acre park located along the 130 miles that is Lake Champlain. Don’t forget the maple-infused treats, goodies and delectables, thanks to the abundant supply of sugar maples, which are the hallmark of the Green Mountain State.

Off the sidewalks and back to the mountains, green grass-style, Fido is welcomed invited and celebrated on the one and only Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Artist, sculptor and iconic lover of all things spirited in dog, the late Stephen Huneck’s vision comes to life here. Situated on this glorious land is 400 acres of nature, hiking and the famous Dog Chapel. Stephen’s widow, Gwen stated, “People come to Dog Chapel from all over. They leave remembrances of dogs loved and lost in the chapel or simply come to sit in peace. For many, there is no sense of closure when a dog suddenly dies. Coming to the chapel gives them peace. They can come and enjoy nature and find serenity here.”

Dog Chapel is built in the style of a small Vermont village church and dogs are welcome. Atop the white steeple, a Labrador Retriever points his wings to the wind. Stained glass windows inside the chapel as well as all woodwork, carvings, and prints are reminiscent and crafted by Stephen’s talented hands. The sign outside the chapel summarizes the lore and lesson of the mountain and Stephen’s legacy: “Welcome all creeds, all breeds. No dogmas allowed.” So says the word of dog. “Stephen believed in love and that’s what dogs are all about,” Gwen Huneck said, “and the chapel and Dog Mountain are very life affirming. We’re open seven days a week with hiking and swimming in surrounding ponds and a Dog Fest every October. Stephen was a very funny, playful and vibrant person. He loved nature and loved dogs. Both components are here.”

Climb down the mountain and take a peek inside Ben & Jerry’s guided factory tours in Waterbury. Head over to Cabot Cheese for some dairy fresh samples and snuggle up tight with a teddy bear from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelburne. Seek Fido-friendly accommodations after your day of lush exploration at the Inn at Maplemont Farm located in Barnet, Marshfield Inn and Motel of Marshfield or the Fairbanks Inn of St. Johnsbury, dubbed “Vermont’s Best Kept Secret.”

Whether it’s downhill with poles in hand amidst the snow or uphill with leash in tow amidst the leaves, Vermont offers a potpourri of activities to channel your inner powder hound and explore your outer power hound. Paying homage to its state slogan, “Vermont, Naturally,” they know how to make a visitor feel welcome.

LANDMARK HELMSLEY LEGAL TRUST CHALLENGE

BY AMERICA'S THREE PRE-EMINENT

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

HSUS, ASPCA, and Maddie's Fund Charge That Helmsley Trustees Are Misdirecting Funds Despite Clear Direction from Late Heiress to Help Dogs

 NEW YORK (Aug. 11, 2009) -- Three of the country's most prominent animal welfare organizations -- in what they are terming the most significant financial litigation in animal welfare history -- have filed suit in New York's Surrogate Court to intervene in the matter of Leona Helmsley's $5 billion estate.

The groups are seeking to force the Helmsley Trustees to follow Mrs. Helmsley's expressed intent to help dogs. According to the groups, less than $100,000 of the initial $136 million Helmsley grants have gone to dog welfare.

"Mrs. Helmsley's Trust Agreement was clear: Help dogs. And the Trustees have not done this, and instead pursued their own agendas with Mrs. Helmsley's money," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "Every person with a will or estate, and every charity that relies on bequest income, should be profoundly concerned about this misdirection of funds."

The three organizations believe that State Attorneys General have a responsibility to protect the wishes of any heir or heiress, and also to protect the entire charitable sector from the whims of trustees who wish to ignore detailed and unambiguous estate planning instructions. In this case, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo failed in his charge to protect these interests.

"Literally hundreds of millions of dollars that have been willed by people nationally, who cared about dogs, have not gone to provide for dogs as was intended," said Rich Avanzino, president of Maddie's Fund. "The ignoring of donor intent in this country has become an unspoken national shame.

With $5 billion at stake this is a game changer. We want to work with the Helmsley trustees to arrive at a figure that is consistent with Mrs. Helmsley's intentions and would change injustices in dog care and welfare overnight.

For instance, even a small fraction of this money makes it possible to virtually empty all animal shelters in America of dogs without homes."

"There has been a sea change in recent years in how we treat animals and the Helmsley trustees don't understand that change," said Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the ASPCA. "Mrs. Helmsley understood the importance of animal welfare and was determined to help. She had a vision for her worldly estate to make our society a better place for dogs and animals, and consequently, people. We want that noble cause to go forward. Dogs give us so much in our lives, and the least we can do is make sure they are not harmed, exploited, or neglected, and the Helmsley estate allows us to do so. It is not an overstatement to say that the fate of dogs in this country could very well rest on the decision of this lawsuit."

The trustees went to court last fall to invalidate Mrs. Helmsley's express wishes, asking the Court to declare that they "are not bound by the expression of Decedent's wishes...."

The Trustees disregarded Mrs. Helmsley's wishes and obtained court sanction for doing so. The process deprived the parties most affected by their decision -- dog welfare charities -- of any fair opportunity to have a say on the issue. Neither the Trustees nor the Attorney General contacted any of these three nonprofit organizations, which are widely recognized as the leading advocates for dog welfare in the country if not the world -- or any other organization that might speak up on behalf of the charitable community that Mrs. Helmsley had a right to expect would receive "special emphasis" in the Trustees' grant-making.

After a judicial ruling without hearing from the only charitable category of recipients specifically listed in Mrs. Helmsley's mission statement, the trustees distributed the initial round of grants from Mrs. Helmsley's trust, blatantly disregarding Mrs. Helmsley's express wishes. The trustees allocated less than .1 percent to dog welfare charities.

"These three leading organizations tried to reach an amicable solution with the trustees; unfortunately, the trustees were unwilling to discuss this with us. Now these organizations are forced to resort to litigation to correct this abuse," Pacelle said.

They have filed a motion to intervene and vacate the initial order.