Tailwind Dog Park
Address:
Tailwind Dog Park
Crystal’s Way / Courage’s Lane
Harbour Grace, NL A0A 2M0
GPS Coordinates: 47.685641, -53.234166
Contact:
t: (709) 596-3631
Tailwind Dog Park Facebook Page
Tailwind Dog Park – Users’ Group
Dog Park Rules & Regulations
1. Use at your own risk. Dog owners are responsible and liable for the actions and behaviour of their dogs. 
2. Owners must clean up after their dogs.
3. Close gate when entering and leaving the off leash area.
4. Dogs must be leashed when entering and leaving the park.
5. Dogs should be off leash while inside the fenced in area.
6. Never leave your dog unattended.
7. No children under age 12 are allowed inside the fence unless closely supervised at all times.
8. Immediately leash and remove a problem dog (aggression, mounting, etc.) from the park.
9. Food or drink in glass containers is not permitted.
10. Dogs in heat are not permitted to enter.
11. It is recommended your dog be spayed or neutered.
12. Do not let your dog dig holes. If they do, please fill them in.
13. Dogs should be up to date on all vaccinations.
14. Daily hours of operation: sunrise to sunset.
The Story of Tailwind & the City of New York
The name of our dog park takes its inspiration from Harbour Grace’s aviation lore, specifically the story of pilot John Henry Mears, his plane, the City of New York, and his furry mascot, a Sealyham Terrier named Tailwind.
An experienced navigator and Broadway producer, John Henry Mears previously held the world record for the fastest round-the-world flight, circumnavigating the globe in less than 24 days in 1928. The Graf Zeppelin later broke this record by three days in the fall of 1928, and Mears, a fierce competitor, was determined to hold the record again.
On August 2, 1930, Mears and pilot Harry Brown left Roosevelt Field, New York, on their attempted round-the-world flight. Their first stop was in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. They planned to also land in Ireland, England, Belgium, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, China, and Japan, and head back to Canada via the Pacific. Before leaving, Canadian-born actress Mary Pickford—nicknamed “America’s Sweetheart”—gifted Mears a dog, Tailwind, who served as the flight’s much-beloved mascot.
The City of New York landed at Harbour Grace at 1:50 p.m. A small crowd assembled to greet the crew, and Judge John Casey and Frank Archibald, representing the Prime Minister, formally welcomed them to Newfoundland. Mears told gathered reporters he was confident of breaking the record once again.
However, Mears was proven overeager. Ignoring warnings from the Airport Trust Committee, the crew decided to resume the flight before daylight the next morning. At Brown’s request, flares lighted the west end of the runway, and the headlights of parked cars illuminated the takeoff. To take advantage of the day’s southwest wind, the plane left in a diagonal direction, from east to west. On its way down the runway, the plane lost control, crashing into bushes and rocks near the southern edge of the field.
The crash damage was significant. Though Brown was unhurt, Mears complained of a shoulder injury. However, the latter soon had a bigger problem: his dog was missing! Spooked after the crash, Tailwind had fled into the woods near the airstrip. Distraught, Mears offered a $100 reward for the dog’s safe return—no small sum in 1930. Thankfully, the pooch was soon found in nearby Riverhead by Harbour Grace resident George Hunt.
Though the plane was beyond repair, the men were thankful for their miraculous escape. They vowed to fly again. Today, residents still have souvenirs from this famous crash, and artifacts from the plane are today on display at the Conception Bay Museum.
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– October 5, 2020