North Little Rock Welcome Center unleashes “Dogtown” collection

NLRPD K9 Foundation fundraiser successful, extended to April 30

“Dogtown Proud” mural by Kevin Kresse in the Argenta Arts District. Photo by Casey Crocker, Arkansas Tourism

To help locals show off their Dogtown pride, and to let visitors in on a fun, quirky side of local history, the North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau announced this week the launch of a special “Dogtown” collection of apparel at the North Little Rock Welcome Center (600 Main Street, North Little Rock).

If you’re not familiar with the history behind “Dogtown”, we suggest checking out our post about the legend of Dogtown.. Wherever it started, “Dogtown” may have a happy ending after all, with local residents taking in what probably started as a derogatory name and giving it new life.

This became evident most recently when local artist Kevin Kresse painted a hard-to-miss “Dogtown Proud” mural at 4th & Main Streets in downtown North Little Rock. Inquiries about the North Little Rock Welcome Center selling Dogtown shirts started pouring in. So we listened, dusted off our 2020 plans for a Dogtown line of clothing, and got to work. We didn’t want to replicate the mural – a shirt just can’t do justice to the artistry – but still wanted to pay tribute to the Dogtown story.

The dogs that protect ‘Dogtown’

Update: thank you to everyone who helped us reach our goal of $100 in one week to NLRPD K9 Foundation! We are extending the fundraiser to April 30: $1 of every shirt sold will support the NLRPD K9 unit.

Through April 30, $1 of every Dogtown shirt sold will benefit the NLRPD K9 Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial support to the NLRPD K9 Unit. Donations assist in covering the cost of food, medication, veterinary bills, training, equipment, and new K9s. Although the Foundation is entirely independent of the North Little Rock Police Department, the Foundation works in cooperation with the K9 Unit to identify and provide special needs that are unable to be funded through the regular budget.

For more information about the NLRPD K-9 Foundation, contact Lieutenant Brian Dedrick at 501-580-6035 or visit www.nlrpd-k9.com.

donate to NLRPD K9 Foundation

The paw-some goods

With the classic blue Dogtown tee, expect to turn some heads. Messy pawprints tromp across the shirt and underneath the stamped “Dogtown.” The unisex heather blue tee is a super soft and comfy Bella+Canvas, perfect for snuggling with your pooch. Speaking of pooches….we’ve got them covered, too, with stylish Dogtown bandanas in blue.

We also created a softer, more feminine design on Bella+Canvas slouchy tees. A subtle Dogtown with “North Little Rock, Arkansas” graces the front of this luxuriously soft poly viscose tee. The back includes a revised version of the epithet engraved on the “Dogtown” tombstone from when the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce tried to bury the nickname in 1965. Today you can see the tombstone at the North Little Rock Heritage Center.

On the tombstone: Here lies Dogtown, born of apathy, killed by civic pride, gone forever.

On the shirt: Here stays Dogtown, born of apathy, killed and revived by civic pride.