SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nestled in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs is a store unlike any other. Stinky Dog, a funny dog doodle created by Samantha Horwood McCullough, is taking Saratoga by storm through her art, clothing, greeting cards, accessories and other Stinky items. However, make no mistake; Stinky Dog is a store for humans.
Stinky’s story goes back 16 years, when McCullough worked at a laundromat in Portland, Oregon.
“My now-husband had a little dog that he had gotten from the pound who stared at me all the time. She earned the nickname ‘Stinky’ and she was really funny,” said McCullough. “I wanted to give my {now-husband] a gift and I didn’t have any money at the time, so I found an old tweed coat at the bottom of the garbage can in the laundromat and I washed it and made a stuffed dog out of it. It was modeled after his dog’s eyes and it became a joke between us and our friends.”
Stinky then became a funny dog doodle which McCullough sold at the Portland Saturday Market, an outdoor arts and crafts market.
“The name lends itself to all these different titles,” said McCullough. “I did Stinky in the Moonlight, Super Stinky, Stinky at the Park, and then it took off and I became known as the Stinky artist.”
McCullough quit her job at the local laundromat and dedicated her time and talent to developing Stinky. McCullough, her husband and Stinky relocated to Northville, New York and she continued to sell Stinky artwork, mostly on eBay.
“The very first place I sold art when I came to New York was at Congress Park,” said McCullough. “We were living in Northville, I didn’t have a place to sell art, and someone told me about an art show in Saratoga Springs, so I went out there and I sold a ton of art.”
Having found success thousands of miles from Stinky’s origins, McCullough opened the Stinky Dog Company store in Northville in 2007. A few years later, the McCulloughs moved to Niskayuna and closed their Stinky Dog store in Northville; but Stinky didn’t let McCullough rest and she says she knew she had to set up shop in Saratoga. Stinky Dog opened its doors Friday, Oct. 3.
McCullough describes the store as where the cartoon world meets reality. Stinky murals and artwork, all done by McCullough, are showcased throughout the store and even hang from the ceiling, giving off a 1940’s vibe.
“My whole goal for the store is to be really fun for adults and for kids,” said McCullough. “And to make it so you feel like you’re stepping out of reality for a little bit. You’re almost in a little cartoon world when you step off the street.”
Not to mention you’re surrounded by everything Stinky. From mugs, magnets, art and t-shirts to lip balm, underwear and everything in between, there’s something for everyone; and McCullough says anyone can see their own dog in Stinky.
Stinky Dog is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. right next door to The Savory Pantry.
“There’s no other place like Saratoga,” said McCullough. “I feel like this is Stinky’s home.”
