02 October 2026
Fishguard is a dog town. Walk down West Street on any morning and you will meet spaniels, collies, terriers and lurchers, each taking their owner out for the day. Shops keep a biscuit jar on the counter. Cafés put water bowls by the door. People might stop to talk to a dog before they talk to its owner.
Fishguard, Abergwaun in Welsh, sits on the north coast of Pembrokeshire. The ferry sails from here to Rosslare in Ireland, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path follows the cliffs on either side of the town. People and animals share the streets, the beaches and the headlands.
From Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 November 2026, Trove at 36 West Street hosts the first Fishguard Festival of Creativity and Dogs. It is a week of talks, drawing, painting, making and dogs. Every event is by donation, with a suggested £5. Well-behaved dogs are very welcome.
Britain's Dogs: the oldest partnership
The festival opens on Sunday 15 November with Britain's Dogs, an exhibition of some of the earliest images of dogs found in Britain. They come from the Iron Age, Roman and Celtic periods. Dogs appear on coins, in bronze and in carved stone.
In Roman Britain dogs stand beside the Goddess Diana, the huntress. At the Roman healing temple of Nodens at Lydney in Gloucestershire, visitors left small bronze dogs as offerings. People who lived here almost two thousand years ago treated dogs as guardians, healers and companions. So do we.
The opening is also the pre-launch of my new book, Dog. Goddess., which tells the story of how people and dogs came to live together. It publishes on 28 November 2026. The exhibition stays open all week. Come and look, then give your own dog an extra walk.
Have a go
You do not need to be an artist to take part. The festival is built around making things for fun that involve our pets.
The After-School Dogs Art Club runs Monday to Friday from 3pm to 5pm. Children and adults can try drawing, printing, painting and modelling. Bring a photograph of your own dog, cat, rabbit or horse. If you have no pet, or yours will not sit still, you can draw our studio dog instead.
On Thursday 19 November, a local artist leads The Art of Drawing a Dog. You will draw from life and from photographs, and learn how to get the ears and the eyes right. On Saturday 21 November there is a full Dog Modelling and Drawing Day, open to everyone. Beginners are welcome at every session. Everything you make goes home with you.
Meet Heather and Ted · Monday 16 November, 7pm to 9pm
Photo caption: Heather and Ted on Mynydd Dinas, the hill above Dinas Cross near Fishguard. Heather is an HM Coastguard volunteer and sustainable fashion influencer, known on Instagram as @HeatherGetsDressed.
One of our guests is a local woman with a remarkable story.
Heather has a busy day job in HR for a Global Corporate business. She is also on-call as a volunteer with HM Coastguard rescue team in Fishguard. When someone is stranded on a cliff, or cut off by the tide, Heather and her team are the ones who are there to rescue. You may also know her as sustainable fashion influencer @HeatherGetsDressed on Instagram.
Beside her, always, is Ted.
Heather will tell us how Ted rescued her while she was rescuing others. Ted came into her life at a time of great personal challenge. A dog needs walking, feeding and loving every day, whatever you feel like. Ted gave Heather a reason to get outside and keep going. Together they found a new purpose and began to heal. Human and pet, each looking after the other. Heather will share the rest of that story on the night.
Her evening is warm, honest and often funny. She talks about her life, search and rescue, sustainability and friendship. Donations on the night support Greenacres Animal Rescue. Anyone who has walked the Pembrokeshire cliffs with a dog will want to hear it.
Heather and Ted on Mynydd Dinas
The rest of the week
On Tuesday 17 November, Samantha Pugh, known as the Dog Whisperer, leads an evening on telepathic communication with dogs. She will show you how to listen to your pet and find out what they want and how to communicate more successfully.
On Wednesday 18 November I ask a simple question: are we a nation of dog lovers? We say we are. The history tells a more complicated story.
Friday 20 November is the Dogtastic Night Out. There will be cocktails, cake, a raffle, and music and dancing with DJs Soma and Merakki. Entry is by donation and there is a pay bar.
The week ends on Saturday 21 November with the Dog Bring and Buy Sale from 12pm to 4pm. Bring the toys, leads, coats and beds your dog has outgrown. Take home something new. An excellent way to connect your ecological preferences with other pet owners and save money.
For the animals
The festival raises money for Greenacres Animal Rescue at Ebbs Acre Farm. Greenacres takes in dogs, cats, horses, donkeys and farm animals who need a second chance. Many Pembrokeshire families have given a home to a Greenacres animal.
The Grand Dog Raffle runs all week, with tickets at £2 from Trove. First prize is a huge basket of dog goodies, with specialist treats, a cooling neck-tie and money-off vouchers. Second prize is a bottle of champagne, and a cache of wine and other drinks. Third prize is a pile of dog-handling books and other fun items. You can see the prizes at every festival event and in the window of Trove where the draw takes place at the end of the festival.
Why Fishguard
Fishguard knows how much our animals matter. Local businesses welcome dogs through their doors. Local people give their time to rescue centres, rescue teams and each other. The festival is a thank you to the town, and an invitation to everyone visiting Pembrokeshire with a four-legged friend.
If you are planning a winter break on the north Pembrokeshire coast, come in November. Walk the cliffs in the morning. Draw your dog in the afternoon. Hear Heather and Ted in the evening. Your dog can come too.
Festival details
A Festival of Creativity and Dogs runs from 15 to 21 November 2026 at Trove, 36 West Street, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire SA65 9AD. The Britain's Dogs exhibition and the pre-launch of Dog. Goddess. open the week on Sunday 15 November. Evening talks run from 7pm to 9pm. All events are by donation.
The full programme is on display in the Trove window. For the programme, to contact Bernadette or to pre-order Dog. Goddess., email devisjewels@gmail.com.
About the author
Bernadette Vallely is a local historian, author and artist based in Fishguard. Her exhibition Britain's Dogs opens at Trove on Sunday 15 November, alongside the pre-launch of her new book Dog. Goddess. (Troubador, 28 November 2026).
Local author and historian Bernadette Vallely
