Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick’s most popular & unusual dog names & breeds of 2021

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So maybe this pandemic pet boom is a real thing: With 3,025 licensed dogs, Natick has about 325 more this year than a year ago.

And perhaps owners have started to branch out with their dog names based on our review of this year’s list of top names. The same names are at the top of the list, but their numbers haven’t generally grown.

Bella is number one, as the name for 40 pups across town. Last year, Bella and Lucy tied at 43 apiece, and this year 39 Lucys are on the list. So it doesn’t seem as though there has been an influx of either.

(Note that alternate spellings of dog names can mess with the perfection of our highly scientific analysis….)

The rest of the names on the most popular list remain pretty much the same from a year ago, though the number of dogs named Luna rose from 23 to 30. Not sure I’ve actually ever met a dog named Luna.

Top Names (# of dogs with that name)

  • Bella: 40
  • Lucy: 39
  • Charlie: 30
  • Luna: 30
  • Max: 28
  • Cooper: 24
  • Chloe: 23
  • Bailey: 23
  • Sadie: 23
  • Rosie: 21

Bella and Lucy are also #1 and #2 on Wellesley’s list of most popular dog names for 2021.

Perusing the rest of the licensed dog list, here are some of our key findings:

  • There are some big dogs, or so their names imply: Big Poppie, Big Daddy, and just plain Biggie.
  • And some small ones, including Little Red, and Lil Chunkz.
  • 3 Bobs, and 2 Bobbys. I don’t appreciate this.
  • 20 Bradys…guessing that number isn’t going to grow. 3 Bruschis, 2 Gronks, and 1 Wilfork representing Patriots past.
  • 1-of-a-kind names include Kozmo, Marty McFly, Ricky-Bobby, and Quan-yen.
  • 2-of-a-kind name: Smudge. Surprised there’s more than 1 with this lovable name.
  • Tasty names include Nutmeg, Gnocchi, Meatball, and Oreo.
  • Our favorite: Roadblock the Bulldog.
Marty McFly
In case you wondered what hound dog Marty McFly looks like

 

As for breeds, Labrador Retrievers remain #1 with 477 licensed ones in town, followed by mixed breeds at 448.

Beagles have been bumped from the Top 10, while Cavalier King Charles Spaniels made the cut. Anything with “doodle” in its name is on the rise.

Among the rarest breeds, with only one apiece in Natick, are the Toy Fox Terrier, Pharaoh Hound, and Mountain Feist.

Daisy fenway
Daisy, a rare Mountain Feist, at Fenway

 

Top Breeds (# of breed in town)

  • Labrador Retriever: 477
  • Mixed: 448
  • Golden Retriever: 159
  • Goldendoodle: 102
  • Labradoodle: 101
  • Chihuahua: 79
  • Shih Tzu: 73
  • Cockapoo: 69
  • Terrier: 68
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: 61

We invite you to dive into the entire list embedded below and let us know of any big trends we’ve missed: natickreport@gmail.com

Scout, a 6-year-old Labradoodle, steals the show from that nice planter

 

Overall, the split between male and female dogs is about even in town.

All dogs 6 months of age or older must be licensed with the Town Clerk’s Office. Licenses must be renewed annually by March 1, and failure to do so will result in a $50 late fee. Failure to license a dog shall be punishable by a fine of $100.

The license fee is waived for residents over age 70 and for service dogs.

Edith
The very fancy Edith is described by her Mom as a mutt…”well I guess more nicely a mixed breed, from Tennessee, adopted through Schultz’s Guest House in Dedham, a weirdly named but deservedly popular shelter.”

Thanks very much to the Natick Town Clerk’s office for sharing this data with us!

Download (XLSX, 46KB)

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Natick Sons and Daughters of Italy events calendar getting crowded

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The Natick Sons and Daughters of Italy lodge has an increasingly busy schedule.

Upcoming events include:

4/7/21: Pasta Night Take-out

Pasta Night Take-out kicks off with Chef Erin Anderson at the helm.  Pasta and meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and other delicacies will be among menu items in weeks to come. Dinner costs $10 and orders can be placed via the phone or online at https://www.facebook.com/NatickSonsandDaughtersofItaly/  The lodge is working with the town to set up outdoor dining as well.

4/10/21:  Contactless Pet Drive

The drive takes place at the Lodge at 37 Washington Ave., from 10am-2pm to recognize the critters who have gotten people through the pandemic. Donations will benefit these local shelters:

Items needed include:

Non-clumping cat litter, new/used clean bath or hand towels, assorted canned and dry cat & dog food – meat preferred, pet toys, puppy training pads, pill pockets, scratching posts, gift cards for local grocery stores and pet supply stores, paper towels, small paper plates (6″ size).

4/10/21: Public Bartender Training from 10am-noon

Get TIPS certification if you’d like to bartend in Massachusetts (the Lodge needs ’em). Call 508 756 8542 to confirm attendance. Costs $35 and takes place at the Lodge, 37 Washington Ave.

Limited seating, masks, and social distancing.

pasta night sons and daughters of italy

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Welcome Natick’s newest neighbors: 900 rainbow trout

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Something was fishy at Dug Pond. I was clear on the meeting spot—the Gina Donahue Boat Landing on Windsor Ave. But instead of meeting my contact from MassWildlife, in possession of 900 rainbow trout for stocking the pond, I found Natick Firefighters executing a training drill. “We’ll be here for about a half and hour,” a firefighter shrugged. “You’ll have to wait.”

Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick
MassWildlife technician Josh Gahagan backs a state truck loaded with 900 rainbow trout down the boat landing.

Seems like everyone needed to access the life-giving waters of Dug Pond that day. Nearby, Josh Gahagan, a technician at the Northeast District office of MassWildlife, made use of the unexpected break to have an early lunch in his truck. On the back of the truck were three tanks that each held 300 of the 12-14″ fish. The trout were making their move from the McLaughlin Hatchery in Belchertown, where they’d spent the first two years of their lives, to the roomier 48-acre Dug Pond. Presumably it will be their last home, since the pond is stocked for the enjoyment of recreational fishers.

Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick
About a half-dozen trout flop around in a net before they enter the pond.

MassWildlife staff is in the process of adding nearly 500,000 brook, rainbow, brown, and tiger trout into ponds, rivers, and brooks across Massachusetts. Trout-stocking duties are Gahagan’s, and other technicians’, main responsibility for the season. “We do it for about three months in the spring. This spot is perfect. I can easily back the truck in and there’s no traffic around,” the bass fisherman said, recalling the challenges of releasing fish into the Charles River from the Pleasant Street bridge in South Natick. “That’s a narrow and dangerous spot,” he said.

Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick
Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick

At last the firefighters’ drill was done and Josh backed the truck down the boat launch and a couple of feet into the water. He netted a half dozen of the trout so I could get a good look at them, then tossed them into the water. Next, it was everyone else’s turn as Josh opened up the tanks one by one. You could practically hear some of the fish shouting out, “Freedom!” as they swam off to the center of the pond. Others barely moved from the shallows, and some were even floating upside down. But Josh assured me all was well. “They’re not dead, they’re just in shock. They’ll swim away soon.”

Dug Pond will get additional trout two more times this season, anywhere between several hundred and 900 more per drop.

Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick

About 600,000 Brook, Brown, Rainbow, and Tiger Trout are stocked into Massachusetts waterways during spring and fall stocking each year, according to the state’s trout stocking report. Typically (but not now due to COVID), you can even visit the Belchertown hatchery for a self-guided tour to see trout in different stages of growth.

Trout stocking, Dug Pond, Natick
The sudden move has left some trout in shock, but they will adjust to their new Dug Pond home soon.

Want a shot a catching some of these Dug Pond beauties? Here’s how you can get a freshwater fishing license. Everyone 15 or older who wants to fish in Massachusetts needs one.

Want more wildlife pics? Check out Josh’s amazing Instagram feed, filled with birds, wildlife, and underwater photography from the New England region. It’s well worth following him to see and encourage his beautiful compositions of mink, seals, birds, foxes, and more.

And by the way, Natick Report has a pretty nice Insta as well. Please follow Natick Report on Instagram for a look at our wanderings around town.

By the numbers: 2021 spring trout stocking

MassWildlife will stock approximately 500,000 brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout this spring.

  • More than 75% of the trout will be over 12 inches
  • More than 45% of the trout will be over 14 inches
  • More than 48,000 brook trout will be over 12 inches
  • More than 48,000 brown trout will be over 12 inches
  • More than 200,000 rainbow trout will be over 14 inches
  • More than 500 brown trout and 500 brook trout will be over 18 inches
  • 1,000 brook trout will be over 14 inches
  • All 2,500 tiger trout will be over 14 inches

 

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Natick Community Organic Farm barn burns to ground, dog sounded alarm

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Awful news from Natick Community Organic Farm overnight, as it posted a video of its 200-plus-year-old barn burning down.

Three sows and 13 piglets were lost in the 3-alarm fire that took place around 4:30am, according to the farm. “No humans were hurt, except in their hearts,” posted Office Farmer Trish Umbrell on Facebook.

Natick Community Organic Farm
The barn as it once stood

 

natick community farm fire
The barn after the fire

 

Overhead look from Natick GIS:

 

A new farm dog called Eddy is credited with sounding the alarm, awaking on-site caretakers, who were able to evacuate and call 9-1-1. “We commend the work of the Natick, Wellesley, and Framingham Fire Departments, who acted quickly and bravely. They contained the fire to the barn, protecting the farmhouse and surrounding animal structures,” Umbrell wrote.

natick community farm fire
Eddy the dog, shown here with owner Abby Biser, sounded the alarm

 

The non-profit farm will be closed until Monday while the fire department investigates and the farm can plan its next moves.

natick community farm fire

An outpouring of support for the farm has flooded social media as word gets out.

You can donate to the farm either through a crowdfunding campaign launched by the farm, or directly through the Natick Community Organic Farm website.

According to the farm, the timber-framed barn was built after the Hurricane of 1815, using wood from downed oak trees that was milled on-site. In recent times has been used as a shelter for equipment, feed, and animals. The public had been free to walk through when the doors were open.

Stalls in the barn each spring are used as birthing space for pigs, and also serves baby chicks.

The barn had been modernized with solar panels on its southern roof.

We spoke to some of the farm’s personnel after the fire: