On Saturday, March 30, a statue of Spencer the beloved Boston Marathon dog was unveiled in a public ceremony. Spencer, a trained therapy dog raised by Boston native Rich Powers, became known as the Boston Marathon Dog after showing up each year to support the runners. This year, dozens of golden retrievers gathered for the unveiling of the statue of Spencer.
Spencer initially became known as the “Boston Marathon Dog” after going viral in 2018 for encouraging runners despite the rainy weather. A post picturing Spencer sporting a blue raincoat and holding the marathon flags in his mouth garnered thousands of likes across multiple social media platforms. Runners and fans would wait in lines to simply pet the pup or snap a picture with him.
Despite his cheery spirit, Spencer had a three-year battle with cancer before succumbing at the age of 13, with his sister passing shortly after. Rich Powers’ new pup Jimmy is now training to carry on Spencer’s treasured memory of supporting the marathon runners. The puppy was gifted to Powers by the Golden Opportunities for Independence foundation, which is a service dog program that trains and raises Golden Retrievers. Golden Opportunities for Independence stated that it admired Spencer and what he stood for, and that they hope his memory lives on through the community.
“He was a symbol of hope, unconditional love and it's something we should all strive for. He was more than we ever deserved. Certainly more than I ever deserved…” Spencer’s handler Rich Powers said in an emotional statement. “This is for the world…If you don’t know his story, I think the statue is going to mean something to you. For those who know Spencer, he was a sitting angel who just lived in our house — he was too good not to share.”
Funds for the statue were raised for the bronze statue through private donors, and even small businesses such as Polkadog Bakery. In total, Spencer’s GoFundMe raised over $39,000 from a total of 487 donors. Any money not used in the making of the statue will be donated to the Morris Animal Foundation, which funds studies aiming to benefit both wild and domesticated animals.
“I think that the statue is a good way to honor the dog after passing, especially because everyone loved the dog,” NHS sophomore Ella Viau says. “By having a statue built of the golden retriever, people are able to remember the special moments of seeing him at the race and making sure he will never be forgotten,” Viau continues.
The bronze sculpture of Spencer was created by Jeffery Buccacio of Buccacio Sculpture Services, who stated, “Everyone at the studio was very proud and honored to be a part of [creating the statue]...I think a lot of people can relate to that fight that he was going through, and there he was, standing on the sidelines, cheering people on.”
The community is making plans to add sitting rocks and a bench by the statue, so that visitors can admire the view. Many hope that this project and the massive amount of love and support it has generated will continue to bring the community together for years to come.