Iconic dog statue in front yard brings joy to passersby

• Piper, a black Labrador, has an adorable statue in front of her home.
• Passersby are fascinated by the life-sized statue peeking through the yard’s fence.
• The statue has become an instant icon making people walking by to stop and pet her.

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Alice Fay had been passing by Commonwealth Avenue, so she was familiar with the beautiful, tree-lined street in Boston. But it was only previously when she spotted a bronze dog peeking through a stone fence — and it was lovely!

“I was chatting with my sister who lives in a different state as I walked by it,” Alice told The Dodo. “I looked over and I gasped and stopped talking. I turned around and went back and said, ‘There’s this statue here, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!’”

Alice thought that the life-sized Labrador statue, searching for her tennis ball, was a memorial to a lost pet. Curious to know the story behind it, she shared photos of it on Facebook.

“I wanted to go knock on the door, but I thought it would be weird,” she said.

Eventually, Alice’s questions got some answers. According to WGBH, the statue was modeled after Piper, Anne Lovett and Steve Woodsum’s black Labrador.

“We wanted to add just something to our front yard,” Anne told WGBH. “Something that would be a little bit unique and visually interesting for people coming by. Something, sort of, like a little surprise.”

It was in 2006 when the couple came up with the idea and commissioned sculptor Jim Sardonis to create Piper’s life-sized statue for their front garden. When Piper stuck her head through the fence to greet Jim, he knew it would be the perfect concept to show Piper’s affable personality.

Anne wanted to add the tennis ball as Piper “loves chasing tennis balls.”

For 17 years, Piper’s statue has been bringing joy to the street, with her warm welcoming gesture making the front garden even more inviting.

“It became an instant icon, apparently. Especially with children walking by,” Jim said. “They would want to pat her head, and it shows some of that in the wearing away of the dark patina to the shiny bronze underneath.”

Alice was glad to know that the statue was a tribute instead of a memorial.

“It made me feel good that she was still alive when they had it made. It made me wonder why no one else had ever done something like this. It was beautiful,” she said.

Piper passed away last year, but she would always remain in the hearts of her parents — and literally in front of their home where she could get lots of pets for still a long, long time.

Source: The Dodo