ASHLAND, Mass. — A statue of Spencer the Boston Marathon dog who was always seen greeting runners during the marathon was unveiled in Ashland on Saturday afternoon.
The beloved golden retriever first went viral in 2018 when he braved the rainy weather to cheer on runners at his favorite spot along the 26.2-mile route near Ashland State Park. A video of him dressed in a raincoat with the flags in his mouth was widely shared by news outlets across the country.
Spencer died last February after a battle with cancer and his owner Richard Powers wanted to keep his spirit alive.
The statue was crafted by Bucaccio’s Sculpture Services in Canton and is the same size that Spencer was.
This has been an incredible journey,” said Spencer’s owner Rich Powers. “There was definitely a need for this. The statue isn’t for me. We did this for the world.”
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“For those who knew Spencer and met him, he was just truly an angel,” said Powers. “He was too good not to share. We were incredibly lucky to have him for almost 14 years and we miss him every second of every single day.”
“My house is a shrine to Spencer, and I see it every day,” said Powers. “I didn’t need a statue of Spencer. The world needs a statue of Spencer.”
The Powers family now has new dogs named Jimmy and Jade. Jimmy is filling a giant hole by training and carrying on Spencer’s tradition by cheering on runners.
“Jimmy and Jade will be out at the marathon,” said Powers. “Jimmy is at Spencer-level of holding the flags. I just don’t know how he will do with all those cowbells.”
Power and his dogs will be setting up this year along the race course right by the new statue of Spencer.
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