Statue of Boston Marathon dog Spencer unveiled along marathon route in Ashland
ASHLAND - A statue of Spencer the golden retriever, the dog who could always be seen greeting Boston Marathon runners along the route, was unveiled in Ashland on Saturday.
For years, Spencer was a fixture along the Boston Marathon route. He would stand for hours in the sun or the pouring rain making thousands of runners smile as they passed by him - many even stopping to say hi.
"We had lines of people when Spencer was with us, lines of people. Not talking like three or four people, it was like 20 people deep waiting to take a picture. They're stopping the marathon to take a picture with Spencer and he loved every second of it," said Spencer's dad, Rich Powers.
"He made a difference"
Spencer first started carrying a Boston Strong flag after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, offering love and encouragement.
"Spencer totally understood what he was doing and he knew he made a difference and he enjoyed doing it," said Powers.
His unwavering support on the marathon route continued every year - even through the pandemic - when there weren't any runners. On social media, Spencer and his sister Penny held signs, reminding their many followers of the date when the days of lockdown all blended together.
"We lifted a lot of spirits even when we weren't physically able to do it and he did get a lot of people through some tough times," said Powers.
Spencer was going through a tough time himself in 2020 when he was diagnosed with a tumor.
"When he was suffering and I thought I could lose him. His job wasn't done. He was like, 'Dad, I'm not going anywhere.'"
More than just a marathon dog
Spencer beat the odds and miraculously he was back out on the route the next year, bringing smiles to thousands of people. In 2022, he was named the Official Dog of the Boston Marathon in a ceremony at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. But, Spencer was even more than that. He was a therapy dog who regularly visited schools, hospitals and nursing homes. And he became a symbol of hope to others battling cancer, including marathon runner, Susan Hurley.
"I wanted to lift her spirits and I knew that Spencer's a therapy dog, she loves dogs so I contacted Rich and said can we do a visit?" said Hurley's friend, Trisha Winton. " So we went over and met Spencer and Penny and the connection and relationship grew from there."
Sadly, Spencer died from cancer last year. His sister, Penny, followed him a short eight days later.
"It's amazing how many people reached out after he had passed away. I've never seen anything like it, how many people he affected," said Powers.
Paying tribute to Spencer
It was Hurley and Winton who immediately came up with the idea to pay tribute to Spencer with a statue and they quickly raised the donations they needed from community members.
"There's no dog that would stand out there like him and he was just the epitome of what the Boston Marathon stands for," said Hurley.
They approached local sculptor Jeff Buccacio, who has built props for big movies in Hollywood, but it's projects like this that mean the most to him.
"Projects like this are especially special for us here because we're able to affect our community," said Buccacio.
Buccacio and his team spent months designing, molding and perfecting Spencer's statue. He gave us the big reveal at his studio in Canton.
"There's a team of artists here that we all poured our heart into this because we knew what Spencer meant to so many people," said Buccacio. "Every day we're confronted with things in society that divide us and the story of Spencer is something that unites us. That's beautiful to us."
When it came time to find a spot for Spencer, the Ashland Select Board denied the request to put the statue on town property. So, residents Robin and Cynthia Eynon Hicks offered up a piece of their own private land right across from where Spencer always stood.
"What he gave to the community and the runners and the enthusiasm and just the positivity all those years," said Cynthia Eynon Hicks.
"Just enjoy and reflect - sit there and think of what as a human being you could do what this dog did," said Robin Hicks.
Powers' two pups, Jimmy and Jade, are now training to carry on Spencer's beloved tradition right alongside his gentle spirit - forever part of the Boston Marathon.
"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," said Powers.