By Theresa Knapp

Spencer, the beloved official dog of the 126th Boston Marathon, now has a larger-than-life sized painting in his honor. 

Spencer, who turned 13 in July, had been fighting cancer off and on in recent years and owner Richard Powers of Holliston says the cancer has returned and it is terminal.

“We learned in the fall that Spencer’s cancer had returned and we wanted to create something to immortalize him, and have something to inspire at the Marathon this year to mark the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy,” says Powers, referring to the marathon bombings of 2013. 

Spencer, and his now 10-year-old sister Penny, both Golden Retriever therapy dogs, rose to fame during the coronavirus pandemic when Powers was posting near-daily “pupdates” on his “Spencer & Penny” Facebook page @Spencerpowrs and other local town pages. The pupdates continue today. 

 

Spencer has been cheering on Boston Marathon runners at his post in Ashland since 2015. The rendering entitled “Celebrating Spencer” depicts the pup in the center of the frame wearing a Boston Marathon medallion around his neck and holding a pole in his mouth. On the left side of the pole is a flag with a heart on it and on the right side hangs a “We Are Boston Strong” flag. 

The painting is 5 feet wide and 5.5 feet tall and hangs in Powers’ home though he plans to loan it out during the week of the marathon “to be displayed to continue to inspire and give hope to runners and attendees.” 

Powers commissioned the painting from artist Tom Mosser Design based in Pittsburgh. It took about two months to complete and was unveiled in January at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza where Spencer is the hotel’s “honorary canine ambassador.”   

A video of the ceremony can be found on Holliston Cable Access at https://bit.ly/3ZSbysu 

 Powers hopes Spencer can attend this year’s marathon in April, where he and Penny typically greet thousands of runners, but it would be a short visit. 

“It is our hope he will be with us but, even if he is with us, he would not be able to attend in his traditional role, it would be too much for him,” says Powers. “But we would love to bring him for a quick moment so could feel the energy one more time.” 

In the meantime, Powers reports his “angel on earth” has been “comfortable and relatively active.” 

“Sadly, he’s terminal and there is nothing more we can do with any treatment. We are just managing his care and comfort. His days have been mostly good so far but we are monitoring him very closely as we know it can change very quickly.” 

As for his owners, Powers says, “We are taking it day by day. Anyone who has lost a dog understands that he is not just a dog, he is a family member and they know the emotional roller coaster we are experiencing. Every day is a gift with him. He is an amazing dog and has beaten the odds so many times, and we are thankful for the extra time we have had.” 

Powers thanks everyone who has supported Spencer over the years. They have raised more than $4,000 for canine cancer research and he encourages others to donate to the cause at https://bit.ly/2InCwzJ.