Hundreds of Golden Retrievers Gather to Honor and Celebrate Spencer, the Boston Marathon Dog
Spencer, a golden retriever named the official dog of the Boston Marathon in 2022, died from cancer in 2023
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Golden retrievers gather in Boston to honor Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon, who died in 2023Hundreds of golden retrievers gathered to celebrate Spencer, the golden named the official dog of the Boston Marathon, and the impact the late dog had on the famous race.
MA Golden Meetups organized the event, which took place at Boston Commons in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday, April 14, and raised money for canine cancer research, according to Boston.com.
The Boston Athletic Association declared Spencer the official dog of the Boston Marathon in 2022. The golden retriever became known among marathon attendees (and the world) for showing up on race day at his favorite spot in Ashland, Mass., rain or shine, to cheer on runners and take photos with his fans.
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Golden retrievers at golden retriever meetup in Boston, MassachusettsSunday's meetup included a "social hour" for hundreds of golden retrievers, whose owners bought yellow bandanas that said "Boston Strong" in honor of the "Boston Strong" flags that Spencer would carry in his mouth to cheer on runners. Part of the proceeds from sales went to support canine cancer research.
The event also included a walk that started at Boston Common and went past the Massachusetts State House, per CBS News.
As PEOPLE previously reported, a statue of Spencer's likeness was unveiled in March, close to the dog's favorite spot on the Boston Marathon route, to honor the therapy dog.
Boston Marathon runners and spectators who fell in love with Spencer over the years helped raise the funds needed to create and erect the statue, per WBZ News.
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Golden retrievers gather in Boston on April 14, 2024, to honor Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon, who died in 2023Then, Ashland residents Robin Hicks and Cynthia Eynon Hicks donated a piece of their private land for the statue after the Ashland Select Board denied a request to place the piece at Spencer's favorite marathon spectator spot.
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty
The statue of Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon, erected along the marathon's route in MassachusettsSpencer began showing up at the marathon in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing to encourage runners during a difficult year for the event. He became known nationwide in 2018 when he showed up in the pouring rain holding "Boston Strong" flags in his mouth to show his support for the soaking-wet runners.
The dog was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in 2020 and still provided people encouragement through the pandemic on social media.
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One of the dog's owners, Rich Powers, announced Spencer's death in February 2023.
"We are devastated to share the news of Spencer's passing," Powers wrote on Instagram at the time. "We were loaned [an] incredible gift in 2009, and we had to return the gift last Friday."
Sunday's golden retriever meet-up also honored Spencer's niece, Penny, who died within weeks of him.
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