Bodie livens up Richland's The Parkway

Bodie

It's always a delight to be walking along a city street and come across a piece of sculpture in the most unexpected places.

That's how I felt when I "discovered" this bronze statue of a labrador named Bodie in The Parkway, a short pedestrian mall in Richland, Washington.

According to the plaque, Bodie accompanied his owner, Cindy Irvin, to work at The Parkway for many years, becoming a fixture among the shop owners and customers. Bodie also was a certified therapy dog who visited patients at Kadlec Hospital, just a few blocks away.

The "Many Friends of Bodie" erected a plaque at the base of the statue to remind us that dogs are, indeed, man's best friend.

The sculpture of Bodie, resplendent in his kerchief, was made by Tom McClelland, a local artist. The statue was installed in 2010.