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Dog sculpture at Glen Lake Park based off a happy hunting hound

Sadie the dog was not as old as the concrete art looks almost 20 years later
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The artist rendered Sadie with a few more ribs and wrinkles than she had in real life, and with the fading of her paint she looks a little sad. But real-life Sadie was an energetic hunting dog, her owner Cliff Curtis said. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

A photo of a dog sculpture at Glen Lake Park circulated social media this week and had some people questioning the origins of the public art.

At almost 20 years old, the concrete design has faded and looks a little worse for wear to the point where the dog almost appears emaciated, as some people suggested online.

The sculpture was made in the likeness of a hound named Sadie, who has since died. While the warm brown paint has faded and grime has settled in making her look a little mangy, she was a lively hunting dog at the time.

Her owner, local developer Cliff Curtis, fondly recalled how Sadie hunted cougars with him for all of her 11 years.

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She was a cross between a treeing walker and bluetick hound, had a “cold nose” Curtis said, meaning she’d pick up old cougar tracks, versus a “hot nose” dog that would only react to very fresh scent.

Which kind of nose is better for hunting?

“It depends on how long you want to run for,” Curtis grinned. He doesn’t hunt anymore, but said just seeing Sadie’s statue brought it all back.

“If I could still keep up with the hounds over the hill, I’d be out there right now,” he said.

This is the image the artist worked off to cast the contrete sculpture now placed at Glen Lake Park. Sadie was 7 or 8 years old when this photo was taken at camp, Cliff Curtis said. (Submitted/Cliff Curtis)


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The sculpture, commissioned by the city of Langford back around 2004, was originally placed on the sidewalk outside of Evedar’s Bistro on Peatt Road south of Goldstream Avenue when the building was being constructed. Evedar’s has since closed and a later tenant wanted to expand the patio, so the sculpture was moved to the dog park at Glen Lake Park last year.

Sadie’s sculpture is tied to a post that Curtis said was meant to look like a dog waiting for its owner.

Even though the artist rendered her a little skinny – the shape of ribs are visible, and her skin appears loose on her frame – she looks lifelike. During the interview at the park another dog excitedly approached concrete Sadie, apparently expecting to find a playmate.


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zoe.ducklow@blackpress.ca

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The artist rendered Sadie with a few more ribs and wrinkles than she had in real life, and with the fading of her paint she looks a little sad. But real-life Sadie was an energetic hunting dog, her owner Cliff Curtis said. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)