A Statue for Max the Miracle Dog

There’s a new addition to Hope Park in Keswick, England – a bronze statue with four legs, a tail, and “Max the Miracle Dog” inscribed on the bench it sits on.

This tribute to a very special dog was revealed July 2, 2021 with Ruffwear Ambassadors Max and his human Kerry (and about 2,000 fans) in attendance, marking a place where others can come and be inspired by the relationships between dogs and humans for many dog years to come.

The aptly-named Hope Park is in Max's home town, and the installation is expected to be an ideal place for folks to go and sit in peace, drawing comfort and inspiration from a dog that not only turned around the life of his human companion, but also went on to help so many others and raise money for worthwhile causes.

Max the Miracle Dog's statue commemorates his amazing work for a huge range of charities.

At the start of 2021, springer spaniel Max was also awarded the PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) Order of Merit – the highest accolade a dog can get in the UK (recognised as the equivalent of an OBE).

Max has a huge following across the world, including nearly a quarter of a million followers on his Facebook page.

During the pandemic, Max’s fame was further extended through daily Facebook Live broadcasts. He was soon touted as “the world’s first virtual therapy dog."

The full work comprises a bronze statue of Max sat on a bench made from slate from nearby Honister Mine. It was created by local sculptor, Kirsty Armstrong.

When the idea of a statue was first mooted in the summer of 2020, some further fundraising was needed. As Max’s human companion, Kerry Irving explains: “A week after finishing our fundraising that got us £110,000 from all around the world, I went back to our followers and said we’ve got a chance of this statue of Max, but we need £15,000. We put up a GoFundMe page, with a target of £15,000 – and in one hour 15 minutes we had £15,400.”

You can read more about the amazing story of Max and Kerry here.