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Smiley Pete Memorial
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""He belonged to nobody; he was everyone's dog.""
Male
51 years old
LEXINGTON, Kentucky
United States
Last Login:
3/3/2008
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Mood:
excited
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http://www.myspace.com/smileypetememorial |
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| Status: | Single | | Zodiac Sign: | Gemini |
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Smiley Pete Memorial's Blurbs |
About me:
Known as Lexington's town dog and nicknamed the Canine Con Man, the Magnificent Moocher and the Panhandling Pooch, Smiley Pete was a friend to all. He was so well loved; he often graced the front cover of both the Lexington Leader and the Lexington Herald, whether it was forcatching an opossum, posing for a local charity, or showing off his litter of puppies. Pete was born in 1943 and came to downtown Lexington around 1946 after his owner, rumored to be a traveling man, gave up trying to keep the wandering pup home. This suited Pete just fine; he set up his new home on the sidewalk between Welch's Cigar Store and Brandy's Kitchen on the east corner of Main and Limestone streets, where the courthouse sits today. It wasn't long after that when the people of downtown started calling Pete, Smiley Pete, for his distinctive tooth-baring grin. Pete was a mutt, but you'd never guess it seeing him strut up and down the streets of downtown. Some have speculated that he was most likely a mix of spitz, shepherd and bird dog. In 1957, Lexington had a rabies scare and funds were raised to have Pete put in a kennel for protection. Confined for three months, Pete's wandering spirit could take it no more. He passed away the evening of June 17, 1957 around 9 p.m. The cause of death was a heart condition and obesity, although according to Lexington Herald, Mrs. Welch "scoffed at the diagnosis--but admitted that his heart had something to do with his death. 'Smiley Pete died of a broken heart because they shut him up...He thought we'd all forgotten him and he just died,' she said." Pete was never forgotten nor will he ever be thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Welch and friends. Although Pete could not be buried at any of his downtown hangouts, business owners donated money to purchase a bronze plaque that is still near one of Pete's favorite places, the corner of Main and Limestone. As a dedicated friend of Smiley Pete, once said, "He belonged to nobody; he was everyone's dog."
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Who I'd like to meet:
ATTENTION SCULPTORS!
The Smiley Pete Memorial Committee is seeking proposals from sculptors to create and outdoor public sculpture remembering the loveable community pet Smiley Pete.
Visit http://www.lexarts.org/artists.php for details.
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