For nearly two years now I’ve biked to work along the Charles River Esplanade. Approaching the band shell, there is an art deco statue of a somber looking dog perched on a column always that has always caught my eye. Its something about the incongruity of it. It isn’t a statue of a famous person, or a particular scene. Just a dog. I never made an effort to actually stop and look at it until just this week. Looking closely, it’s still a simple sculpture with a inscription that only reads its name, the Lotta Fountain, and its benefactor, Lotta M. Crabtree. After some internet research I found that she was a wealthy actress in the area in the early 20ᵗʰ century and had a passion for fair treatment of animals. It apparently was originally a fountain for dogs, and its unclear if that part is functional despite a major renovation 10 years ago. Regardless I appreciate her gift, a simple dog, on the lookout, keeping watch of those who come and go.