Corboy & Demetrio’s Dog “Bella” on Display in K9s for Cops Art Campaign
If you stroll down the Mag Mile this summer, you’ll likely catch a glimpse of Corboy & Demetrio’s dog “Bella,” which is outside the Wrigley Building at 430 N. Michigan Ave. as part of the K9’s for Cops Public Art Campaign. Already, on Bella’s first day on display, she caught the attention of many passersby.
The firm worked with Chicago artist Juan Carlos Frias, who painted the 54-inch statue, with ribbons of awareness for breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer and ovarian cancer and butterflies as symbols of hope. Bella was named after the dog owned by the late Maureen McIntyre, a longtime Corboy & Demetrio legal assistant who died of colon cancer in 2015. Maureen had bid on Bella at a gala auction to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness with a mission of making everyone aware of the silent symptoms.
The majority of the proceeds from the art campaign will go to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, which provides financial support to the families of dead and injured officers and maintains the lakeside Gold Star Families Memorial park. A portion of the proceeds will also go to PAWS Chicago, the area's largest no-kill shelter. Both groups spoke at a news conference announcing the program on July 24, 2017.
In 2014, Corboy & Demetrio took part in a similar program, Horses of Honor, sponsoring a horse as another fundraiser for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.
The K9 statues will be on display on Michigan Avenue through Labor Day.
