All of Cardiff's Snoopy sculptures are being moved to more secure locations after a spate of vandalism. Several of the statues which make up the free public art project, A Dog's Trail, have been damaged since it launched on April 8, with already having to be removed after being targeted by vandals.
The trail, which is running across South Wales and features 40 large Snoopys and 75 smaller ones has proved popular with residents and tourists in Cardiff, Caerphilly and Porthcawl, but suffered vandalism within 24 hours of launching. Five sculptures were damaged in the first week, with two more being fenced off due to minor surface damage.
The vandalised statues were: 'Welsh Wildflowers' at Caerphilly Castle, 'Tally' at Llandaff Fields, 'Peek a Boop' at Victoria Park, 'A Dog's Dream' outside City Hall and 'Bore Dar Snoopy' in Dafydd Williams Park. Despite the incidents, which left some of the sculptures headless, the Dog's Trust, who run the trail, said that they had received 'phenomenal support' from the public.
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However, 19 of the colourful sculptures based in Cardiff city centre and parks around the capital are now being 'rehomed' for good, in order to protect them and "ensure that the beautiful artwork can continue to be enjoyed". Get the latest news from across Wales sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletters.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the trail's organisers said: "Since the trail launched on 8th April, the sculptures brought so much joy to thousands of people. But as you may have seen, several have been vandalised, or suffered damage, and have had to be temporarily removed from the trail for repairs. To ensure that the beautiful artwork can continue to be enjoyed by residents and visitors to South Wales, today (Thursday 28th April), 19 of the sculptures based in Cardiff city centre and Cardiff Parks will be relocated to new locations where they will be more secure."
The Cardiff-based sculptures are being moved to new locations in Roath Park , the Capitol Centre , Queens Arcade and Cardiff Castle . Two of the statues that had been removed from the trail previously - Peek a Boop and Tally - have also been repaired and will be back on view in Roath Park this weekend.
There will be no changes of location for the sculptures in Cardiff Bay, Porthcawl and Caerphilly. Details of the new locations can be found on the A Dog's Trail app and information will also be available where the previous sculptures were located to let people know where they can now be enjoyed.
Rebecca Staden, Project Manager for A Dog’s Trail, said: “The people of South Wales and beyond have come out in their thousands to enjoy this super-special trail, but sadly some of the beautiful sculptures which have brought joy to so many have been deliberately vandalised and others have suffered damage.
Therefore, we are moving the sculptures based in Cardiff city centre and Cardiff Parks to new locations where they will be more secure and so that everyone can continue to enjoy them. People that have already visited may even want to see them again in their new ‘forever homes’.”
She added: "From the moment the Trail launched we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received. People of all ages are loving it, as are their dogs! This Trail has brought together artists, businesses and the community and has been a true collaboration and celebration of Wales.
"Since the trail launched, the app has recorded more than 150,000 visits to individual sculptures, with over 3,000 selfies uploaded to its gallery and thousands of fans have headed to the A Dog’s Trail shop at Mermaid Quay to buy souvenirs and memorabilia. We are determined to make sure that everyone will be able to enjoy the Trail until 5 June and that ultimately the 40 big sculptures can be auctioned off to raise money for Dogs Trust which cares for thousands of dogs who need to find new homes.”
