Naperville names dog, cat in humane society sculpture
The dog and cat in the Naperville Area Humane Society's sculpture near the Riverwalk are nameless no more.
Supporters of the humane society decked out the new sculpture in holiday red and green on Sunday and attached name tags to the animals: "Mac" for the dog and "Cleo" for the cat.
The monikers are fitting, says one of the volunteers who helped the sculpture come to life. Gail Diedrichsen said voters in a contest chose the names Mac and Cleo in honor of the humane society's founder, Ardis McCallion, and a founding member, Cleo Keller.
"It was a landslide," Diedrichsen said. "Everyone thought it was appropriate."
McCallion and Keller both turned 90 this year as the society celebrated its 35th anniversary with a dedication of the sculpture in August.
The sculpture, visible from the Riverwalk near Centennial Beach and the Naperville Park District's administration building, may be the first piece of permanent public art in Naperville to be decorated for the holidays. In past years, so-called "yarn-bombing" has taken place on several sculptures in the city's downtown as people have decorated the pieces with scarves and caps.