Laura Speed Elliott Middle School in Boonville, MO, is currently home to a set of dog statues displayed prominently on the rooftop of its building, visible from the interior stairwell windows traversed by students daily. These statues, however, are not just ordinary depictions of dogs; they are highly detailed, showcasing anatomical features including male genitalia, which many, including concerned parents and community members, find inappropriate for the young minds of children just as they transition between classes.

Children as young as 10 years old are exposed to these statues multiple times a day. The school, a place for education and growth, should maintain an environment free from elements that could potentially cause discomfort or embarrassment among its students. The images seen may be confusing or unsettling to young students, particularly to 6th grade girls, raising valid concerns about age-appropriate exposure.

We propose two straightforward solutions: either the school board decides to remove the statues, respecting the sensibilities of children and parents alike, or alternatively, install sizeable curtains or blinds on the stairwell windows to effectively block the view of these inappropriate figures.

In our opinion the City of Boonville may also wish to take action in moving this forward due to the fact that these statues act as NUISANCES as defined by City Ordinances Chapter 13 as they cause harm, inconvenience, and discomfort to any one or more individuals in the city by reason of being a menace, threat and/or hazard to the general health and safety of the community.

Currently the Missouri Sex Offenders List indicates that there are 78 sex offenders in the City of Boonville.  Lewd statues in public view of this nature helps keep those numbers rising. 

Creating an environment where our children can learn without unnecessary distractions and discomfort should be a priority for the school authorities. By signing this petition, you are advocating for the well-being and mental comfort of the students attending Laura Speed Elliot Middle School. Let us collectively urge the school administration to take swift action in addressing this concern. Please sign this petition to ensure a change is made for the benefit of our children.

A May 15th, 2025 email reply from Josh Bird, Director of Facilities and Transportation for the Boonville School District, states, "Regarding the dog statues: These statues have been part of the school building for decades.... We understand your concerns about their placement and appearance, but at this time, there are no plans to remove or modify them."

Since the school staff themselves have no intention of addressing this issue, we would like for the School Board or City to take action.  We would also like for anyone that supports this cause to sign this petition to show your interest.  

It is not clear why the statues were placed initially nor how they were obtained by the school.  When various members of the community have been asked about this, including school staff, there has been no comment as to the statues' origin story. 

The school's mascot was in recent years changed from a Hawk to a Pirate to match the mascot from other schools in the district.  Interior design has recently been updated to reflect that change. It is believed that the dogs played no role in the heritage or purpose of the school itself directly since the school's mascots were never dogs.

In an internet search one of the few things we've discovered about this is a Pintrest Post by Brian Heisler shows a photo of the school in 1931 before the dog statues were present. The caption on this photo indicates that the dogs were located at Central National Bank at the time of the photo. 

Therefore, it would seem as if these statues were a gift made to the school. As such this lewd artwork should be hidden from public, or given back to the bank.  The details of the purchase of the statues, if they exist, should also be published if available by the school board to more clearly show the intention and cost behind the placement of this artwork as it does not appear to have been a part of the initial building plans.

In the 1990s the dogs were painted red. Today they are gold. It would appear the school board approved this painting project to bring more attention to these lewd statues than there was being given to them previously when they were a color that was more subtle that matched the surrounding bricks on the building. 

Details of the cost of the initial installation, repainting to gold, and any other related or ongoing costs should be published by the school board to make the public aware of how much taxpayer money is going towards this obscene artwork.