Susie the Cat statue given planning go-ahead
Ama MenecPlans to erect a statue of a celebrity cat in Dorset's county town have been given the go-ahead.
Susie the Cat is a regular visitor to shops and businesses in Dorchester and a Facebook group dedicated to her has nearly 13,000 members.
The application to install a 113cm-high (44in) bronze statue outside Julia's House charity shop in South Street was unanimously approved by Dorset councillors.
It will be cast by Weymouth sculptor Ama Menec, depicting Susie wearing a Roman-style cat collar of glass beads.
Susie's owner, Jenny Graves, said she was initially contacted by a local historian who wanted to commission a statue of Susie in the style of a Roman-era cat as a nod to the town's Roman origins.
The 38cm-high (15in) statue will be installed at eye level for small children, on a 75cm-high (30in) plinth of Portland stone full of Jurassic Coast fossils.
Dorchester's mayor, Les Fry, proposed approving the plans at a Dorset Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday.
Poundbury resident James Honeychuck, who submitted the application, suggested one side of the plinth was used for a poem, to be composed by the Bard of Dorchester.
Supporters of the scheme include Lorna Dannerberg who lives in Scotland and holidays in Weymouth.
She told Dorset Council: "We come into Dorchester especially to see Susie.
"She has become a wonderful ambassador to the town."
California resident and online follower Jacqueline Londhair also wrote in support, telling the council: "Although I will probably never meet Susie in person, she brings such joy to me and others around the world every day."
Susie moved to Dorchester with owners Linda and Michael Crow when they came to stay with Graves, their daughter, in 2023.
After receiving multiple calls from people believing she was lost, they changed her name tag to say 'Susie - not lost, just adventurous'.
Facebook followers share sightings of the cat, which also features in a children's book, postcards and a calendar, raising thousands for charity.
