Get a first glimpse of K9 Bane's statue going up in St. Francis and find out how to help

Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·5 min read
Former St. Francis Police Department K9 Bane is going to be recognized for his service with a bronze statue sculpted by artist Kristen Douglas-Seitz of The Painted Feather. This is a full-size foam version of what the bronze statue will look like in front of the St. Francis Civic Center.
Former St. Francis Police Department K9 Bane is going to be recognized for his service with a bronze statue sculpted by artist Kristen Douglas-Seitz of The Painted Feather. This is a full-size foam version of what the bronze statue will look like in front of the St. Francis Civic Center.

Social media famous and former St. Francis crimefighter K9 Bane will forever watch over his hometown as a bronze statue in recognition of his service to the city.

The statue will be erected at the St. Francis Civic Center, 3400 E. Howard Ave., likely in early May 2023, according to Bane’s owner, St. Francis Police Detective Holly McManus.

When Bane, 11, retired in October 2020, McManus purchased her longtime partner from the city for $1. While he’s still keeping active, Bane was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy in June 2022, a spinal condition which affects his ability to stand and walk. The disease will eventually cause complete paralysis and his organs will shut down.

The K9 Bane Hero Fund was set up via GoFundMe to help cover medical costs and people have been very generous, according to McManus, who has chronicled Bane’s journey on his popular Facebook page with over 8,000 followers.

K9 Bane, who retired from the St. Francis Police Department in 2020, was recently diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. Here he is utilizing a special assisted walker donated by Gunnar's Wheels.
K9 Bane, who retired from the St. Francis Police Department in 2020, was recently diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. Here he is utilizing a special assisted walker donated by Gunnar's Wheels.

To memorialize her companion, and the city's first K9, McManus proposed the bronze statue. After the city council approved, she started searching for a sculptor.

McManus chose Kristen Douglas-Seitz of The Painted Feather, a Washington-based artist.

McManus said her estimate “was by far the most inexpensive” for the project. She also said Douglas-Seitz’s recent experience sculpting a dog for a fire chief in Kansas played a role in her decision.

“I knew that money was going to be a huge factor,” McManus said. “I knew she could do animals.”

As for Douglas-Seitz, she was immediately interested when McManus’ father, whom she’d met a few years ago at an art workshop in Wyoming, mentioned his daughter was looking to do this project.

“I fell in love with her story,” Douglas-Seitz said, calling McManus “so ferocious” with her zeal to create this dedication to her partner and pal. “She’s an absolute wonder woman.”

Douglas-Seitz said she was also moved by the response from the community for Bane’s health journey.

“It has just blown me away,” she said. “The support that everyone’s giving, they’re obviously very invested in his story and in his legacy. I think that’s what really grabs my heart.”

The sculpture 'will definitely be Bane,' not just 'some dog'

When she first came up with the idea, McManus thought the statue would just be a generic German shepherd.

That’s not going to be the case.

Douglas-Seitz flew to St. Francis to take some measurements and photographs to be sure to get the right proportions of the famous crime-fighting pup. She also stamped his badge and took measurements of his harness.

“This will definitely be Bane in this sculpture, not just some dog, and I hope St. Francis will remember him,” Douglas-Seitz said. “Even in his old age he’s still glued to (Holly’s) side and hanging on her every word.”

Douglas-Seitz said Bane’s most standout feature is his head.

“I actually went back in and widened the head,” Douglas-Seitz said. “He’s got a lot going on up there between his ears.”

McManus laughed and agreed.

“He’s got a very wide, hard head, and I say that on more levels than one because he is a hard head,” she said. “To be able to look at it and be like, ‘yeah, that’s Bane,’ is something that’s really important to me now.”

As “something extra for Holly” during her visit, Douglas-Seitz warmed some clay in the microwave and pressed Bane’s paw.

Former St. Francis Police Department K9 Bane is going to be recognized for his service with a bronze statue sculpted by artist Kristen Douglas-Seitz of The Painted Feather. This is the initial clay sculpt for the statue set to be constructed in May 2023.
Former St. Francis Police Department K9 Bane is going to be recognized for his service with a bronze statue sculpted by artist Kristen Douglas-Seitz of The Painted Feather. This is the initial clay sculpt for the statue set to be constructed in May 2023.

His paw came into play with the chosen pose for the statue as he has one raised which McManus said makes it look like he’s tracking.

“He was very good at it, and it was his favorite thing to do,” she said. “He has a heck of a nose.”

Douglas-Seitz described it as “a regal pose” that appears to be in motion.

She is sculpting Bane a little younger than he is now, so he more closely resembles how he looked while on duty. The statue itself will be 10% larger than life.

McManus said Douglas-Seitz is also making a bronze heart. If Bane passes before the statue is installed, some of his cremated remains will go into the bronze heart and it will be placed inside the statue.

“I’m praying Bane will make the dedication but I’m not being unrealistic,” she said, highlighting St. Francis’ motto is “where your heart remains.”

If Bane is able to attend, McManus plans to have a different type of urn placed either on the monument or off to the side at a later date.

There are opportunities to fund and sponsor the K9 Bane statue

K9 Bane is participating in weekly hydrotherapy — as pictured here — along with acupuncture treatments.
K9 Bane is participating in weekly hydrotherapy — as pictured here — along with acupuncture treatments.

McManus set a fundraising goal of $50,000 for the statue and to also help with Bane’s medical bills, estimating about $5,000 has been spent on everything from hydrotherapy to acupuncture.

The total cost for the statue will be between $35,000 and $40,000, she estimated. While the statue itself is “pretty much paid for,” she is still working to fund the base, lighting, landscaping and engraving for sponsors.

Anyone who donates $1,000 or more gets a dedication as a sponsor engraved on the monument. Checks can be made out to "SFPPA" – the St. Francis Professional Police Association – and mailed to the St. Francis Police Department, 3400 E. Howard Ave., St. Francis, WI 53235, with "ATTN" to either McManus or K9 Bane.

McManus said, “Bane gets stuff in the mail all the time.”

Other ways to help

K9 Bane Hero Fund on GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/k9-bane-hero-fund

K9 Bane clothing from The Lettering Machine: www.theletteringmachine.com/st_francis_pd/shop/home

K9 Bane plush "stuffies" from Hero Industries: hero-industries.com/product/st-francis-police-k9-bane/

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like/follow his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Get a glimpse of the K9 Bane statue going up in St. Francis