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Police are investigating the theft, but a spokesman for the department said they don’t have any leads.

Connors said the museum near Old Town acquired the piece in 1999 and installed it in the sculpture garden in 2004, where it represents people at leisure, including a man sitting on a bench, accompanied by his dog.

Connors said he could remember one other attempted theft of a statue a couple of years ago, but otherwise the museum has never had a problem.

He said he hopes the theft was a prank and the statue will be returned rather than melted down for scrap value.

“The Albuquerque museum wants to provide wonderful cultural amenities, and create a terrific environment for enjoyment, thought and contemplation,” Connors said. “When someone destroys that, it basically means one person has decided that the rest of the community won’t get to appreciate this work of art.”

If the dog is not returned, Connors said the museum will have to purchase a new one for the installation – at a cost of thousands of dollars.

“We absolutely will replace it if it can’t be found,” he said. “We want to make sure the sculpture is full and complete in the way the artist intended it.”

Connors said the dog’s disappearance has affected more than just the museum staff and garden aesthetic. He said Friday morning he met a couple that told him they like to walk their dog through the sculpture garden every day.

“They were horrified to see the dog was gone because they always like to have their dog visit with the sculpture dog,” Connors said. “It’s sad to see that anyone would do anything that would negatively affect the community.”