Meet Riley The Art Conservation Dog

At Metro.Style, we celebrate the pets we live with.  They make our lives so much richer by opening our hearts to love unspoken, but strangely, we know it is guaranteed unconditional.  Living with pets is healing and restorative.  Through our Pet of the Week in the Living section, we bring you pets with special missions… just because it’s the weekend, and you deserve a break from your daily news feed.

Behind the scenes in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, a weimaranar dog, Riley, officially works with the Conservation, Protective Services and Facilities department to sniff bugs and insects that may harm the art work in the museum’s collection.  Riley’s job is preventive, to keep pests at bay, and to alert the members of the museum staff of any pest infestation.

Riley’s position in the museum is a pioneering effort.  No other museum has employed a volunteer canine expressly for conservation and preservation efforts.  The world may be seeing more dogs with Riley’s job if this endeavor by the MFA Boston succeeds.  Riley’s role is seen as an added layer of protection for the works of art in the MFA.  A press conference marked his first few days at work:

Riley even stars in his own children’s book, and lives with his Mom, Nicki Luongo, who heads the museum’s protective services.

About the Weimaranar

Weimaranars originally retrieved game for German hunters, specifically deer and bear.  Nowadays, they can also be found as family pets, although Weimaranar pet parents will attest to their need for exercise.  Hence, these affectionate dogs are not suitable to apartment living.  They are good with children and friendly with other human beings and fellow canines, albeit on the sensitive side.  They do not tolerate being alone so well.  They are an intelligent breed, blessed with a keen sense of smell, making Riley perfect for his MFA job.

The works of photographer, William Wegman launched this breed into pop culture:

Follow Riley and his adventures through #rileythemuseumdog.