Dog ‘not lost, just waiting’ at museum

For more than two hours, Colie the dog stopped a revolving door. Colie didn’t growl or bark to protect her territory. She waited for her master.

On a day that reached 85 degrees, she sat on the cool marble on the outside floor of the IU Art Museum’s revolving door. She never once tried to go inside.

Colie had a black coat and a thick white fur collar that made her look like a queen.

Around her neck was a chain collar with two dangling tags. One was a blue rabies vaccination tag. The second explained dog thoughts in human-talk: “I’m not lost, just waiting!”

Listed on the tag were her name and the number of her owner. A call to the number went unanswered.

It was a scene of nature’s calm power. Instead of pushing Colie to move, visitors to the museum re-routed and used the two side entrances.

Passersby stared or smiled at Colie, and sometimes said something in surprise.

“That just proves that nobody ever uses that door,” one woman said.

When people stopped to pet Colie, she raised her head slowly so they could scratch her chin. She didn’t beg or lick; she allowed a rub and then laid her head back down.

From her spot, Colie could see inside the foyer of the museum. She saw a peace lily plant and a sign for this month’s special exhibit, an American landscape painter.

When she saw people walking up and down the slanted steps, she raised her ears a little.

Neville Vaughan, the museum security guard who sat inside, watched Colie and the people who passed by. None of his supervisors were upset, he said, but they wondered where the dog came from and where she went. He said he thought Colie arrived around noon and was gone by 2:30 p.m.