A FINAL stage of fundraising is under way to install statues of a Labrador and a Newfoundland dog in Poole.

Organiser of the campaign to commemorate the town’s historical links to the breeds, Bill Lane has set up a new crowdfunding page to raise the remaining £3,800 needed to install the statues near Poole Quay.

The project will cost a total of £62,000, and 90 per cent of the funding is being sought from Arts Council England. A decision on the funding application is expected in December.

TV presenter and author Ben Fogle started backing the project last year, as well as the Wessex Newfoundland Society. Although initially sceptical of the plans, Poole council has since shown support for the statues, and the idea has already gained the approval of borough councillors Andy Hadley and Mark Howell, and Mayor of Poole, Cllr Lindsay Wilson.

One of the proposed statues would be an exact replica of an existing statue on the coast of Newfoundland.

Mr Lane came up with the idea after reading a history of the breed – Labrador by Ben Fogle – which traces Britain's most beloved dog back to its origins.

According to the author's research, Labradors were Canadian fishing dogs taken on to work on Portuguese cod trawlers off the province of Newfoundland, and brought to Europe around 200 years ago when those trawlers docked at Poole on their way back to Portugal.

Some of the earliest pedigrees of Labrador dog were imported into Poole to be used as gundogs, including by Colonel Hawker, a celebrated shooter who owned a schooner ship which sailed between Poole and Newfoundland.

According to historians Newfoundland dogs were once among the more unusual imports at Poole's bustling port, which became known for one of the best places to acquire one of the dogs. They were much in demand, especially from wealthier families and sportsmen, who used them to fetch wildfowl from the sea.

According to archives tradesmen also used the Newfoundlands to pull carts through the narrow streets of Poole's 18th century Old Town.

Mr Lane, a retired psychiatric nurse, envisages the statues being installed at Baiter Park and overlooking Poole Harbour.

“It would be a better option for dog walkers and would draw attention to the wonderful harbour we’ve got,” he said.

“I’m hopeful we’ll get the remaining funds we need – any contributions will be most gratefully received.

“I’ve got a letter from Borough of Poole with outline planning permission for the statues, so when we get all the money we can take the project forward.”

Visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bill-lane-5 to donate to the project.