The newly restored Gentle Doctor sculpture and Veterinary Medicine mural, both by Christian Petersen, will be returned to the plaza at Vet Med today.

The official dedication ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, during Iowa State’s Homecoming festivities, said Phyliss Peters, communications specialist of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The life-size Gentle Doctor sculpture, a bronze replica of the original created by Petersen in the 1930s, depicts a man cradling a puppy in his arms, Peters said.

The sculpture and the 44-panel mural were sent to Conservation Technical Associates last November, where the pieces were cleaned and repaired.

Peters said because the mural was cemented into the wall of the Vet Med plaza, it absorbed salts and water, which discolored the terra cotta mural.

“It did get a lot of damage … but now it looks good as new,” Peters said.

Peters said Patricia Bliss, author of the book “Christian Petersen Remembered,” will speak at the dedication ceremony.

Also scheduled to speak is Richard Ross, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Ross said the Gentle Doctor sculpture has become a world-wide symbol.

“The statue is copied and used in various ways all around the world,” Ross said. “It is one of the most prominent symbols in veterinary medicine.”

Ross said he believes the Vet Med mural and Gentle Doctor statue, as well as all of Christian Petersen’s works on campus, have gained appreciation over the years.

The mural and statue were originally installed in the Lagomarcino Hall courtyard in 1938, Peters said. The pieces were moved to the plaza at Vet Med in 1976.

Alumni and friends, who raised almost $250,000 to fund the restoration project, are invited to the Homecoming dedication.