A chocolate Labrador named Cody, owned by BP c-store owner Karim Mansour, became well-known by fans across the country in recent months, even gaining his own Web site and facebook page.
The pooch who was often seen wearing a BP shirt and name tag and popping up behind the drive through window, had been an attraction at the c-store in Clearwater, Fla., for months and rose to popularity after he was banned from the store by the Department of Agriculture.
In January, CSD featured a story about Cody the Dog and his fight to return to the convenience store in the backroom section of the magazine. Mansour was looking for loopholes in the rules that would allow him to bring his beloved pet back to the store as hordes of supporters made t-shirts and joined the cause on facebook.
But the effort to bring Cody back ended officially this past week, when the BP station suddenly closed. A massive construction project along U.S. 19 made it difficult for customers to reach the store, especially after stop lights and turn lanes were removed, the Tampa affiliate of Fox News reported.
“Ultimately it’s going to make traveling and traversing Pinellas county faster and more efficient, but for all the little businesses it’s devastating,” Mansour told the news station.
Cody, meanwhile, occasionally visits the family’s other store in Dunedin where customers are quick to ask if Cody is there to stay. But the answer is no, Cody is just visiting.