March 4, 2004

Pet of the Week: “Maddie, The Golden Child”

Maddie, a lustrous golden retriever, joined the Addiego family when she was purchased from a breeder as a pup, and has been an integral part of the family ever since.

At about 8-years-old, she is full of a lust for life, running, and leaping alongside the children, and delighting the family with her feats. “Besides laying down and shaking hands, if we tell her to go get a specific item, she will get it,” states Gary Addiego. “We can tell her to get her leash, or my cell phone and bring it to me. If we want a pair of socks, she'll bring them. She'll nudge the door knob to go out, and when she wants to come in, she'll knock with her nose on the door. She's very fun loving.” Gary's son Colin agrees. His favorite thing about Maddie is when she jumps over the bushes. “She even jumps over my head!” he exclaims. “She runs fast, and she even goes down the slide at my school.” Gary's younger son, Zachary, likes watching when Maddie and dad play together, and getting ‘kisses' from her. “She's the best dog!” he declares.

“She's extremely affectionate, and very loyal,” comments Gary. “She's great with the kids. One time, relates Gary, when the children were very young and wandered outside by themselves, Maddie paced up and down the hall, because she knew they were outside and shouldn't have been. “She kept going from the window to the front door, and came over to my wife, and sure enough, she found them outside,” he says. “She's a great watch dog. I can tell where the kids are at all times by her actions–she's always with them.”

Neighbor Joanne Escobar recalls when the Addiegos moved in, and Maddie was a puppy and her granddaughter Katelynn was a baby. “I have pictures of Katelynn petting Maddie, and Maddie licking her face,” she laughs. “Katelynn enjoys having Maddie next door, because Maddie just loves children.”

Maddie is also well known in the neighborhood. “She loves to sit out front and watch people,” observes Gary. “Everybody always stops to see her. She's very friendly and lovable.” Escobar concurs. “She's such a good-natured dog,” she says. “She'll sit out there, and people will walk by and greet her. Every neighbor who knows Gary, knows Maddie. She is the ‘Good Will Ambassador' of the neighborhood.”

“She's wonderful,” affirms Colin. “You can see her collar, so you know she belongs to the Addiego family. This is my dog.”

—By Lorraine Gabbert

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