Patch Pet of the Month: Mad About Maddie

The life of a Labrador Retriever is what Maddie should be living.

That magical life would be filled with long walks, playful jousts in the back yard and endless games of fetch. It is a life she was made for, but she spends most of her time in a kennel instead. She often appears as though she  considers  Angel Ridge her home now and it's maddening that she has yet to be adopted.

There are times where you might catch her snoozing on her dog bed or with her tongue crammed inside a kong for the last vestiges of peanut butter, but there is a lot of time spent pacing, jumping up to the sky and barking because she is bored out of her beautiful black skull.

And it makes the volunteers who are mad about Maddie, well, mad.

The frustration has been especially acute since her roommate, Milo, left many months ago to live with his new family. He was Maddie's best buddy in a kennel full of grudges against Maddie. The very sight of her going out with a volunteer inexplicably drives some of the other dogs mad.

The chemistry between Milo and Maddie was perfect and she has yet to find another friend like him at the shelter.

The volunteers will take her to the play yard and throw a ball with her. She goes mad for fetching a ball and is a tireless retriever. She is put through her paces, first asked to sit and then to hand them a paw. She does both of these tasks quite well and she knows "down" as well.

Maddie is not one of those dogs that spends all their time nose-to-ground. Oh contraire! She pays attention and looks people right in the eye, awaiting the next instruction.

That has the power to melt hearts on occasion, but it hasn’t yet landed her in a home with a family of her own. Her build is lean and strong. Her coat is very short and shiny. She loves to be out on a walk and although she does pull quite a bit, she responds to proper handling and eases up on walkers when she understands and is asked to stop and sit.

A lot of people ask about Labs and though Maddie is not a purebred one, she shares many of those beloved Lab characteristics, including the soft mouth when taking treats.

So being that it is the March madness time of year, perhaps you would be a good sport and give this champion a chance.

If you have a question about, or would like to meet Maddie, please call Geneva at 412-651-6843, or Judy at 724-223-9325

Angel Ridge Animal Rescue

724-229-7053

390 Old Hickory Ridge Road

Washington, PA 15301
www.angelridgeanimalrescue.org

Hours: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tues.