Hi my name is Maddy. I am a yellow lab mix rescue dog and live with my Mom and Dad in Phoenix.
I was born on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern Arizona some eight years ago. My first two and a half years are a bit of a blur. The summer of 2010 I found myself dodging cars on a street in Window Rock when a nice lady stopped, picked me up took me to a place with lots of other dogs. It was called the Black Hat Shelter. They gave me food and a place to sleep. During the next few months I lived in several places. I spent a month or so with a really nice girl in Ganado who said she taught school during the day. I spent the days playing with five friends we lived with. In the early fall I moved to New Mexico and lived for a month on a ranch. It was great. I got to run around and the lady there took me on walks and gave me lots of attention. For some reason I had to go back to Ganado. I think the lady’s cat did not like me. I am not real fond of cats myself but would never ask my human to get rid of them. Oh well, it was good to see my friends back in Ganado. In December my new life really began. One day we loaded up in a car and all 7 of us, my 5 friends and the teacher lady drove to Phoenix. When we stopped I got to jump out of the car, my fellow canines had to stay put. I met my new human parents. Their names are Dianne and Scott but they call themselves Mom and Dad so I will too.
I hear what they talk about all the time, they don’t know I am listening and I often pretend not to hear them so they will not figure it out. I learned they adopted me and really wanted a dog to live with them. I guess Dad had had heart surgery in October and was recovering by hiking and walking a lot. They thought I might be a good friend and walking partner for him. I was confused the first few days. I followed Mom around a lot; when it comes to humans I really like women better than men. I don’t remember it all but when I was on the streets a man shot me with BB’s and I guess I am just am slow to trust men since then.
I really love my life now, I sleep upstairs on the floor next to mom and dad’s bed, Both Mom and Dad play with me a lot, brush me, give me lots of love and attention. Dad and I go walks on the trails in the Dreamy Draw Park close to our home. I was on a leash for the first month we were together. One day he unhooked it and said “OK” and I got to run up the trail in front. He would call me if I got too far away. It took me awhile for me to learn how far I can go and that I really do need to come to him when he calls. Now I walk off the leash all the time!
Now Mom’s walks are another story. When we go out together she doesn’t walk she runs, sometimes up a mountain. Geesh! It took me awhile to learn how to run beside her, not pull on the leash and cut in front of her. We do it all the time now and it is lots of fun. Boy she can tire me out.
Dad and I became a Therapy Team!! I passed all the tests they put me through (they were really easy for me) and now I can visit the schools, libraries, hospitals or nursing homes.
But what I love and do the most is volunteer for Paws2Read. We get to go to a library every month and kids come up and pet me, hug me and then they read a 
book to me. I get so relaxed when they are reading I sometimes just snuggle up to them and doze.
Dan and I also volunteer for Gabriel’s Angels a program in Arizona that delivers healing pet therapy to abused, neglected and at-risk children. Dad and I gone to several place over our years together and helped children learn about dogs, empathy, love and trust. Kids are the best!!
Every summer I get to go to really cool places like Colorado and Oregon. It is pretty hot in Phoenix in July for a Northern Arizona dog. I sure like playing in cool creeks and beach with mom and dad and with my friends I meet along the way.
Maddy's Big Little Life 