"Madison"
10" x 8"
oil on canvas
RESERVED PURCHASE
Madison's Story…
"I got Madison (named after the Madison Scouts of Drum Corps
International) in 1999 when my roommate and best friend very suddenly
moved back to her hometown. I had no TV or living room furniture, but
decided a dog would be my next big purchase.
As a severe asthmatic, I did a lot of research on dogs that don’t shed
and made a few appointments to see the various breeds. At my first
“go-see,” a tiny – and very vocal – black puppy peed on me, and I knew
she was mine. I had nothing to carry her home in, no food, and no
doggie supplies…but she was mine. I wondered what I had gotten myself
into.
Fifteen years later, she is still mine. We picked up her brother – an
ornery cat named Sid Vicious – along the way, and we make a peculiar
team. But it works for us. She has been by my side through everything –
a move to Washington, D.C. (and back home two years later), countless
trips to the beach and Nana’s house on Sundays, and the illness and
death of my father. She was the first grandchild, and even with four
“real” grandkids now, she acts as if she still comes first.
She is a quirky animal – she won’t step on doormats, and cries when you
say the word “yay.” Her hearing is going, she can’t jump onto the bed
anymore, and she is covered in “old-lady warts.” But at fifteen, she is
healthy, extremely active and alert, and still plays like a puppy. My
hope is that she sticks with me for a few more good years…I can’t
imagine my world without my Maddy girl.
Thank you so much for doing this, Clair! It will mean so much to me to
have this at her old age! I know I don't have long with her, so this is
so special."
