Downtown Williamsburg mourned the loss of an icon this weekend after Maizie, the popular dog featured on the DoG Street Pub logo, died Friday.
“We’ve just had so many people reach out about it,” said David Everett, owner of DoG Street Pub. “I think it speaks to the bigger picture of how people really feel about their animals. When you have one that resonates with the community, it just clicks.”
Maizie was a 14-year-old Golden Doodle that enjoyed showing off her new leashes and collars around the restaurant and taking photographs with adoring fans.
For Everett, she was a friend, companion and family member.
Born on New Year’s Day, Maizie was rescued by Everett and his family from a breeder who didn’t properly care for the dogs.
When she came home with the family, Maizie suffered from various health conditions and malnutrition but after attention and care, the puppy became the healthy and bubbly pet that so many locals fell in love with.
When the restaurant opened in 2013, Everett said the business was having a hard time at first figuring out what to put as their logo. The restaurant, named after the acronym for Duke of Gloucester Street, wanted to feature a dog but they couldn’t decide if they wanted to pick something British like a bulldog or another breed.
“We had this profile picture of (Maizie) and I looked at it and just thought, ‘This could work,’” Everett said. “And people loved it.”
Maizie became the face of the business, regularly visiting the restaurant and even taking her rightful throne of the top of a barrel of beer when the Hair of the Dog Bottle Shop opened.
The bright and bouncy dog even had her own English Strong Bitter beer at Alewerks known as “Maizie’s ESB.”
But her days were not without trouble.
A few years ago, when Everett’s daughter took Maizie to a dog park in Richmond, the dog experienced a brutal attack. An unleashed Boxer in the park attacked Maizie, opening the dog’s throat almost from one side to the other.
The dog was taken to the vet and Everett, who was out of town at the time, said Maizie might not make it through the night. But as luck would have it, the Williamsburg star pulled through and recovered well enough to continue as the face of DoG Street.
Everett said Maizie’s story speaks to the greater picture of human and animal connection. When tragedy strikes a pet, he said, it’s more than just an event.
In the past year, Maizie’s health slowly declined with age. Everett said up until her last year, Maizie was an extremely active dog that enjoyed getting to know others and running around in the fresh air.
Which is what made it extra hard when she had to stop.
She stopped visiting the store, she stopped modeling her new toys to guests and she stopped running around outside.
But one thing she will never stop is being the face of heart in the Williamsburg community.
“It’s funny,” Everett said. “Her face is on my phone, it’s on my computer. I see her all them time. After she passes, it’s sad but she gets to live on in this way.”
