Madison’s very own Maddie!

Madison has a new part time staff member. She has beautiful blond hair, big brown eyes, a great smile and loves to wear red neck bands. She is patient, understanding, and loves to be with people. Maddie is her nickname. Her real name is Madison! Yes, Mrs. Matz named her in honor of Madison Elementary. She has 4 legs, a great big nose and a tail that dusts quite nicely. Maddie is a 16 month old golden retriever that came to Mrs. Matz from Iron Hill Retrievers in Delmar, Iowa. Maddie has been in therapy dog training at Canine Craze in Urbandale since June 2013. She continues to attend her school at Canine Craze every Tuesday and Thursday . Therapy dogs are used in many different situations and places. They are used in schools, nursing homes, airports, crisis situations, and therapy sessions. Maddie currently visits people at Altoona Rehabilitation and Care Center. Therapy dogs live with their families and are always with their handler. Maddie will come to school with Mrs. Matz every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for half days. She will be in room 130.