The Dog Portraits
Each year, we present a portfolio of Coral Gables dogs and their owners from all walks of life. What follows are this year’s portraits.
Russell
Dachshund/Yorkie mix, 14
The Owner
Mari Arnold, Coral Gables resident
Dog Story
Now a senior citizen, Mari Arnold wanted to adopt an older dog, one who would “walk nice and slow, take naps, and was well enough to go up and down the porch steps.” A friend of a friend had rescued some dogs from a hoarding case, but one older dog wasn’t getting adopted. “Not a single person expressed interest,” Arnold says. “They brought him to my home and while we were discussing adoption, we lost him… he had taken himself to the back of the house and got in my bed. We found him [sleeping] there with all fours in the air like he was already at home.” Three years later, Russell spends all his time with Arnold, dreaming about food, receiving kisses, and just hanging out. “Russell brings a lot of joy into my life,” Arnold says.
Max
Goldendoodle, 2
The Owner
JC Liscano, VP for Miami, the Caribbean, and Latin America at American Airlines;
Board of Directors at Miami-Dade Beacon Council
Dog Story
“Our girls had been asking Santa for a dog for the longest time,” says Gables resident JC Liscano, who lives with wife Joanne and two young daughters. “Because of our hectic lives, we always said no, even though we both grew up with dogs and loved them. When Christmas 2020 arrived, because of the pandemic and its restrictions, we caved in. On Christmas morning, Santa sent the girls a video announcing that this year was the year they were getting a dog, but they had to wait a little because the puppy needed to be with its mama for a little while longer. The video included a short scene of all the puppies with the mama and a Christmas jingle in the background. It was magical!” A few days later, the family picked out Max. “My favorite part is every day when I get home from work, he’s the first to greet me, tail wagging like crazy.”
Sandy Paws
Portuguese Water Dog, 1 1⁄2
The Owner
Mary Snow, Coral Gables Community Foundation
Dog Story
Some people go to breeders to get their dog, or to pet stores, or to adoption centers. Mary Snow did things a little different- ly. “We got her at Burger Bob’s!” she laughs. “It was super Coral Gables.” The family always wanted a Portuguese Water Dog. One Saturday, as she was passing by Bob’s, Snow happened to look into the backseat of a Mercedes SUV full of Portuguese Water pups. “I put down my window and said, ‘What kind of dogs are those?’” It was the right answer. “I turned around and called my husband and son to come over and look at this puppy right then and there. It was love at first sight.” The Snows told friends about the pups, and now Sandy Paws’ brother and sister both live nearby and get together for playdates.
Sage
Belgian Malinois, 2
The Owner
Frank Pena, Partner & General Manager at Infiniti of Coral Gables
Dog Story
Pena loves his dog so much, he wants more of her – the two-year-old Belgian Malinois just had puppies, and Pena will be adopting one of them. Though they didn’t plan for the puppies, which are now three months old, Pena is hoping little Mako will take after his mother. “Sage is something else,” he says. “She’s 90 pounds of pure muscle. She loves chasing her tail and catching lizards. If they’re on the wall or the ceiling she’s always just watching them for any sudden movements. She gets them quite often.” Her active lifestyle suits Pena, an avid hiker in upstate New York with Sage before he moved to Miami a few months ago. His family are all dog-lovers. His sister has two giant golden retrievers, his other sister has poodles, and his brother has a chihuahua. “They bring us joy, they protect us, and they lift us up,” he says.
Daisy & Dawg
Goldendoodles, 8 1⁄2 (Daisy); 2 (Dawg)
The Owner
Rosanna & Randy Weber, PWD Law
Dog Story
Like human siblings, Daisy and Dawg are always teas- ing each other. “Daisy is really sweet and calm, but Dawg always has to be first. He always wants all the attention,” says Rosanna Weber. The family got Dawg almost two years ago to keep Daisy active and remind her of her youthful days, but, like all younger brothers, he can annoy Daisy too. “He’s constantly nibbling on her paws, and she just has that look on her face like, ‘Oh, my God. This dog is so annoying.’ They’re really good buddies, although he’s always driving her crazy. Daisy will just be laying there, and Dawg will bring a toy and put it in front of her, then start barking at her so that she’ll grab the toy and he can fight with her for it. She’s like, ‘Let me sleep!’”
Bolt
Mastiff-Boxer mix, 7
The Owner
Al Maulini, Owner, Well Groomed Gentleman
Dog Story
“I’m what they call a foster failure,” Al Maulini says ruefully, who admits he just can’t help himself; when he sees a dog in need, he has to help. That’s how he ended up with not one, not two, not even three, but seven dogs. “Each one is a story,” he says. “[I get a call] saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got this dog who’s dying, living under a bridge.’ I say, ‘Pick him up right now. I’ll take care of him.’” Maulini has rescued all seven of his pups, including Bolt, the mastiff-boxer mix he adopted seven years ago. “I had two dogs. I thought, ‘Okay, I can handle three.’ He was so little then. He’s a gentle giant now, the sweetest of all of them.” There are lots of personalities among Maulini’s seven dogs, but Bolt is the most sociable. “My neighbor has five Labradors, and Bolt was able to squeeze under the fence to play with them,” Maulini says. “When I went to look at the fence, there were toys on each side of the fence. He just wanted to share.”
*Photos by Jonathan Dann | Interviews by Kylie Wang