As a resident of Massapequa for more than 12 years, I know that the town is a tight-knit, supportive community made up of many caring neighbors. However, last year, an interesting thing happened that truly surprised me and drove home just how amazing my neighbors are.
Last November, my husband fell in love with a dog named Brando, who needed a home. He talked me into taking him, even though we have a dog already and I work full time and don’t have a lot of time to give a puppy the attention and training it would need. It was not easy being the size of Marmaduke; Brando’s accidents were often and messy and since my husband and I work, he was cooped up at home all day. As many pet owners could understand, our dogs would cry while we were out at work because they wanted to go out and play.
The owners of a local business, Pequa Beverage, which is right behind my house, would see us walk him and we talked about the dog. One day, Sandy approached me and what they offered shocked and uplifted me. These wonderful, caring, selfless people, Sandy and Andrew, said they would be willing to take my dog for a walk each day, since they knew my husband and I weren’t able to do it. I was thrilled and couldn’t believe that in this hectic, hard world we live in, someone would be so generous with their time and help out a neighbor they barely knew.
So, for the past year, Sandy and Andrew have been gracious enough to take time out of their own busy schedules to tend to Brando and ensure he gets to run around outdoors, daily. Whether it’s freezing or sweltering outside, they are there for my dog out of the pure goodness of their hearts, never asking for anything in return. I’m overwhelmed with appreciation and heartfelt gratitude for these amazing human beings for showing such enormous compassion and kindness. There are no words to express how thankful my family is, but I want the residents of Massapequa to know that Pequa Beverage is not only a terrific family-owned local business but that the owners are outstanding citizens, neighbors and people. Sandy and Andrew make Massapequa a better place because they are in it. In fact, they make the world a better place and I wish we had more people like them!
—John, Teresa, John Jr., Matt Mione and Brando
