Having a dog is no easy task. They require a lot of work and personal interaction — talking, walking, bathing, grooming, and just plain old loving — dogs need their people as much as people need their dogs. I always considered myself a cat person. I grew up with Mittens, our family tabby who died at the old age of 12, and since then have adopted several cats that I watched get old and finally leave the mortal coil. When we moved to Turks & Caicos I brought three cats with me from the states.

So when my husband, who moved a few months before me, started talking about this stray potcake who kept following him home smiling all the way, my first response was, "Please just don't feed it!"  We had a disastrous dog adoption experience once and I did not want to repeat that ever again.  Long story short, suffice it to say that Smiley's picture graces my Blackberry, we keep a supply of treats on the kitchen counter, and I now understand the "dog thing".

Elke & Ben Gazzara happened into their lovely Maxi in a similar way.  Elke's daughter adopted a dog and then couldn't keep her.  Ben did not want a dog in the house, and as a working actor with much traveling a dog was not convenient.  But that little dachsund Maxi wormed her way into their house and then into nearly every high end restaurant, hotel, boutique, party, hospital, and several film sets along the way.

But Madison Avenue Maxi is not only about a dog, but about her people.  We see Ben & Elke in good times and bad, going through health crises, career changes, unexpected travel, but always with Maxi by their sides (or under the table in a bag).  It is a book that speaks to the common bonds and life experiences of pets and their humans, and while sappy at times appeals to the best in human (and canine) nature, a highly enjoyable read.