by Steve Desroches
On Christmas morning 2001 Santa Claus made a special delivery in Provincetown bringing a cute Golden Retriever puppy he picked up at a New Jersey animal rescue to the home of Suzanne Long. It was a holiday to remember for her and her daughter. They named the dog Madison and the sweet, but mischievous pup instantly became a beloved family member. And Madison became a real deal Cape Cod dog, loving visits to the beach and dips in the salty Atlantic Ocean. He also loved to eat toilet paper and paper towels, with a brand loyalty to Brawny, but that’s another story.
“This has been one of those things I’ve thought about doing for 12 years,” says Long. “And this year I thought, ‘You know what? I’m doing it!’”
Aside from the obsession with paper products, Madison also loved food and road trips in Long’s 1998 Jeep Wagoneer. And the two had great adventures together with Madison riding shotgun, head out the window, ears flapping in the breeze. To make sure her buddy stayed healthy Long began to bake dog treats herself as a labor of love, so she knew exactly what was in them. And over the years she got more creative with the ingredients and shapes as she bought a variety of cookie cutters. Sadly, Madison passed away in 2012, but his legacy lives on as Long has launched Madison’s Adventure Cookies, homemade organic dog treats.
“This has been one of those things I’ve thought about doing for 12 years,” says Long. “And this year I thought, ‘You know what? I’m doing it!’”
A Provincetown resident for over 30 years, Long developed Madison’s Adventure Cookies inspired by the journeys she went on with her dear dog. As such, each bag of treats refers to a location they visited together, starting with Provincetown, and then more of Cape Cod, Boston, New York City, and Naples, Florida, with Martha’s Vineyard and Vermont soon to be released. Each treat is flavored with ingredients relevant to the locale, like cranberries for Cape Cod and apples for the Big Apple.
“Everywhere I went he would go with me,” says Long. “He wouldn’t let me leave the house without him. He was always ready for a road trip.”
Before they hit the market each treat is taste tested by her granddaughter’s four-year-old Yellow Labrador Max and neighborhood dogs Tiago, Violet, Rhoda, Baxter, Misha, Bandit, Roxy, and Skittles. It is the most honest panel of judges ever, as you never have to guess if they like the cookies or not! To entertain the human companions Long makes them in shapes of Cape Cod, lobsters, the Statue of Liberty, the New England Patriots logo, mermaids, and of course, the Pilgrim Monument. Long also takes custom orders as she can make them into most any shape, except the island of Nantucket, as it’s impossible to keep Great Point from snapping off, and she doesn’t like to sell broken cookies. Regardless of the shape all the treats are 100% natural and organic with no preservatives or additives. To aid in preserving the treats Long does dehydrate them a bit and recommends keeping them refrigerated for storage. On most days Long bakes about 100 treats, filling her Provincetown home with the same sweet aroma as if she were baking cookies for humans. And she notes that Madison’s Adventure Cookies are made with so few basic ingredients that indeed a human could eat them. It’s one of the most fun jobs she’s ever had.
“It’s a lot of trial and error,” says Long. “Sometimes I think ‘Oh no! No dog is going to like this.’ And they love it. Other times they spit it out. You never have to guess what they are thinking!”
As Provincetown celebrates Pet Appreciation Weekend Long loves that the town is so animal friendly and that she has received so much support, not just from fellow pet owners, but from a community that really focuses on buying from locally owned businesses. To give back Long donates a portion of the revenue to local animal organizations in each locale her treats reference, like the Carrie A. Seamen Animal Shelter in Provincetown, the MSPCA of Cape Cod, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and the Humane Society of New York and Naples.
As much as she misses Madison this new venture brings back warm memories of him. She jokes that every once in a while she thinks of making a treat in the shape of a roll of toilet paper. But she’s thrilled that Madison’s name is becoming well known in the spots he loved the most even five years after his death. He was quite a character who deserves a little fame, says Long. And she’s glad that other dogs are made happy and kept healthy in the process.
“He lived quite the life without being a Rockefeller,” says Long. “He lived a beautiful life.”
For more information on Madison’s Adventure Cookies visit adventurecookies.com.
