Maine community honors memory of beloved dog with toy box stocked by neighbors
Jessie's Dog Treasures is a box full of toys and treats sitting along the road in Maine's Hills Beach Association neighborhood. Sean Reardon built the box in memory of his golden retriever, Jessie.
Jessie and Reardon were side by side until she died in July 2024. "If the kindest souls lived the longest lives, she would have outlived everybody," he said. At 16 years old, Jessie started to have trouble keeping up.
"Her legs kept giving out," Reardon explained. "I carried her to the park, and on the second night I came here, my neighbor Doug ran home and got a wheelbarrow. The next night, we came back from our walk, and someone anonymously left a big bag of treats for me."
Others brought out water for Jessie or stopped to shower her with love. This kindness from his neighbors is what inspired Reardon to build the box, and he did it all by hand after watching a tutorial online.
He told sister station WMTW, "The guy said it would take an hour; it took me three weeks. He claimed it would cost about $200; I spent about $1,000 on the wood, because I couldn't cut correctly."
Reardon feels dogs should be rewarded at every chance, so he filled the box with dog toys, treats and accessories. His neighbors have since stepped up to help keep it stocked. Brenda Hunter, who lives just up the road, added her own touch.
"I decided, well, because it's a dog box, we need a dog bowl," she said. "And we need someone to fill it every day, so that's what I did."
Hunter and Reardon agree that giving is a big part of their community culture. Hunter commented, "I feel blessed to live here, because it's a beautiful area, but I feel more blessed because of the people who are here."
Jessie's Dog Treasures will be out all summer and much of the fall until Reardon takes it in for the winter in November. Reardon said he plans to bring it back out every summer for years to come.
He hopes other dog owners have the same connection with their pets as he had with Jessie. "They will impact your life more than you could ever foresee," he said. "And if you think you can predict it, multiply it by 100 and they'll give you rewards I don't think any living soul can."