Before Pet Releaf, There Was Maddie

If you've followed Pet Releaf for a while, you've probably heard me mention Maddie.

But before she was part of our family, she had already spent years changing other people's lives.

Maddie was adopted from the Vero Beach Humane Society, where she had become something of a local celebrity. Before we brought her home, she regularly visited nursing homes, comforting residents and bringing joy to people who often didn't have many visitors. She had this incredible ability to quietly sit beside someone and make people feel seen. That gentle, intuitive spirit never left her.

When she joined our family, she quickly became my mom’s shadow.

She was incredibly protective of the people she loved, endlessly loyal, and somehow always knew exactly when someone needed a little extra comfort. But she also had the funniest personality.

She was obsessed with peanut butter. If my younger brothers were swimming in the pool, she'd spend the entire time pacing around the edge, following them from one side to the other just to make sure they were okay. She took her job of watching over our family very seriously, and looking back, it's one of the things I remember most about her.

As she got older, though, things started to change.

Like so many aging dogs, she began struggling with mobility and discomfort. Watching her slow down was heartbreaking. We worked with our veterinarian to explore the options available, but we couldn't help wondering if there were additional ways to support her - something that could complement traditional care and help her feel more like herself.

We kept asking ourselves a simple question:

Why weren't there more natural options to help dogs like Maddie?

That question eventually became an obsession.

People often think Pet Releaf started because we wanted to build a CBD company. It didn't.

It started because we loved one dog enough to believe there had to be a better way.

Every product we've created since then has been built with dogs like Maddie in mind - the dogs who give us everything they have and deserve thoughtful, high-quality wellness options as they age.

She'll always be a part of this company.

In many ways, she still is.

Before Pet Releaf, there was Maddie.