Brewer City Hall hub for puppy love Black Lab visits with Pendleton Street pupils as municipal mascot

BREWER – The official greeter at City Hall doesn’t shake hands when she sees visitors – she wags her tail.

And she’s such an influential force in the city manager’s office that this year’s Christmas cards bear her likeness.

Gabby, a 5-year-old black Labrador retriever, happily greets everyone who walks through the office, City Manager Steve Bost said Wednesday.

“She’s been here every day since she was 8 weeks old,” said Bost. “Incidentally, she was born on my birthday.”

“Steve’s not 5, though,” Administrative Assistant Pat Gero said with a laugh.

Gero, who has a photo of Gabby and her own dog, Jasper, displayed in the office, calls Brewer’s unofficial greeter her second dog.

“I picked the card out, and I said we have to have that because Gabby’s part of the office,” she said.

The card is embossed with a picture of the dog playing in the snow and has a drawing of the brown-eyed creature with her muzzle covered in snow. About 100 cards were mailed out to the public, according to staff.

The collars that Gabby wears are all purchased by Gero. A red one with holiday crystals was around Gabby’s neck on Wednesday.

“We have a lot of people that come into City Hall to see the dog,” Bost said. “We have various people come in with various treats for the dog. We have a World War II veteran who always brings her a special treat, and [state Rep.] Dusty Fisher always has a treat in his left pocket.”

Gabby even gets cards “that totally ignore my role,” Bost said. “We’ll have school kids who have written cards and letters directly to Gabby.”

This week Gabby got a visit from 18 pupils in Heather Nelson’s second-grade class at Pendleton Street School, which is learning about different jobs in the community.

“This is what the kids remember about City Hall,” the teacher said.

Bost agreed the dog is what kids remember from visiting the office.

“The kids … will see me out in public and say, ‘Hey, you’re Gabby’s dad’ or ‘How’s the dog?'” Bost said.

The Lab has a very good memory and can remember people even if they visit only once a year, Bost said.

Gabby is not the lone dog in the area that serves the public. Sheba, a 16-year-old black Lab, is working at the Hampden town office, and Rudy, a 6-year-old toy springer spaniel, works for Hancock County Sheriff William Clark.

Gabby is a great dog to have at the office; she’s quiet and amiable, according to the staff. Bost and Gero could remember her barking only twice in her lifetime.

“Once as a puppy she saw her reflection,” Gero said. “And another time, she saw the woodchuck that lives between City Hall and the library and barked.”