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Kathryn Marrotta of Massapequa is doggone proud of her English spaniels. It doesn't matter that they're not real, but a ceramic pair that she has cherished since she was a child and saw them displayed proudly at her grandmother's house. Now they're displayed with just as much pride on the mantel in Marrotta's living room. Marrotta, 60, a retired manager of a law office, recently shared her dog tale with Newsday staff writer Daniel Bubbeo:<br>
<br>
<b>When did the dogs first enter your family?</b><br>
<br>
The story was that [my great-grandmother] cooked for Queen Victoria's aunt, who gave them to her as a wedding gift. That was my grandmother's story. Later we found out that these types of dogs were prizes in county fairs from the 1800s. My grandmother had three daughters, and I was the only granddaughter. When my aunt died, my uncle had them and he gave them to me. They're from around 1880. My husband and I found a place up in Massachusetts where they had the spaniels in all different types and all different sizes, but the same manufacturer.<br>
<br>
<b>Do you have any idea how much they're worth?</b><br>
<br>
Maybe $1,000 or $2,000. It depends on the markings and how well taken care of they are. Some of them had gold for the leash. And I guess my grandmother cleaned them too hard, so the gold is gone. I used to keep the dogs tied up [on the mantel] because I used to have cats and I was afraid they'd knock them over. There's a little hook behind them. And at Christmastime, I put bows on them. They've always sat on my mantel. I don't let the cleaning lady clean them, that's for sure.<br>
<br>
<b>Have you ever been afraid you might break them?</b><br>
<br>
One time we were going to have a hurricane way back in the '70s. We're very close to the water here and it was supposed to hit us at high tide. I wrapped the dogs up in pillows and put them in my car. They were the one thing where I said, "They have to go if we have to go because I can't lose them." I know it's silly and my daughter just pooh-poohs it. I told my granddaughter the story and I said "Amy, they'll come to you."<br>
<br>
<b>Did she seem excited about that?</b><br>
<br>
My daughter said, "Mom, that doesn't mean anything to her." ... They mean a lot to me. They've been on my mantelpiece since 1968.

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Kathryn Marrotta of Massapequa is doggone proud of her English spaniels. It doesn't matter that they're not real, but a ceramic pair that she has cherished since she was a child and saw them displayed proudly at her grandmother's house. Now they're displayed with just as much pride on the mantel in Marrotta's living room. Marrotta, 60, a retired manager of a law office, recently shared her dog tale with Newsday staff writer Daniel Bubbeo:

When did the dogs first enter your family?

The story was that [my great-grandmother] cooked for Queen Victoria's aunt, who gave them to her as a wedding gift. That was my grandmother's story. Later we found out that these types of dogs were prizes in county fairs from the 1800s. My grandmother had three daughters, and I was the only granddaughter. When my aunt died, my uncle had them and he gave them to me. They're from around 1880. My husband and I found a place up in Massachusetts where they had the spaniels in all different types and all different sizes, but the same manufacturer.

Do you have any idea how much they're worth?

Maybe $1,000 or $2,000. It depends on the markings and how well taken care of they are. Some of them had gold for the leash. And I guess my grandmother cleaned them too hard, so the gold is gone. I used to keep the dogs tied up [on the mantel] because I used to have cats and I was afraid they'd knock them over. There's a little hook behind them. And at Christmastime, I put bows on them. They've always sat on my mantel. I don't let the cleaning lady clean them, that's for sure.

Have you ever been afraid you might break them?

One time we were going to have a hurricane way back in the '70s. We're very close to the water here and it was supposed to hit us at high tide. I wrapped the dogs up in pillows and put them in my car. They were the one thing where I said, "They have to go if we have to go because I can't lose them." I know it's silly and my daughter just pooh-poohs it. I told my granddaughter the story and I said "Amy, they'll come to you."

Did she seem excited about that?

My daughter said, "Mom, that doesn't mean anything to her." ... They mean a lot to me. They've been on my mantelpiece since 1968. (Bill Davis, Newsday / April 16, 2008)

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