Stephanie Shekon was still having a tough time believing that her beloved German shepherd, Mac David, was put to sleep Monday morning. After all, the pet had been a part of most of her 21 years. “He was 13 years old,” Shekon said. “He had been with us ever since I was little.” The purebred German shepherd was a fixture on 71st Street in Guttenberg for many years. He was a friend to the mailman, the delivery person, the neighbor, whoever visited the close-knit community. “I always saw him outside that house,” said garbage collector Roy Evans. “The dog was one of the most friendly I’d ever seen. Most of us are totally afraid of dogs, because you never know if they’re friendly or mean. But you could see that this dog was special, truly friendly and was that way every day.” Shekon said that Mac was the unofficial ambassador of 71st Street, welcoming visitors and greeting the neighbors on a daily basis. “We would always have him out front of the house,” Shekon said. “Some people would first see him and get scared, because he was a big German Shepherd. But he would make them feel comfortable by going over to them gently, bowing his head and asking to be petted. That’s the way he greeted everyone, by bowing his head.” Some of the neighbors were shocked and saddened that “The Ambassador” was gone. “It’s a shame,” said Mary Edwards, who lived down the block from Mac. “He was really a good dog, one of the most friendly dogs ever. He really made us feel safe, because the dog looked out for all of us.” When Shekon was younger, she said she was jealous of all the attention the dog would receive from the neighbors. “I really was,” Shekon said. “He was always so playful and friendly with the other kids that I got so jealous of Mac. Everyone came to see him, not me.” Later on, when Shekon had her son, Benjamin, Mac was gentle with the baby. Shekon used to take her infant son and lay him across Mac’s chest and the dog would cradle the baby. Although Mac definitely had his friendly side, he was also intimidating when he needed to be. “There was one time someone broke into the apartment, but didn’t know Mac was there,” Shekon said. “Mac went over, blocked the door by standing on his hind legs and scared the heck out of the guy. The guy then tried to take off and run, but Mac got him. It was amazing.” On the average, a German shepherd lives seven to 10 years, so Shekon knew that they were living on borrowed time with Mac the last few years. But the dog was always healthy and happy, until recently. “He was having trouble getting up and down the stairs and it was getting uncomfortable for him,” Shekon said. “Just the simple things became hard. We took him to the vet and he discovered that Mac had a bunch of tumors, so he had to be put to sleep. My mother (Mary Rose) was the one who brought him. I couldn’t do it.” Mary Rose Shekon was so emotional that she didn’t want to speak about the loss of her dog. “There’s no way we can replace him,” Stephanie Shekon said. “No way.” The family has another pet, a mixed breed named Montana, a much smaller dog than “The Ambassador.” “Montana keeps looking all around the house for Mac,” Shekon said. “It’s sad to see. Mac was like Montana’s mother.” Shekon knows things won’t be the same without “The Ambassador.” “He was really a one-of-a-kind dog,” Shekon said. “We will all miss him.”