Dug the T-Rex comes back to Redwood City home

Dug, named after the dopy but cheerful talking canine in the children’s movie “Up,” has called 3427 Jefferson Ave. home since 2011. Day and night, he stands atop gravel, surrounded by greenery, as he attempts to protect the neighborhood mostly from small children and speeding cars. 

The Matthews had moved into the home a year earlier when engaged and were married soon after. Never one to miss an occasion, Dug welcomed the newlyweds home in a gown of his own. 

The dinosaur has taken on a series of personas. He’s honored Father’s Day with a cardigan and tie and Mother’s Day with a floral dress. He wore his heart on his sleeve behind a kissing booth for Valentine’s Day, celebrated Christmas as Bumble the Abominable Snowmonster and waddled into Thanksgiving as a festive turkey. 

Even when temporarily being fostered up the road, Dug dressed up to show his spirit. Concerned Santa would miss him at his new location, he was fully decked in bright red Christmas lights and he scoured the land with a basket of toilet paper during a pandemic Easter. 

He’s even made special visits to city events including the city’s showing of Jurassic Park in Courthouse Square in which Dug showed up in his best ranger costume. 

But Halloween is the family’s Super Bowl, the couple said. Countless hours and thousands of dollars have been spent buying the tape, chicken wire and other materials for Dug’s costumes including Marge Simpson, Gene Simmons from the classic rock band Kiss, Pokemon’s Pikachu and Marvel’s Iron Man. 

“When he’s in costume, it’s like a parade,” Chris Matthews said. 

Natira “Gnat” Matthews is credited with the idea to purchase Dug. The couple said the thought was a spontaneous one triggered by a morning drive into Half Moon Bay while passing Spanish Town, an arts and crafts shop known for its eccentric sculptures. 

The origin story of other famous Peninsula dinosaurs start at the shop, including those staged at the Flintstone House in Hillsborough. And with $2,300 down and a same-day truck delivery, Dug found his new home. 

“I thought ‘who buys those things’ and realized what the answer was,” Gnat Matthews said. “Apparently lots of people are the types that buy those dinosaurs.”

Aside from the pure entertainment they felt Dug would bring, the couple also hoped the dinosaur would help slow down traffic along Jefferson Avenue, previously a road with two-lane traffic traveling either way. Their house sits near a bend in the road which Chris Matthews said people often treat like a personal race track. 

The city has since reduced the lanes on the street by adding a center turn lane and bike lanes. The changes have helped slightly by reducing speeds but the Matthews like to think Dug played a role in traffic calming as well. 

Just next door, Dug has huge fans in 9-year-old twin neighbors, Gus and Alex Papazisis. The boys have grown up with Dug only feet from their own yard and say he feels like their own. That bond with Dug and his humans made seeing him moved two years ago a hard change. 

After Gnat Matthews was presented with a biotech job offer in the Netherlands, the couple packed up and temporarily relocated. Concerned for the environmental and social impact of shipping Dug to Europe, the couple arranged a foster home for the dinosaur just up the road. 

“I really missed Dug,” Alex Papazisis said, having grown accustomed to seeing the dinosaur before and after school. 

His father, Vagelis Papazisis, agreed, noting “everybody missed Dug.” The display has been a welcomed comedic addition to the neighborhood since it first arrived and has brought joy to the family and onlookers over the years, he said. 

Now with the dinosaur’s return in mid-June, Gus Papazisis said his family was happy to have their best friends back. 

“I was so excited because that means our neighbors were coming back,” Gus Papazisis said. “It’s awesome.” 

Dug hasn’t always been well received, though, occasionally receiving a rare negative comment online, Gnat Matthews said. But the couple has faced no hardships with Dug in their front yard. Both vandals and thieves have steered clear of the dinosaur, leaving his chain only necessary for keeping the prehistoric creature from venturing into the streets, Chris Matthews said. 

While the couple has no plans for expanding their dinosaur family anytime soon, others in the community have provided Dug with dino companions. Tango the Velociraptor claimed her space down the road about six years ago and a new brontosaurus has also found its way into the neighborhood. 

“If we’re the reason it started, that’s great,” Chris Matthews said with Gnat Matthews echoing him, saying, “Redwood City becomes the city of dinosaurs.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106