On March 24, 2004, my friend Jon was in Ocala, Florida working with his horse Wilson, with some world class trainers at some ranch. While there, he and some of the trainers needed something, and off they go to the local PetSmart store. On that day, they were having a pet adoption event. When he walked in, a cute little girl who was having her first day to be shown as an adoptee, ran to him, with her 2 inch nub of a tail wagging at a supersonic speed. That tail wag, and her general decision that he was going to adopt her, became true. With no intention to adopt a dog, he walked out with "Zsa Zsa" as she had been named by her foster parents. She was a full grown Boston Terrier ‘mix'. When they found her, she had obviously gotten away from someone, and had been living outside for quite a while. She had mange, meaning she had lost all hair on her body at the time she was found, and turned over to the shelter. I can only imagine what she looked like hairless, but I thank God the shelter, and foster parents took the time to bring he back to health… and hairiness.
First to go, the name Zsa Zsa. Her chest (Bib) had black specks on it, so Jon called her "Pepper". And a legend was born.
After the rest of the horse trip, Jon and Jan headed back to civilization in Mississippi. Jon and Pepper went to his place in the country in Tate County, Mississippi, way out in the sticks, where they recently had received high class technology… called paved roads. Pepper made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could with Jon. You see, Jon was raised in the country, and country folks do have dogs, a few of them lucky enough to be "inside" dogs. Those lucky few, learn to sleep on the floor on a dog bed. Pepper was taught this from the beginning of her stay in Tate County.
Over the next several days, Pepper began to explore and accept her new surroundings, in her mind, the Pepper Estate. Now, if you have ever been in the country, the worst place for pets is in the middle of a country road (blacktopped or not). This is where Pepper kept going, to the road, to further investigate her surroundings. Frequent yelling at her did little to deter this behavior. Over the next week, Jon was at his wits end as to what to do, as Pepper would certainly about to become a roadway statistic.
One day Jon brought Pepper to the Big city of Memphis, Tennessee, to visit me. He was very worried as to her future in the country. In the door bounds 30 pounds of black, waggling Boston Terrier Bulldog. I got my first Pepper kiss, and the problem was solved, Pepper instantly became a city dog. After some convincing, Jon agreed that it would be better if she lived in the city, so country traffic, livestock, etc, couldn't harm her.
That night she stayed with me, and was on a blanket on the floor next to the bed. I hated that. I grew up with the best dog a kid could have, Duchess the dachshund, who slept in the bed with me every night. I looked down at her, and asked if she wanted in the bed (while patting the bed) and with one huge leap, she kissed me, and squirmed under the covers. No doubt she had been a bed dog before in her life, and she was happy to be one again.
In the beginning, it was fun to get to know each other and how to raise a Pepper. I would get home from work and take her on 2-3 hour walks to try to give her enough exercise. A Terrier needs more than that.
After a while, I discovered a Godsend, Dogs Rule Daycare and School. The premise, you take your dog there, they play all day, and come home tired. Pepper did this about twice a week for more than 12 years. Her bulldog personality had the teachers there as wrapped around her paw, as much as she had me under her control. A ‘small' dog, with boundless energy, and personality plus. The teachers loved her, and she got to do most everything she ever wanted to do.
Olivia, one of the co-owners of Dogs Rule, gave a speech to her old high school class several years ago about Pepper. She was kind enough to share this with me, and gives you an idea of the Pepper Personality:
"Pepper is a 12 year old Boston Terrier who thinks she's a Rottweiler. By her age and size, you'd thing she would be with the little dogs, but they bore her, so she hangs out on the medium dog playground. But where she really wants to be is with the big dogs.
So sometimes I'll go out on her playground and say, "Pepper, you want to walk on the wild side?" And she gets all excited and runs over to the gate and I take her onto the big dog playground.
She is in heaven! She runs all over the place, sniffing and peeing, and, if she's lucky, either Cocoa the chocolate lab or Maddie Go-Go is there and she follows them around like she has a school girl crush. When it's time to go back to her playground, I have to chase her around, because she doesn't want to leave."
For over 12 years, Pepper was the Queen of the Manor, and held court daily with all humans she came in contact with. She loved to ride in the car, so she got to go many places, and always on family visits. Holidays, birthdays and just any old family get together were some of her favorite places to be.
She would often want to walk to the Orpheum on Sunday afternoons. Her Grandmother, Ghia, volunteers there and is always there on cast party days. So, after the first matinee begins, and volunteers bring food in to feed that cast of whatever show is playing, Pepper and I would wander over to visit everyone. Pepper would entertain everyone with her attacks on the street trolleys who would rumble by, and aggravate her. Over the years she had met most of the drivers, and even received numerous free rides on the trolleys. The drivers all loved her too, and would watch for us out on walks, often stopping to visit. Peppers pictures are in hundreds of tourists vacation pictures, as the Trolley dog in Memphis.
At the Orpheum, she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She would prance up, and if no one was outside to greet her, she would go in and get them. Ghia, Aunt LuLu, Officer Uncle Mark (her favorite Memphis Police Department Officer), Eric (Manager of the Orpheum), Barbara, Vickie and many, many others. Each would stop to greet her, and receive a generous Pepper kiss for their efforts. On Hot days, a bowl of water (and usually a snack) would be presented to her for her efforts of coming to visit.
From her time in Memphis, she was loved, and never in want of anything. She was our pride and joy. She was always healthy and strong as an ox. Many times while walking her on a leash, she would take off, bringing me to the ground.
In February, 2013, she began to show her age. At first, she lost her hearing. She compensated for this with little to no problem, I often thought because she really didn't listen to me anyway. Shortly after that, she was diagnosed with Siloadinitis, a condition effecting eyes and brain. She began to show signs of arthritis in her back legs. Finally, in October, she was diagnosed with Cushings disease, which impacts hormones. She didn't do well with the primary medicine, so dosing was tricky. She had fainting episodes, and eventually, her systems began shutting down. On the morning of December 27 Jon and I took her to the vet to get a new tummy disorder looked at. We were immediately sent to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic, with the vitals called in before we arrived. They began treating her the second we arrived. They felt the issues could be treated, and we could get her back on her regular medicine for the other conditions. Within three hours, she had passed away in the presence of two Vet Techs and a Veterinarian, who couldn't revive her.
I am thankful every day that I had her in my life. She brought me and everyone around me much joy and happiness. I am thankful that she never suffered or was in pain at the end of her life. She was a great girl, and one I will always miss. Please leave Pepper a flower or a note, and let her know you stopped by. She would love it, and will owe you a good ole Pepper kiss, across the Rainbow Bridge.
First to go, the name Zsa Zsa. Her chest (Bib) had black specks on it, so Jon called her "Pepper". And a legend was born.
After the rest of the horse trip, Jon and Jan headed back to civilization in Mississippi. Jon and Pepper went to his place in the country in Tate County, Mississippi, way out in the sticks, where they recently had received high class technology… called paved roads. Pepper made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could with Jon. You see, Jon was raised in the country, and country folks do have dogs, a few of them lucky enough to be "inside" dogs. Those lucky few, learn to sleep on the floor on a dog bed. Pepper was taught this from the beginning of her stay in Tate County.
Over the next several days, Pepper began to explore and accept her new surroundings, in her mind, the Pepper Estate. Now, if you have ever been in the country, the worst place for pets is in the middle of a country road (blacktopped or not). This is where Pepper kept going, to the road, to further investigate her surroundings. Frequent yelling at her did little to deter this behavior. Over the next week, Jon was at his wits end as to what to do, as Pepper would certainly about to become a roadway statistic.
One day Jon brought Pepper to the Big city of Memphis, Tennessee, to visit me. He was very worried as to her future in the country. In the door bounds 30 pounds of black, waggling Boston Terrier Bulldog. I got my first Pepper kiss, and the problem was solved, Pepper instantly became a city dog. After some convincing, Jon agreed that it would be better if she lived in the city, so country traffic, livestock, etc, couldn't harm her.
That night she stayed with me, and was on a blanket on the floor next to the bed. I hated that. I grew up with the best dog a kid could have, Duchess the dachshund, who slept in the bed with me every night. I looked down at her, and asked if she wanted in the bed (while patting the bed) and with one huge leap, she kissed me, and squirmed under the covers. No doubt she had been a bed dog before in her life, and she was happy to be one again.
In the beginning, it was fun to get to know each other and how to raise a Pepper. I would get home from work and take her on 2-3 hour walks to try to give her enough exercise. A Terrier needs more than that.
After a while, I discovered a Godsend, Dogs Rule Daycare and School. The premise, you take your dog there, they play all day, and come home tired. Pepper did this about twice a week for more than 12 years. Her bulldog personality had the teachers there as wrapped around her paw, as much as she had me under her control. A ‘small' dog, with boundless energy, and personality plus. The teachers loved her, and she got to do most everything she ever wanted to do.
Olivia, one of the co-owners of Dogs Rule, gave a speech to her old high school class several years ago about Pepper. She was kind enough to share this with me, and gives you an idea of the Pepper Personality:
"Pepper is a 12 year old Boston Terrier who thinks she's a Rottweiler. By her age and size, you'd thing she would be with the little dogs, but they bore her, so she hangs out on the medium dog playground. But where she really wants to be is with the big dogs.
So sometimes I'll go out on her playground and say, "Pepper, you want to walk on the wild side?" And she gets all excited and runs over to the gate and I take her onto the big dog playground.
She is in heaven! She runs all over the place, sniffing and peeing, and, if she's lucky, either Cocoa the chocolate lab or Maddie Go-Go is there and she follows them around like she has a school girl crush. When it's time to go back to her playground, I have to chase her around, because she doesn't want to leave."
For over 12 years, Pepper was the Queen of the Manor, and held court daily with all humans she came in contact with. She loved to ride in the car, so she got to go many places, and always on family visits. Holidays, birthdays and just any old family get together were some of her favorite places to be.
She would often want to walk to the Orpheum on Sunday afternoons. Her Grandmother, Ghia, volunteers there and is always there on cast party days. So, after the first matinee begins, and volunteers bring food in to feed that cast of whatever show is playing, Pepper and I would wander over to visit everyone. Pepper would entertain everyone with her attacks on the street trolleys who would rumble by, and aggravate her. Over the years she had met most of the drivers, and even received numerous free rides on the trolleys. The drivers all loved her too, and would watch for us out on walks, often stopping to visit. Peppers pictures are in hundreds of tourists vacation pictures, as the Trolley dog in Memphis.
At the Orpheum, she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She would prance up, and if no one was outside to greet her, she would go in and get them. Ghia, Aunt LuLu, Officer Uncle Mark (her favorite Memphis Police Department Officer), Eric (Manager of the Orpheum), Barbara, Vickie and many, many others. Each would stop to greet her, and receive a generous Pepper kiss for their efforts. On Hot days, a bowl of water (and usually a snack) would be presented to her for her efforts of coming to visit.
From her time in Memphis, she was loved, and never in want of anything. She was our pride and joy. She was always healthy and strong as an ox. Many times while walking her on a leash, she would take off, bringing me to the ground.
In February, 2013, she began to show her age. At first, she lost her hearing. She compensated for this with little to no problem, I often thought because she really didn't listen to me anyway. Shortly after that, she was diagnosed with Siloadinitis, a condition effecting eyes and brain. She began to show signs of arthritis in her back legs. Finally, in October, she was diagnosed with Cushings disease, which impacts hormones. She didn't do well with the primary medicine, so dosing was tricky. She had fainting episodes, and eventually, her systems began shutting down. On the morning of December 27 Jon and I took her to the vet to get a new tummy disorder looked at. We were immediately sent to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic, with the vitals called in before we arrived. They began treating her the second we arrived. They felt the issues could be treated, and we could get her back on her regular medicine for the other conditions. Within three hours, she had passed away in the presence of two Vet Techs and a Veterinarian, who couldn't revive her.
I am thankful every day that I had her in my life. She brought me and everyone around me much joy and happiness. I am thankful that she never suffered or was in pain at the end of her life. She was a great girl, and one I will always miss. Please leave Pepper a flower or a note, and let her know you stopped by. She would love it, and will owe you a good ole Pepper kiss, across the Rainbow Bridge.
On March 24, 2004, my friend Jon was in Ocala, Florida working with his horse Wilson, with some world class trainers at some ranch. While there, he and some of the trainers needed something, and off they go to the local PetSmart store. On that day, they were having a pet adoption event. When he walked in, a cute little girl who was having her first day to be shown as an adoptee, ran to him, with her 2 inch nub of a tail wagging at a supersonic speed. That tail wag, and her general decision that he was going to adopt her, became true. With no intention to adopt a dog, he walked out with "Zsa Zsa" as she had been named by her foster parents. She was a full grown Boston Terrier ‘mix'. When they found her, she had obviously gotten away from someone, and had been living outside for quite a while. She had mange, meaning she had lost all hair on her body at the time she was found, and turned over to the shelter. I can only imagine what she looked like hairless, but I thank God the shelter, and foster parents took the time to bring he back to health… and hairiness.
First to go, the name Zsa Zsa. Her chest (Bib) had black specks on it, so Jon called her "Pepper". And a legend was born.
After the rest of the horse trip, Jon and Jan headed back to civilization in Mississippi. Jon and Pepper went to his place in the country in Tate County, Mississippi, way out in the sticks, where they recently had received high class technology… called paved roads. Pepper made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could with Jon. You see, Jon was raised in the country, and country folks do have dogs, a few of them lucky enough to be "inside" dogs. Those lucky few, learn to sleep on the floor on a dog bed. Pepper was taught this from the beginning of her stay in Tate County.
Over the next several days, Pepper began to explore and accept her new surroundings, in her mind, the Pepper Estate. Now, if you have ever been in the country, the worst place for pets is in the middle of a country road (blacktopped or not). This is where Pepper kept going, to the road, to further investigate her surroundings. Frequent yelling at her did little to deter this behavior. Over the next week, Jon was at his wits end as to what to do, as Pepper would certainly about to become a roadway statistic.
One day Jon brought Pepper to the Big city of Memphis, Tennessee, to visit me. He was very worried as to her future in the country. In the door bounds 30 pounds of black, waggling Boston Terrier Bulldog. I got my first Pepper kiss, and the problem was solved, Pepper instantly became a city dog. After some convincing, Jon agreed that it would be better if she lived in the city, so country traffic, livestock, etc, couldn't harm her.
That night she stayed with me, and was on a blanket on the floor next to the bed. I hated that. I grew up with the best dog a kid could have, Duchess the dachshund, who slept in the bed with me every night. I looked down at her, and asked if she wanted in the bed (while patting the bed) and with one huge leap, she kissed me, and squirmed under the covers. No doubt she had been a bed dog before in her life, and she was happy to be one again.
In the beginning, it was fun to get to know each other and how to raise a Pepper. I would get home from work and take her on 2-3 hour walks to try to give her enough exercise. A Terrier needs more than that.
After a while, I discovered a Godsend, Dogs Rule Daycare and School. The premise, you take your dog there, they play all day, and come home tired. Pepper did this about twice a week for more than 12 years. Her bulldog personality had the teachers there as wrapped around her paw, as much as she had me under her control. A ‘small' dog, with boundless energy, and personality plus. The teachers loved her, and she got to do most everything she ever wanted to do.
Olivia, one of the co-owners of Dogs Rule, gave a speech to her old high school class several years ago about Pepper. She was kind enough to share this with me, and gives you an idea of the Pepper Personality:
"Pepper is a 12 year old Boston Terrier who thinks she's a Rottweiler. By her age and size, you'd thing she would be with the little dogs, but they bore her, so she hangs out on the medium dog playground. But where she really wants to be is with the big dogs.
So sometimes I'll go out on her playground and say, "Pepper, you want to walk on the wild side?" And she gets all excited and runs over to the gate and I take her onto the big dog playground.
She is in heaven! She runs all over the place, sniffing and peeing, and, if she's lucky, either Cocoa the chocolate lab or Maddie Go-Go is there and she follows them around like she has a school girl crush. When it's time to go back to her playground, I have to chase her around, because she doesn't want to leave."
For over 12 years, Pepper was the Queen of the Manor, and held court daily with all humans she came in contact with. She loved to ride in the car, so she got to go many places, and always on family visits. Holidays, birthdays and just any old family get together were some of her favorite places to be.
She would often want to walk to the Orpheum on Sunday afternoons. Her Grandmother, Ghia, volunteers there and is always there on cast party days. So, after the first matinee begins, and volunteers bring food in to feed that cast of whatever show is playing, Pepper and I would wander over to visit everyone. Pepper would entertain everyone with her attacks on the street trolleys who would rumble by, and aggravate her. Over the years she had met most of the drivers, and even received numerous free rides on the trolleys. The drivers all loved her too, and would watch for us out on walks, often stopping to visit. Peppers pictures are in hundreds of tourists vacation pictures, as the Trolley dog in Memphis.
At the Orpheum, she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She would prance up, and if no one was outside to greet her, she would go in and get them. Ghia, Aunt LuLu, Officer Uncle Mark (her favorite Memphis Police Department Officer), Eric (Manager of the Orpheum), Barbara, Vickie and many, many others. Each would stop to greet her, and receive a generous Pepper kiss for their efforts. On Hot days, a bowl of water (and usually a snack) would be presented to her for her efforts of coming to visit.
From her time in Memphis, she was loved, and never in want of anything. She was our pride and joy. She was always healthy and strong as an ox. Many times while walking her on a leash, she would take off, bringing me to the ground.
In February, 2013, she began to show her age. At first, she lost her hearing. She compensated for this with little to no problem, I often thought because she really didn't listen to me anyway. Shortly after that, she was diagnosed with Siloadinitis, a condition effecting eyes and brain. She began to show signs of arthritis in her back legs. Finally, in October, she was diagnosed with Cushings disease, which impacts hormones. She didn't do well with the primary medicine, so dosing was tricky. She had fainting episodes, and eventually, her systems began shutting down. On the morning of December 27 Jon and I took her to the vet to get a new tummy disorder looked at. We were immediately sent to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic, with the vitals called in before we arrived. They began treating her the second we arrived. They felt the issues could be treated, and we could get her back on her regular medicine for the other conditions. Within three hours, she had passed away in the presence of two Vet Techs and a Veterinarian, who couldn't revive her.
I am thankful every day that I had her in my life. She brought me and everyone around me much joy and happiness. I am thankful that she never suffered or was in pain at the end of her life. She was a great girl, and one I will always miss. Please leave Pepper a flower or a note, and let her know you stopped by. She would love it, and will owe you a good ole Pepper kiss, across the Rainbow Bridge.
First to go, the name Zsa Zsa. Her chest (Bib) had black specks on it, so Jon called her "Pepper". And a legend was born.
After the rest of the horse trip, Jon and Jan headed back to civilization in Mississippi. Jon and Pepper went to his place in the country in Tate County, Mississippi, way out in the sticks, where they recently had received high class technology… called paved roads. Pepper made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could with Jon. You see, Jon was raised in the country, and country folks do have dogs, a few of them lucky enough to be "inside" dogs. Those lucky few, learn to sleep on the floor on a dog bed. Pepper was taught this from the beginning of her stay in Tate County.
Over the next several days, Pepper began to explore and accept her new surroundings, in her mind, the Pepper Estate. Now, if you have ever been in the country, the worst place for pets is in the middle of a country road (blacktopped or not). This is where Pepper kept going, to the road, to further investigate her surroundings. Frequent yelling at her did little to deter this behavior. Over the next week, Jon was at his wits end as to what to do, as Pepper would certainly about to become a roadway statistic.
One day Jon brought Pepper to the Big city of Memphis, Tennessee, to visit me. He was very worried as to her future in the country. In the door bounds 30 pounds of black, waggling Boston Terrier Bulldog. I got my first Pepper kiss, and the problem was solved, Pepper instantly became a city dog. After some convincing, Jon agreed that it would be better if she lived in the city, so country traffic, livestock, etc, couldn't harm her.
That night she stayed with me, and was on a blanket on the floor next to the bed. I hated that. I grew up with the best dog a kid could have, Duchess the dachshund, who slept in the bed with me every night. I looked down at her, and asked if she wanted in the bed (while patting the bed) and with one huge leap, she kissed me, and squirmed under the covers. No doubt she had been a bed dog before in her life, and she was happy to be one again.
In the beginning, it was fun to get to know each other and how to raise a Pepper. I would get home from work and take her on 2-3 hour walks to try to give her enough exercise. A Terrier needs more than that.
After a while, I discovered a Godsend, Dogs Rule Daycare and School. The premise, you take your dog there, they play all day, and come home tired. Pepper did this about twice a week for more than 12 years. Her bulldog personality had the teachers there as wrapped around her paw, as much as she had me under her control. A ‘small' dog, with boundless energy, and personality plus. The teachers loved her, and she got to do most everything she ever wanted to do.
Olivia, one of the co-owners of Dogs Rule, gave a speech to her old high school class several years ago about Pepper. She was kind enough to share this with me, and gives you an idea of the Pepper Personality:
"Pepper is a 12 year old Boston Terrier who thinks she's a Rottweiler. By her age and size, you'd thing she would be with the little dogs, but they bore her, so she hangs out on the medium dog playground. But where she really wants to be is with the big dogs.
So sometimes I'll go out on her playground and say, "Pepper, you want to walk on the wild side?" And she gets all excited and runs over to the gate and I take her onto the big dog playground.
She is in heaven! She runs all over the place, sniffing and peeing, and, if she's lucky, either Cocoa the chocolate lab or Maddie Go-Go is there and she follows them around like she has a school girl crush. When it's time to go back to her playground, I have to chase her around, because she doesn't want to leave."
For over 12 years, Pepper was the Queen of the Manor, and held court daily with all humans she came in contact with. She loved to ride in the car, so she got to go many places, and always on family visits. Holidays, birthdays and just any old family get together were some of her favorite places to be.
She would often want to walk to the Orpheum on Sunday afternoons. Her Grandmother, Ghia, volunteers there and is always there on cast party days. So, after the first matinee begins, and volunteers bring food in to feed that cast of whatever show is playing, Pepper and I would wander over to visit everyone. Pepper would entertain everyone with her attacks on the street trolleys who would rumble by, and aggravate her. Over the years she had met most of the drivers, and even received numerous free rides on the trolleys. The drivers all loved her too, and would watch for us out on walks, often stopping to visit. Peppers pictures are in hundreds of tourists vacation pictures, as the Trolley dog in Memphis.
At the Orpheum, she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She would prance up, and if no one was outside to greet her, she would go in and get them. Ghia, Aunt LuLu, Officer Uncle Mark (her favorite Memphis Police Department Officer), Eric (Manager of the Orpheum), Barbara, Vickie and many, many others. Each would stop to greet her, and receive a generous Pepper kiss for their efforts. On Hot days, a bowl of water (and usually a snack) would be presented to her for her efforts of coming to visit.
From her time in Memphis, she was loved, and never in want of anything. She was our pride and joy. She was always healthy and strong as an ox. Many times while walking her on a leash, she would take off, bringing me to the ground.
In February, 2013, she began to show her age. At first, she lost her hearing. She compensated for this with little to no problem, I often thought because she really didn't listen to me anyway. Shortly after that, she was diagnosed with Siloadinitis, a condition effecting eyes and brain. She began to show signs of arthritis in her back legs. Finally, in October, she was diagnosed with Cushings disease, which impacts hormones. She didn't do well with the primary medicine, so dosing was tricky. She had fainting episodes, and eventually, her systems began shutting down. On the morning of December 27 Jon and I took her to the vet to get a new tummy disorder looked at. We were immediately sent to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic, with the vitals called in before we arrived. They began treating her the second we arrived. They felt the issues could be treated, and we could get her back on her regular medicine for the other conditions. Within three hours, she had passed away in the presence of two Vet Techs and a Veterinarian, who couldn't revive her.
I am thankful every day that I had her in my life. She brought me and everyone around me much joy and happiness. I am thankful that she never suffered or was in pain at the end of her life. She was a great girl, and one I will always miss. Please leave Pepper a flower or a note, and let her know you stopped by. She would love it, and will owe you a good ole Pepper kiss, across the Rainbow Bridge.
