The Story of Pepper

Browning, MT is a haven for stray dogs. My girlfriend from Lethbridge, AB remembers playing “count the stray dogs” with her family when they would pass through on ski weekends in her childhood. My experience is that these dogs are the best behaved stray dogs around: they run in packs, have great socialization, and have all been kicked at least once by a human to have a healthy respect. The car chasers are naturally removed from the gene pool.

When Joe’s dad passed away in September, it was a very sad time for the whole family. Many relatives made a long trip to attend the funeral services. Joe’s cousin David and some of his five kids attended, as did many nieces and nephews. The kids played outside for hours during the days-long wake portion of the services.

A stray dog had had pups near the Wake Center. The gang of kids carried around the mangy pups. Joe noticed the fun and approached the group of kids. “Do you kids love Pepper? Oh, isn’t Pepper cute. I bet you sure love Pepper...Why don’t you go tell your parents how much you love Pepper and that you just have to take Pepper home?” Joe’s cousin David’s son Little David was about seven years old. Little David managed to sob with emotion and work up the best tears for his dad...

Joe’s cousin and his family now have a dog named Pepper. Should I get a new puppy now that Pippi and Barney are gone or wait because David “owes us one?”

▲Prankster Joe and Grand Man Sam