Goodbye Pepper
Pepper, whom you have seen in all of my videos, has passed away.
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Pepper is gone. She had been suffering from ailments that were not going to get better, and the day came when keeping her here would have been about us and not her. We made the hardest decision a dog owner ever makes, and we did right by her. She was my German Shepherd, my service dog, and the dog so many of you saw lying on the bed behind me in almost every video for years. If you ever left a comment about her, I want you to know I read it. So did my family.
Who She Was
I got Pepper when she was one year old. She came from Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue, an organization in California that I cannot recommend highly enough. I told them what I needed. A young female short-hair I could train and take with me everywhere. Five days later they handed me a dog who would become the best one I have ever owned. I have no idea why anyone gave her up. Their loss was the largest gift our family has received in a long time.
At the time, I was the K9 supervisor at my police department, and dog work has been part of my life since I was a kid. My dad was a K9 officer too. I trained Pepper myself, and she trained well. She went everywhere with me. Office, car, field. If I got up and walked to another room, she got up and walked with me.
What She Did
Pepper was trained to work with people suffering from PTSD. She did her job better than I expected, and I expected a lot. At meetings with first responders, when someone in the room started to get heated, she would quietly get up, walk over, and lean into them until they steadied. I watched her do it many times. It worked every time. She did the same for veterans, and she did it for me on the days I needed it.
A working dog reads her handler before he reads himself. People who have not lived with one do not fully understand the bond. I do not have language strong enough for it. I will just say she was a partner, and she did her part faithfully.
A Gift From God
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV)
Pepper was one of those gifts. We did not earn her, and we did not deserve her. God placed her with us at a season when our family needed exactly what she was. She did the work she was sent to do, and then her time was up. I am grateful for every year of it.
If you have a dog at home, pet him for me tonight. Hold the ones you love close, and thank God for the time He gives you with them.
What’s Next
I am on multiple waiting lists for a new service dog. Those lists are years long. I am going to get another dog one way or the other, either through one of those programs or by training one myself the way I trained Pepper. If you want to come along on that journey, let me know in the comments. I will take you with me through the training, the work, and whatever comes out of it.
She had big paws. They will be hard to fill.
Losing a furry family member is one of the hardest things to go through. My condolences. This is the cycle of life. Death, The Great Equalizer. Of course, ponder and appreciate the memories and love that was shared. Do not be sad for the time that will be spent apart. Be grateful for the time that God allowed together and that will be spent together again in heaven.
So sorry Keith. Losing a faithful companion is super hard.