WHAT A FRIENDLY DOG, I THOUGHT, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE HOUSE WE EVENTUALLY PURCHASED. THE SELLERS WERE TRANSFERRING OUT OF STATE & SINCE THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE "PEPPER" HAD EVER LIVED, THEY THOUGHT SHE SHOULD STAY HERE. WELL, SOME DOG OWNER, I THOUGHT! SO, WE GAINED ANOTHER PET! OF COURSE, WE LIKED HER TO BEGIN WITH, SHE WAS SO FRIENDLY AND PEOPLE ORIENTED. SHE WAS A JET BLACK FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER WITH A BOUNCE TO HER STEP AND ALWAYS A BIG SMILE. OVER THE YEARS, WE WALKED MANY MILES TOGETHER, SHE ROMPED THROUGH THE WOODS (HER VERY FAVORITE THING), SHE SWAM IN THE POND, JUST ALL THE FUN THINGS OF LIFE. SHE WAS NEVER SICK. SHE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY AND BESIDE US ALL THE TIME, LOVED EVERYONE. THIS PAST 6 MONTHS I COULD TELL SHE NO LONGER HAD THAT BOUNCE TO HER STEP, HER HEARING AND SIGHT WERE GETTING WORSE, SHE DIDN'T EAT MUCH, SO I KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE TOO LONG. LAST SATURDAY MORNING, SHE LAY NEXT TO THE HOUSE IN THE SUN (ANOTHER FAVORITE THING!). I SAT DOWN, RUBBED HER AND TALKED TO HER, LOVED ON HER, TOLD HER IT WAS OKAY. SHE LOOKED AT ME WITH THOSE LOVING BROWN EYES AS IF TO SAY, "WELL, I HATE TO LEAVE YOU BUT TODAY'S THE DAY". I PRAYED SHE WOULD JUST GO TO SLEEP AND SHE DID. I'M SO THANKFUL SHE WASN'T SICK AND THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT HER TO SLEEP. I THANK GOD FOR A DOG WHO MEANT SO VERY MUCH TO ME. MY PAL AND COMPANION. I'M GOING TO WRITE A "THANK YOU" NOTE TO THE FORMER OWNERS FOR ALLOWING ME THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING AND LOVING "PEPPER". I WOULD HATE TO KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED OUT ON IF THEY HAD TAKEN HER WITH THEM. GOD HAS RICHLY BLESSED ME WITH A FRIEND SO TRUE AND FAITHFUL. I KNOW SHE WILL BE SITTING AT RAINBOW BRIDGE TO GREET ME WHEN I GET THERE.