Farewell to Pepe-A Dog Legend

Saying goodbye to a 16 yr old Chihuahua should have been a little easier than it was, after all, she wasn't the best of dogs. In fact, she was a hellion, whatever that is and everyone that ever met her, never forgot her. She had a way of sticking in your mind, sneaking in your heart, and getting on your nerves. She was like no other dog and there would never be one that could even come close to taking her place. Not ever.
She became a family member in Sept 1990, the same time that my Dad had a life threatening stroke, and the very week we brought her home. I had to go to Salisbury to see Dad, but what was I to do with the docile puppy. So I got a huge box that could comfortably hold a full grown Great Dane, threw some food in it with a bowl of water, and put the little dog in. I fully expected to return home with her in the box, which was 12 hrs later.
I walked into the kitchen where I had placed the box, all was quiet as I peered in, but there was no dog. I was puzzled how she managed to leap over a five foot box, not noticing the small hole she had chewed in the back part of the box. Then I heard her running around in the living room, where she had deposited 20 turds and 20 tablespoons of pee. She was so happy to see me and came running up to me, just like a little angel. How could anyone get mad at a 2 lb puppy?
This was the beginning of many adventures with the most high strung dog that could ever be. She was hyper, easily agitated, and hated pretty much everyone, except us. We had to buy a Beware of Dog sign, which made people laugh when they saw the little, white,fluff of a dog. She pretended to be friendly until someone would cross the line and attempt to pet her. She knew they would try, so she waited for them to put out their hand in good snapping distance and she would immediately try to sink her sharp teeth into the intruder, regardless of who it was. We could even say that she knew the difference between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Let's start with the good. Often times she would warn the good, by a continuous, growling noise, but no one ever took the hint. One day she was sitting on Pop Pop's lap while he was rubbing her and saying, "nice kitty." My brother Tim, a saint of sorts, the good, crossed the line by walking up to Pop Pop while Pepe lay all cozy in his lap. Tim reached out his hand to pet her and he felt the breeze of her clamping jaws and was just barely out of her striking range.
She had a huge dislike for the ugly. Our oldest son had a friend who really wasn't ugly, but Pepe must have thought so. This friend lived next door. When he would go home, we would hold Pepe back from chasing him. As the boy attempted to climb over the fence, we turned Pepe loose. She knew the game well. She ran after him like a bat out of H___! It was a game to her.
We couldn't take her out of a lease, like a normal dog. Sadly I found this out the hard way. One day as I was walking her, she saw another dog being walked. He was a huge, lovable dog. So in getting acquainted, dogs sniff one anothers butts. The huge dog let Pepe sniff first. When it came Pepe's turn to be sniffed, she attacked the huge dog after she jumped 4 feet into the air. The lady owner of the huge dog was appalled and said,"What an evil little dog you have!" I thought to myself, well she just crossed the line so I hurriedly took Pepe home while she was almost choking herself to death trying to get at the huge dog.
She hated all repair men. She barked their whole visit and we had to put her in a cage until the stranger left. Then when he was safely in his truck we turned her loose and she ran all the house sniffing and barking for hours.
If someone knocked on the door, perhaps one of my oldest son's friends, maybe the bad, I would hold her up to the door while her back hair stood up with all her teeth showing, with her long claws exposed. She looked like a cat. She looked mean and dangerous. Any idiot knew better than to try to come in the house.
The kids played tricks on their friends by trying to get them to pet her. When the friend reached down to pet Pepe, she would snap at them like a turtle and growl like a huge bear.
One day, we planned a vacation and had to board her at the kennel for a whole week. When we came back, I went to get her, I was told that she interrupted the whole kennel and they had to isolate her. They were glad to see me. The next year when I called to board her, they preferred that I didn't. So we took her with us to Ocean City to stay in my Aunt and Uncle's camper in Fenwick. She loved it and was as good as could be, as if she was on vacation too. We would chain her to the picnic table and she sniffed the air and looked around. It was so cute!
She was a hunter, one of the best. She captured birds, rabbits, and moles. It was a game to her and the whole back yard was her territory, even though she chose to poop right by the deck steps.
She especially adored my husband. When he came home from work, he would sing,"Baby, Baby" over and over. She planted herself by the door and would howl to the tune. One day she got so excited, she fell over and peed herself.
She was also an athlete. If we wanted her to come in from the yard, we would yell,"milk bone!" She would turn and come flying out of no where, leap 4 feet in the air onto the deck entrance as if she had been shot out of a cannon. Her front paws barely hit the deck. It was all a game to her.
But sadly the day came when everything changed. She allowed an electrician to come and stay all day and she never barked, this was a sign. She allowed a painter to come and she never barked. She let the squirrels play on the deck. She was slowing down and getting older. I pretended not to notice.
She started to lose weight, and walked around the house moaning at times. Her ribs were showing, I knew she had to be put down. I brought her in our home, I would be the one to take her away.
The night before the scheduled execution, she followed me everywhere. She knew. The next day she cried all the way to the vets.
She was so anxious at the vets that they had to gas her with air anesthetic before giving her the lethal injection. They allowed me to be in the room with her. I touched her and talked to her while the injection did its job. She was just sleeping. It was no longer a game. I leaned close to her as the vet checked for a heart beat that was no longer there. "Go find Pop Pop girl. He is waiting for you." Then I kissed her.
I wrapped her in a blanket and took her home. I rocked her and cried hysterically for 40 minutes until her body warmth was gone, just like I did with my Dad five years earlier. I closed her eyes. Her ears were up straight as if she was already on a journey and she had to be alert.
I whispered to her again,"Keep looking girl, keep looking. He is there. I love you girl !"
Nothing will ever be the same again. We will miss her forever!