Pepper McDaniel

Pepper Maria Elena Conchita Gonzalez McDaniel was adopted in 2012. She was also known as Peppy, Peps, Peppy-poo, Pepsi, P Dawg, Pepperina, Baby Girl, and Lil’ P.  She was half English Springer Spaniel and half Boston Terrier.  Her exact birthday is unknown because she was abandoned by owners of a puppy mill in Iowa. Even though her first five years were heart-wrenching, she was full of love and joy. She had a smile that could brighten the darkest night. Her love knew no bounds.

 

When Pepper joined us, we had two very young children. There has never been a creature more patient, loving, and full of kisses than Pepper.   She also had a beagle sister with whom she had a love/hate relationship. They would play, sleep, and cuddle together.  But a few times they had some fierce battles. Pepper was always the champ. 

 

Miss Pepper was a very skilled hunter.  She caught a plethora of mice, voles, rabbits, and even caught a bird right out of the air.  She was talented jumper.  Out of excitement, she would do a jump-wiggle while flashing her biggest smile.  She had a large collection of sounds she would make. She was a swift but clumsy runner hoping to catch fauna invading her territory. Or just for the heck of it. She would let us know when a suspicious looking leaf or shady plastic bag was lurking outside.

 

She had a tennis ball obsession and often got herself stuck under the couch, whining because she was unable to reach it. She loved crawling under beds. It was her safe space if she needed some alone time.  Although, she loved if a human family member joined her sometimes. Her tail was always wagging as fast as possible.  It was a true display of her happiness and excitement.  Pepper always managed to find snacks while playing outside.  She would dig up earthworms, grubs, and enjoyed the crunch of a cicada.  By far, snow was her favorite.  She would run, jump, play, bury her face in it, and occasionally eat some.

 

She was a pretty goofy girl. She would run across the floor and slide into cabinets and jump around when she was excited.  And often she thought she was a much smaller dog which presents a problem when jumping on someone’s lap.  She adored being cuddled, carried, and spoiled.  Pepper loved everyone she met.  The more attention you gave her, the more she wanted. As Pepper got older, she lost her hearing. But that didn’t change who she was but she did stop making noise all together when she eventually lost it entirely, unless she was dreaming. 

 

In the spring of 2022, Pepper began having seizures which began to impact her mentally.  She still loved people but you could see a sense of confusion on her face. She started to have hip issues and problems walking.  But no matter what, she was still the sweetest dog ever.  Pepper will be missed. She left a void behind that will never be filled. But we are happy she gets to play with her beagle sister again across the rainbow bridge.  Pepper passed December 6, 2023 at 1:43pm. We miss and love you so much Pepper!  Thank you for being such an amazing part of our family.