Pepper Linsenbardt: 1992 – 2008

Mom called today with some rather sad news: our 16-year-old cocker spaniel, Pepper, died today. We got her when I was 11, so needless to say, my family was rather attached to her. She maintained a great deal of energy up until her last few days, I’m told, but was not doing well this morning when Mom went down to wake her. Mom took her into the vet and found that her spleen was twice the size it was a month ago when she was last taken in. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do for her at her age and all parties involved decided it was her time.

(a side-note…the reason they knew what the size of her spleen was a month ago was because, while Mom had her outside, Pepper excitedly decided to jump from a concrete retaining wall over a wood pile down to a concrete patio…because she knew it was time for her dinner! Even though Pepper shook it off and walked in like nothing had happened, she ended up showing some signs of pain weeks later… That dog loved to eat!)

Pepper, Mom and Edie during the move from the old house.

Anyway, Pepper was a force of nature. Most family friends and loved-ones have never met Pepper because she was a pretty protective dog. It took a decent amount of effort to get her used to having Brooke around a few years ago, but to this day, very few of my friends growing up, or Kristen’s (or anyone else…), ever met Pepper.

Pepper and me back in 2006.

Regardless, I know Pepper is happy wherever she is now (even though we know that all dogs go to heaven!) eating carrots and sleeping in the recliner she stole from Dad 15 years ago. It’s going to take a long time for everyone she left behind to get over her loss!