Pirate left this world September 2, 2026.

Pirate was with Peppertree for almost 10 years, the perpetual face of optimism – which had more to do with Pirate’s outlook on life than his fosters’ belief he would be adopted.

Telling people we fostered Pirate was usually followed by an ‘OH YOU have him. I’m so glad he has someone who loves him.’ And we did love him – it wasn’t always easy to live with Pirate, but Pirate was indeed easy to love. And he was loved by many – he had a circle of people who delighted in hearing all about his life – they just didn’t want to share their house with him. Fair.

‘You should just adopt him’ normally found its way into every conversation with potential adopters. And maybe we should have – but we held on to the idea that there could be a perfect spot for Pirate, one where he fit in with no accommodations or management. And one with a higher tolerance of pee pads.

But Pirate didn’t know he wasn’t adopted or accommodated or managed – to Pirate we were home, home for almost 9 years, after having loving homes with two other fosters. What a good ten years Pirate had with Peppertree.  When people would say they wanted to adopt him because they felt sorry for him, I would get a smile on my face as I looked at him on his own private couch.  Pirate was not only loved, but he was also spoiled.

Life threw a lot of complications Pirate’s way, but he woke each day with enthusiasm and a fighting spirit. Nothing got Pirate down for long, and you always knew were you stood with Pirate.  He had firm rules – meals were to be served on time, any affection was on his terms, and if you picked him up . . . well, let’s just say you didn’t pick him up.  Or bathe him, or do any kind of medical procedure, or really do anything he didn’t consent to. Pirate set boundaries and held them.

Pirate never met a stranger (although he had a few sworn enemies – they came in scrubs and white coats, and their transgressions were carved into stone).  He did well with every dog he met and liked to be a part of the crowd – as long as the crowd didn’t bump into him or knock him over. I don’t know that Pirate really wanted to be one of five dogs, but, watching him with them was a lesson.  Because they understood even better than the humans that Pirate was just Pirate – watching them accept him and respect his body language and need for breaks taught us to do the same. And that was all that Pirate really wanted – the space to be himself. Also, rotisserie chicken – he really wanted rotisserie chicken.

A stroke was what brought Pirate to our program, and maybe it’s fitting that a stroke is what took him. Although if sheer will could have pulled him through, he would still be here. Pirate was determined.

Please join us in celebrating Pirate, the square peg trying to fit into a life of round holes – although honestly, he was probably more of a trapezoid. But none of that mattered because with us he fit. Pirate was right in the end, he was home, and we made sure he left the program as our dog – adopting him after all.