Our Founding Dogs

 

founding_dogs

Without Pepper, far left, there would be no Peppertree.  She was the dog that started it all. Although not a rescue herself, she was a highly intelligent, natural alpha and truly impressive evaluator dog.  She consoled, prodded, instructed and effectively “mothered” the many rescues who came through her home.  Basically, she ran the show.  Pepper left us in 2005, but her legacy remains.

Lucky is second from the left.  He was seized from a puppy mill at about 5 weeks of age, only 2 of his litter of 9 survived. Lucky was one of the Peppertree founders’ first forays into rescue , their first foster failure, and a constant, happy and impish reminder of the joy a good dog brings to one’s life.

Jacob is in the middle, and he is a shining example of how a dog does not have to be a purebred to be of Golden temperament and intelligence.  His mother was the daughter of a legendary English champion and was imported to the States to be bred, but she went on a brief, wild adventure with a handsome, traveling Shepherd/Mastiff/Hound instead.  He was loyal and smart and Pepper’s chief assistant.

Topper is next, second from the right, and Pepper’s son.  He was sired by the champion Golden that was *supposed* to be bred to Jacob’s mother. He was, quite simply, the best dog ever, serving as a reminder of the temperament we sought in the dogs we rescued.

April is all the way to the right.  She was Lucky’s mom and, along with 30+ other Goldens and Labs, was seized from the puppy mill along with her pups..  They were her second litter and she was not yet two years old!  She became a Golden celebrity and is the namesake of a permanent fund to help rescued Goldens – the April FundApril was a special support to the many shy dogs than came into Peppertree.

Pepper, Lucky, Jacob, Topper and April – the ones who introduced our founders to Goldens, and to rescue.  They helped run the operation during Peppertree’s early years, socializing and encouraging any fosters that came into the program. They live on in the work we do and are why Peppertree Rescue was created.