Hershey

When we moved to Ohio, Mom would not let us have a dog right away. That is because our two previous dogs: Michelob, a crazy English Springer Spaniel (you didn't know) and Cuddles (previously referenced), I bought without her permission. You could say they were both a bad surprise. This time Mom was in charge and she chose a beagle puppy that we brought home in December of 1987. Allison got to name her and she chose Hershey.

For the longest time you stayed on the sofa, afraid to come down on the floor with Hershey. You can see from this picture that even months later you kept a safe distance.

There are many stories about Hershey: Once a hawk flew down the chimney and we found Hershey under the bed. The time Hershey ran away and Mom went out with you in the car (I had taken Allison and Bethany to ski lessons.)It was dark, and Mom couldn't find Hershey, so she returned home only to find Hershey,later on, waiting to come in the back door. Or the time Mom was in charge of the Girl Scout Cookies, and we had them in cardboard cases in the living room. Hershey ate through the cardboard to get to the boxes of Thin Mints - she ate an entire box. Or the time you had a soccer match at Forest Field and I ran over with Hershey. I noticed she did not want to come, but I kept running with a rope around my waist and Hershey at the end of it. I finally got tired of her pulling and I went back to look. She had been trying to brake and I kept pulling and I wore the pads off of her feet. She normally loved to run with me, but for a while she just looked at me and growled. You, while taking piano, even composed a song about Hershey "Hershey, Hershey, Hershey, is a very fat dog..." We all loved her and after 13 years she had brain cancer and we had to put her down, but not before you chronicled her last days on video. That act is the impetus behind my blog of Gucci's last days. Hershey's ashes are spread in Sugarcreek Reserve, where she spent many happy hours running.