I decided last night to send a letter and some pictures to the Peninsula Humane Society where we adopted Ripley. Here is the letter:
My wife and I adopted a ‘greyhound-mix’ blonde brindle dog that we named Ripley from the Peninsula Humane Society in November 1997. We thought you might like to know that though we recently had to put her down for liver cancer she lived a wonderful and happy life with us, our daughter, and our second dog, Sadie (also an adopted dog.)
There aren’t enough pages to list the great things about Ripley. Though she certainly was no greyhound. She in fact was a pitbull mix. But she was the kindest dog my wife and I have ever known. Every time we thought she couldn’t be trusted in a situation she would prove us wrong and far exceed our wildest expectations. She was always in the mood for a hike, a trip to the bagel store, or just a long cuddle. You could always find reassurance in Ripley’s eyes when times were tough. She was happy, she knew she belonged and never wanted to leave, and she shared that happiness and self-assurance with everyone she met.
In the last few years she would go to work with me every Friday and brighten the spirits of my co-workers. After she passed away people in the office said things like; “I'm not usually a dog person but Ripley won me over”, “Meeting Ripley blew away a lot of preconceptions I had about pitbull-mixes”, “She was a beautiful dog, so friendly and outgoing”. And those are just a few. She touched the lives of everyone she met.
Some dogs are great for their high level of activity, others have special breed traits, and some, like Ripley, are wonderful companions and enrich our lives with just their presence in every moment of every day. Ripley had her good moments and bad just like anyone else. In her unexpected passing she has left a huge hole in our hearts that is a constant reminder of the important role she filled in our family.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to know and love Ripley. Without your work she would have lived out a brief life on the street, and she would not have had eight short years to touch the hearts of all who have known her.
Many thanks and much love,Jack and Lori Herrington
Proud parents of Ripley “Silly Face” Herrington
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