By Patti Sunday-Winters

(Editor’s Note: Each issue of Pancakes and Prayers offers a peek into the love we feel for our animal companions. This issue is dedicated to Huck, who belonged to the Sunday-Winters family and even after his passing has remained in their hearts.)

Although we added a new puppy to our family, our hearts still grieve for our beloved Huck! He died in November after a 4+ year battle with cancer. 

He came to us from McMinn Animal Shelter as a 2-3 year old. I met him on a visit there when I was “temperament testing” dogs for possible adoption placement. I fell in love with him on first meeting. Besides his adorable face, he rocked his evaluation with his friendly and loving personality! 

He spent his first years with us enjoying life in the South. He loved playing with our niece and other kids in the neighborhood. He always supervised whoever was swimming in our pool although the never got in. He passed the time sunbathing and snuggling on the couch. He was careful to split his attention between Josh & Will whenever they were home. He would go back and forth between their bedrooms making sure they were both getting his attention. 

Huck made the move north to Vermont with Ed and I in 2017. We affectionately began calling him “the worst Vermont dog ever” because he hated the cold, the snow and the water. Yet he found the North tolerable because he was with “his people.” He loved his warm house and his L.L Bean jacket. He also loved visiting with Judy and Dana, who welcomed him into their home on Cole’s Pond when we were away.

Our family and friends were so lucky to have been loved by him!