Maureen's Pepper

Maureen is a jovial Canadian friend I met at Chinese class. We both stopped attending the class, but we see each other regularly at the Bagel Bagel park when we walk our dogs. She has Dexter, George, Jasper, Jack and I have Thandi. She calls Vriendjie, Pepper and she regularly feeds her dinner, protects her from dog snatchers, buys her red collars and provides shelter if need be. Maureen and Chad are doggie crazy in the head, too, so we get along just fine! They are known in the neighborhood as the wai-guo-ren who care about dogs. Even the homeless man that sleeps in the park and has three of his own dogs, greets her when he passes her by. She's a bit of a celeb. I got asked the other day if I was the girl with four dogs. I had to disappoint the man. He had not yet heard of me.

This is Pepper, aka Vriendjie, Thandi's best friend. She lives in the park permanently and manages to play with at least ten different dogs throughout the day. She has a very social but gentle personality and has made the park her home. She has so many owners and gets taken care of by many people in the 'hood. Somebody paid to have her spade, which is the biggest favor you can do for a stray. I really salute the community around that park in particular for their efforts. In a country where SPCA doesn't exist and dogs are mistreated or abandoned without reason, these people have really been loving towards Pepper. She's a very lucky dog!