We adopted Henry when he was five weeks old. He rode home in his Daddy’s jacket pocket. He grew into a very handsome boy. Short and stocky with big brown eyes and a deep barking voice. Every time he went outside he announced to the neighborhood that he was out. If he went visiting he barked his presence to everyone within earshot. His favorite time of day was when his Daddy came home. He started barking the minute he heard him arrive. He was always happiest when he could be with his Daddy, sitting at his feet like a good hound.
 

Henry also loved to eat, and took every opportunity to eat anything he could. One of the first words he learned was ‘biscuit’, and saying that word would always bring him running. He also loved to sit in the kitchen while his Mommy made dinner, hoping to catch any crumbs that might fall to the floor. When he visited other houses, he would check the entire floor surface for any food remnants. He was a great vacuum cleaner.

His favorite place to visit was his Grandma and Grandpa’s house. If he heard the word ‘Grandma' or 'Grandpa’ he would start barking. Grandma always made him a food trail through the house that he would devour rapidly. He loved to sit in his Grandma and Grandpa's laps getting kisses and scratches.  Grandma and Grandpa’s love for Henry was endless. He was the light of their day and they were always so happy to baby-sit. Henry also loved plants and flowers. He would always come out with Mommy to garden and loved to lean against her when she pulled weeds. He also loved to smell the flowers. He would also go with Mommy to the Discovery Garden and loved to smell all the flowers there. He especially liked all the attention he got from the other ladies at the garden. The best part was lunchtime. His Mommy would always find him at the potluck area, begging for some food. He had the best begging face a hound could ever have. He mastered the look to a fine art. It could have been studied to teach doggies everywhere across America. It never failed to bring him a hand out.

Henry also loved to go camping and in the campground he got to lay on his favorite furry blanket.  He loved to go on long hikes with his parents and his little sister Olive who was his best friend. He and Olive were always close together and he loved to give her kisses. But the thing that Henry’s Mommy loved best was snuggling in bed under the covers. When Daddy went to work in the morning he would crawl in and lay perfectly in his Mommy’s arms. His Mommy loved his hound smell and the feel of his soft, floppy ears. She loved to kiss the top of his head and listen to his gentle sigh of happiness. Henry was the best dog anybody could ever want. He was sweet and kind and never hurt another living thing. He was endlessly loyal to his Mommy and Daddy, his sister Olive and his Grandma and Grandpa. They all loved him more than anything in the world. He will always be remembered.

Chris and Don M.