Straight from The Horse’s Mouth

Losing Henry was a big trauma for us. He was our "family" member, and a member of the THM family, we felt the loss for our friends and customers too. The first days were bad. Thankfully we have two other dogs who were a great comfort. Jack and Jenny crawled on our laps and let our tears fall down on them. You could see the recognition in Jenny's eyes; we're certain she misses Henry as well. I think the extra attention did her good.

We're dog people, so we know it isn't crazy or silly to grieve over "just an animal." The loss of a furry friend brings pain. So much so that we had to close the store for a couple of days. It was rough.

But life goes on. We came back to work, made it through the following week and tried to get back to normal. After some time Glenn started looking at pictures of dachshund puppies. I wasn't certain I wanted to get another one right away, or even at all. But folks started talking about it and eventually the idea soaked in. THM is just not the same without a little store greeter. We started looking for another puppy.

And then the phone rang. On Christmas Eve, Suzanna Miller from Happy Tails Kennel in Oakwood, called. She had just learned that we lost Henry and was heartbroken for us. Suzanna is a dog breeder and has a brand new litter of mini dachshunds. She called to say she wants us to have one. Before Santa flew we visited her kennel and picked out our new little boy.

He is three weeks old, being nurtured by his mother, and kissed daily by Suzanna. We have to wait a month to bring him home, but she said we could visit any time. Thank you Suzanna, you have a beautiful heart.

This puppy will never take Henry's place. Obviously HWL was irreplaceable and we don't replace relationships; we build new ones. Our new dog will be a companion with whom we'll build an entirely new set of memories and experiences.

So, our new bookstore greeter needs a name! We'd like to have a literary one. Ideas so far include: William Shakespeare, Huck, Edgar and Twain. What are your thoughts?

Wee Henry will always have a very special place in our hearts. He will never be forgotten. But for now, I have to wrap my brain around the idea of months of potty training ahead. *Sigh* But there's just nothing better than the sweet smell of puppy breath.