Hunny gets her wings
After 14 years of love and companionship, Hunny finally got her wings in November 2022. The Beneventi family will not be the same without her, but we are grateful for the many years of friendship and joy. Hunny was smart, energetic, sassy and fiercely independent. It seemed that she had found the fountain of youth as she was often mistaken for a puppy even in her 14th year of life. Running free at the dog park was her happy place and she was there doing what she loved just a few days before she passed peacefully at home. Hunny, thank you for being our friend. We love you.
Now let me tell you about our dog...
Drama Queen
Some dogs like being dressed up in little outfits. Not Hunny. She even hated wearing a sweater when the temperatures were below freezing. At the dog park, she would roll on the ground and rub up against bushes thinking she could pull the sweater off. One day, dressed in her sweater, she jumped down from the car at the dog park. She took a few steps and started limping. Concerned, I checked to see if something was lodged in her paws. Nothing. She continued to limp. Then she walked up to me and stood there with one paw raised. The most pitiful sight you could imagine. I wondered what would happen if I removed the sweater. As soon as I took it off, she ran off like a prisoner set free! What a performance!! So convincing and effective! Bravo to the drama queen.
Great Escape at the Ritz-Carlton
That's right. Hunny was a guest at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in St. Louis. I was staying there for the weekend and surprisingly I learned that the hotel was pet-friendly. Housekeeping was not supposed to enter the room when they saw the door hanger alerting them to the presence of a dog. One morning I left Hunny in the room with the door hanger outside and visible on the door handle. When I came back, the housekeeper told me that she went in the room and Hunny escaped and ran down the hall. I don't know how long she was loose but she was safe and sound in the room when I got back, along with some gifts and a note from the hotel staff.
Shameless Thief
Hunny was part beagle which is a very food-driven breed. One day I decided to order my favorite pizza for dinner. I had been thinking about it all day so when I got off from work, I picked Hunny up from daycare and then went to the pizza parlor. After getting the pizza, I had one more quick stop to make before going home. Hunny was in the back seat, the pizza was in a closed box, and I was sure it was safe for a couple of minutes on the floor up front. When I got back to the car, I found Hunny with a slice of pizza in her mouth. She froze for a moment, then jumped in the back seat and gobbled up the slice. I looked in the box and there were two slices of pizza missing! I learned a very hard lesson that day, that nothing will stand between Hunny and a meat-lover's pizza.
These are the kind of stories that will keep Hunny fresh in our minds and hearts for years to come!