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Monday, November 2, 2026Nov 2

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Chattapets: Family grows, changes

Sally Hendrick was very content with her two dogs, Mrs. Black and Spot. And the two were very happy together for years.

“They seemed to think they were married,” Mrs. Hendrick said.

Then one day, Spot ran off. The Hendricks, as well as Mrs. Black, were heartbroken. They kept up hope, but when he didn’t show up, they assumed he was dead.

A neighbor offered them a puppy. The Hendricks immediately said yes, hoping to fill a void left by Spot’s apparent demise. They named the puppy Little Duke.

Twelve weeks went by, and the Hendricks settled into life with two dogs. Then one day Spot showed up, a little the worse for wear but looking good for an old dog.

Joy replaced sadness in the Hendrick family. And by this time, they’d bonded with the new puppy.

But tragedy soon struck. When the Hendricks came out to check on their canines one recent morning, they found Spot’s body, lying beside the fence.

“He was gone for 12 weeks, who knows where, but he came home to die,” Mrs. Hendrick said. “But we love the puppy, and he gives us so many laughs. He came full of vigor and naughtiness and took our hearts away. He and the female could be mother and son. They look alike and play all day long.”

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