They truly are members of the family.
Ron and Beverly Pitts from the Village of Hadley are heartbroken over the passing of their beloved dog, Hoover. Hoover passed on Friday, July 1 at the age of 15.
Understandably, the Pitts are devastated by their loss. “I take his leash and collar down to where we walked every morning,” Pitts said. “I feel silly doing it but , I also feel like I need to do that.”
Hoover was a German Shepherd/St. Bernard Mix. A big 70-pound lovable boy, full of love and playfulness for everyone he met. He was a rescue dog from Indiana. The Pitts found Hoover in a local shelter when he was 9 months old.
“He was used as bait for pit bull fighting,” Ron Pitts said. “He was so abused, very depressed and chewed up when we first saw him. We walked up to his cage and he gave us one tail wag to impress us. That’s all it took.”
Pitts was amazed that Hoover warmed up to everyone he met and loved people. “Considering his rough start in life, it’s a wonder he didn’t shy away from everyone. It was just the opposite. He was drawn to people.”
Next-door neighbor, Gloria Bingy, used to cook for Hoover and gave him the run of her refrigerator.
“He would walk over to her house when he wanted a snack. He’d open her refrigerator door, pick out something and Gloria would cook it for him. Talk about spoiled,” Pitts laughed.
“In 2014, I had a bout with cancer. Hoover sensed that something was wrong and never left my side. It’s like he had a sixth sense. He would put his head on my legs as if he was saying “I’m here. Everything will be alright.”
Everyone loved Hoover. Hoover and his Dad were a familiar sight in Hadley for their morning walks. Hoover would wait in the yard for someone to walk by and then walk with them.
“He just loved everyone. There wasn’t a person I can recall that he didn’t make friends with,” Pitts said.
Hoover wagged his tail right up until the end.
“I walked him Friday morning and on Friday afternoon, we were at the vet’s office.” Pitt recalls. “It’s the most heartbreaking thing I have ever had to do.”
There has been an outpouring of support for the Pitts since Hoover’s passing. They have received numerous phone calls and over 50 Facebook postings. “Everyone has been so supportive and understanding. This is such a hard thing to deal with. We are both devastated,” he said.