02/25/2026
We were just a couple of Echo Park hipsters in 2013 when we walked into dog school for the first time, met with “Do you even know what you got yourself into? These are not dogs for first time owners. They will destroy your home.” But if there’s anything Penny and us had in common, it’s that we’re a trio of overachievers with Type A tendencies that love to prove people wrong.
And she did, indeed, prove them wrong.
She was the first female dog to get both a Nosework NW3 title and a Mondioring Level 3 title. She scaled 7 foot walls with ease and loved to crotch bite decoys. She chased wild donkeys through the Arizona desert and went backcountry snowboarding in the Eastern Sierras. She never destroyed a single thing in our home, and only chewed a little corner of her training crate.
But none of these achievements could top the fact that she was our greatest teacher.
She taught us how big our hearts can be to love; unconditional, limitless, and infinite. She taught us to be more brave. More adventurous. She was fearless, and I’d like to think some of that rubbed off on us too.
She was with us through abysmal tragedies and ecstatic triumphs, a steady unwavering constant that showed us love and demanded a daily walk no matter what we were feeling.
Every stranger was a new best friend. “A golden retriever in a malinois body,” we were once told.
Every walk was the greatest adventure of her life. She had opinions of where to go and never wanted the same walk two days in a row. She loved crossing the street at a diagonal.
Every one of our 4,888 days with her was an absolute gift. How lucky were we were to all find each other in this life.
Penny was diagnosed with a fast growing cancer at the beginning of the year. They gave her 2 weeks to a month. Even til the end, she proved them wrong and had 6 weeks of daily 2 miles walks and lots of snacks in between countless supplements and medication.
Thank you Penny, for the best years of our lives. We hope we were able to give you the best of yours.
Penny the Scout 10/02/2012 - 02/24/2026