Untimely Death For Bagel Delight Canine Regular

By Nancy K. Crevier

"You look for them to die, but not like that," says James Smarrella, as he recalls the hit and run death of his German shepard-mix dog, Shep, on Christmas Eve.

The dog usually stayed close to his Philo Curtis Road home when he went out, but December 24 something lured the 11-year-old dog out of his yard and further up the road. The moonlit night apparently was not bright enough for the driver of an unidentified truck to see the dog. Neighbors of the Smarrella family heard the sound of sudden braking, and went out to see a truck driving off, and Shep, mortally injured, lying at the side of the road.

It was a sad night not only for the Smarrellas, but also for the many people who frequent Bagel Delight on Church Hill Road. For the past ten years, Shep faithfully accompanied Mr Smarrella to the eatery, lying quietly nearby as his master read and visited with the locals. The friendly dog greeted all who came and went with a thump of his tail, and happily tolerated children who used the big canine as a playground, lying on him and petting him while the adults passed the time of day.

“If the weather wasn’t good, we sat in our truck,” Mr Smarrella said. “The kids would just open up the door to pet [Shep].”

Regulars at Bagel Delight were dismayed to hear of the dog’s death, the news bringing tears to the eyes of some of the children who had come to think of Shep as their friend.

Eunice Laverty, the owner of Bagel Delight, said that the twosome will be very much missed at the store.

"They were a landmark," she said. "Everyone loved to stop and talk to Jimmy and that dog."

"Hit and run and gone. That bothers me more than anything," says the pet owner, who wrote this memoriam for his cherished dog:

In Memory Shep

(a/k/a "The Bagelman Dog")

Died Christmas Eve 2005

Victim of a hit and run

Left family James, Cathy, Ashleigh, and Matthew Smarrella

And cat friends Fig, Peanut, Mayballine and Murph

He will be greatly missed.

May he have a place with the Lord.