Name: Pepper

Breed: Mixed (Australian shepherd x Pembroke corgi)

Mate: Bandit (Dodger/Rita son)

Likes: Wild games of chase through traffic, Bandit, playing with anyone and everyone who will join her, getting her own way

Dislikes: Being pushed away by loved ones, overthinking things

Personality:

Pepper is loud, pushy and impulsive, but also very loving to those closest to her. She is demanding of attention, but unfortunately tends to do so in a way that fails to endear her to others, being none too shy of voicing her own opinion. Having a good time is the first priority in Pepper's life, so she was drawn to the friendly and carefree Bandit from their first meeting. Being so laidback, Bandit was never fazed by Pepper's bossiness, and his complete acceptance of her quirks led her to bond very closely to him. Pepper is insecure and prone to jealousy, particularly where Bandit's attention is involved. She has a tendency to act first and think later, and with few people able to change her mind once it's set, this can often get her into tight scrapes.

Background:

Born a street dog, Pepper was one of a litter of four- and the unruliest of the lot. Her parents were abandoned when it was discovered that the mother was pregnant, and it was a great struggle to raise the pups as they slowly came to grips with survival on the rough streets of New York. The troublesome Pepper all but drove her parents to distraction in her desperation to make playmates out of them, and her relationships with her family members deterriorated greatly as she grew up. Pepper met Dodger and Rita's son, Bandit, when she was small, and he quickly became the most important person in her world.

When Pepper was a little over six months old, her mother was killed after being hit by a car, and she left the city with the rest of her family as they grieved the loss. Finally having had enough of feeling an unwelcome burden on her father, Pepper returned to New York City alone when she was nearly a year old, reuniting with her old friend, Bandit. The pair lived together as mates after Bandit left home, although they flitted between a life of their own and spending time with Fagin and the gang. Pepper eventually became a permanent fixture in the gang when Bandit moved back in with Fagin after a serious injury.