He had two names. Depending on the person, he was either Bogey or the little white Hallmark dog.
"He has been our mascot the last four years, and now there's going to be a lot of devastated people. I think everyone in Columbia County knew him," said Jo Hardt, owner of Bogey and assistant manager of Winslow's Hallmark Store in Portage.
A white Maltese with a calm demeanor, Bogey died Thursday after suffering from leukemia. He had been slowing down in the past weeks, Hardt said, and customers had asked about his condition. Bogey was 9 years old.
"My son, Neil, bought him for me for Mother's Day (in 2000), and he was the best gift I ever got," Hardt said.
Shirley Casey said she was not really a dog person until she worked in the store with Bogey.
"It's very different (without him here today). He's been our friend, and he was so gentle. I always looked for him and brought him cheese once in awhile," Casey said.
A memorial to Bogey was up in the store Friday, with flowers and his photo.
"Everybody in this town loved this dog. I thought our customers deserved to know (what happened)," Hardt said.
Jen McCoy/Daily Register
Jo Hardt touches a memorial for her Maltese, Bogey, on Friday at Winslow's Hallmark Store in Portage. The dog greeted customers for four years, and died on Thursday from leukemia.