Jack

On August 30, 2009, we adopted Jack (previously known as Dusty) through NASAP. The poor little guy had been badly neglected and then dumped off in the country, left to die. I read his story on the NASAP website and just knew that we had to give him a home.

At first, he was very wobbly and quiet, still recovering from the major dental surgery he’d had. Gradually, as he started to gain weight and become stronger, his feisty personality came through. He became a Milk Bone junkie! Lots of times he would try to get away with not eating his “real” meal and just beg for Milk Bones. He was a fussy eater – we had to change his diet lots of times as he would quickly tire of one food and we would have to keep trying things to find whatever struck his fancy at that moment!

He loved to go for walks, but the distance he could comfortably go got shorter and shorter and the last month or so, he was just as content to stay at home and fall asleep on the cou ch. He was so funny – as soon as he walked outside the door, he started peeing right on the driveway – never lifting a leg, just letting it go! He had a laundry list of medical issues and I think our vet has been able to add on to his house with what we spent on him, but it was worth it to us to keep trying to improve his life. We would let him out on the deck to pee and then he would run back into the house and spin around in the kitchen, barking and wagging his tail and, of course, looking up to the Milk Bone jar! He followed me all around the house and as soon as I sat down, he would jump up on the couch to cuddle next to me, or sometimes, wag one little paw at me to get me to lift him up. Sometimes he would sleep through the night in his bed, but more often than not, would paw at the side of the bed, wanting to come up and sleep with us (which command we of course obeyed).

During the early morning hours of May 7, 2010, we awoke with a start to a terri ble, almost screaming sound to discover Jack having a seizure. I held him for the rest of the night, his heart racing, his breathing terribly ragged and raspy. We took him to the vet as soon as their office opened. The vet thought that the signs pointed to a brain tumour. I had tears streaming down my face throughout this whole time. We made the very difficult and painful decision to end his suffering. We held him and told him how much we loved him and what a good boy he was until he was gone.

I am amazed that such a little dog could leave such a big hole in my heart! Jack, go for a big run across the grass, again being able to see and hear clearly, with no pain. We’ll meet up with you again someday, and we’ll bring you some Milk Bones.

Elaine Roebuck