In Memory of...

Jack

The Story of “Jack” for the love of an Old Guy

When I first came across Jack he was living in a pen with 5 other dogs with a wooden platform for the ground and a baby barn attached with a hole in it for the dogs to come and go into the barn. The wooden platform was covered in shit and there was no where for the dogs to walk without stepping in it. There was an English Sheep Dog mix that was extremely matted. I called the SPCA to inform them of the conditions in which these poor dogs were living. They visited and ordered the clean up of poo, grooming etc. They did groom the Sheep dog and clean the poo temporarily because I made sure I drove by frequently to see if the condition improved.

Over the next year, I reported this residence several times. The last time, I noticed there were only three dogs left in the pen. This time I decided to have the inspector ask if they wanted to find a home for the large Shepherd Mix that I once petted through the cage, looking so desperate. I was ecstatic to hear the owner’s reply “Come and get him”, which I did immediately.

When I arrived, the dog owner went inside to retrieve a screwdriver to unscrew the barricaded door to the pen. They informed me that they “rescued” Jack when he was just 9 months old when someone dumped him on their street and he had been in the pen ever since. I almost cried, thinking this poor dog has never felt the grass on his feet, or played in a yard - cramped up in this horrible cage with other dogs. The owner then wanted to show me that the baby barn was a great place for the dogs to get out of the weather and hang out. A baby barn with a bucket of frozen water and a couple of frozen comforters in the corner. The owner really believed that he did well for the dogs. That is the problem. He was not intentionally being cruel. How do we reach these people??

Jack was elated to be out of that pen, he rubbed his face against me hard, he almost knocked me down as he was about 130lbs. - mostly all chest with a narrow back end. He had difficulty walking because of this. Then we had to lift him inside the truck. He didn’t mind and he never looked back at the cage or the owners… he was ready to move on leaving all the baggage behind. Couldn’t help but love him for his optimism. It was as if he was planning for this day his whole miserable life.

Jack came to our house, and took ownership of our front porch. He was loving and stubborn. He loved being warm and cozy and we all had to learn to walk over Jack because he was not moving. He could only walk ½ block when we first got him because he never had exercise and he was so front heavy. Day by day Jack walked a little further, the weight started to come off and his energy levels improved.

Unfortunately, not many people want an older dog and Jack stayed with us month after month – we thought he may be a permanent resident until one day some very special people noticed Jack and all the love he had. We had a litter of 9 pups here with us at the time and we had various people coming over one evening to meet the pups. All of which had to walk over Jack to come in. The puppies quickly found their furever homes and Jack watched everyone of the pups leave. No one wanted Jack.

Several months later I got a call giving me an update on one of the pups that the Inglis family adopted. During our conversation, Stephenie asked if we still had Jack and stated that her and her husband really liked Jack when they met him while they were picking out their puppy. Jack soon went to his new wonderful home where he spent the remaining two years of his life, living like the King he was always meant to be.

Special people come along and see the love an old dog can give and are willing to provide a home for him/her to spend their final days. I am grateful for the Inglis family as they allowed Jack to share his love with them.

Here is what the Inglis family has to say about their time with Jack:

Leah,

Below are a "few words" about Jack. LOL.

The healing process has started and there are good days and bad, as you know. We still miss him terribly and sometimes I swear I hear him whining or his collar jangling.

Thank you again for all you do.

Stephenie

Jack was a welcome addition to our family who quickly endeared himself to us by learning how to love and be loved. Coming from rough circumstances Jack never seemed to hold a grudge, he simply decided to enjoy his new surroundings and a new family that wanted him to be happy. Dogs are a huge part of our lives, even when death is expected it is never easy letting go. Being an older dog that was now enjoying a full life, we had hoped for a few more years together. As desperately as we did not want to lose him, we didn't want to see him suffer as his health deteriorated. The passing of a pet must be treated like the loss of any loved one. Release your feelings and let the tears flow, as your life has been enriched by the unconditional love and companionship of what truly is “Man’s Best Friend”, a dog. To call him a dog hardly seems to do him justice, though inasmuch as he had four legs, a tail, and barked. To those who knew him well, he may have been born a dog, but he left us as a perfect gentleman. We consider ourselves blessed to have known him. Of all the animals, surely the dog is the only one that really shares our lives. The hardest thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives and such a big piece of our hearts.

The Inglis Family