He came into our lives in mid February, 2005. We had been dog-less for about 6 months after our dog Rocky had passed away at the age of 17. I was kind of getting used to the idea of not having a dog under foot and when my wife called me up and said that I needed to go look at a dog, I decided to humor her.
She had called me up because she knew I'd look at the dog and say no and that would be the end of it. She knew herself too well to be able to be rational about things like that. So I went down to the dog grooming place where this two month old puppy was. They put him on the counter, he looked up into my eyes and then put his paws up on my chest and that was it. I brought him home, put him on my daughter's bed, which woke her up and said "Happy 16th birthday."
He was named Jack for no other reason than we all liked the name. It was far better than my wife's suggestion of Quentin. Jack has been a member of our family ever since. He'd greet my wife's dad at the door, because he knew Grandpa always brought treats for him. He liked my lap the best sitting in it for hours while we watched a movie or a sporting event on TV, but he liked the foot of my wife's side of the bed at night. He'd look at you and then sit, as if to say, "Look, I'm being a good boy. Will you give me a treat?" And he was a very good dog.
Last week, age and illness caught up with him. He got sick just about the time Christmas break rolled around and a couple of days after Christmas we had to take him into the vet because he just wasn't rebounding like he'd done in the past when he was ill. After a night in the hospital, it was clear we had to make the toughest decision anyone who has ever loved a furry friend will ever had to make.
Jack was surrounded by love as he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on December 30th last week. He is missed by all who knew him.
Life wouldn't be the same without dogs.
So sorry for your loss, Paul. It's the hardest decision many people will make in life, that's for sure. Keep the positive memories alive. And I hope this post helped you ... I know when I was faced with this situation a couple of years ago (my cat), blogging about it helped greatly. Positive thoughts your way.
ReplyDeleteThanks P.J. I've done this with all of my animals. Writing about it really helps me with my feelings for the furry creatures I've had in my life.
DeleteI'm so sorry for your loss. Jack has such an adorable little face, and I can tell he loved you very much and was very much loved. We've had to make that decision too often and it's heartbreaking. I lost my two boys (cats) within a year of each other (November 2013 & 2014) and I still cry sometimes. They are family and we cherish each memory of our time with them. Life is definitely not the same without them and definitely a tough subject to write on.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind reply. My condolences on the loss of your two cats. I had a cat at one time when after I got my first job. I had her for 16 years. Our furry friends take a little bit of our heart when they leave us.
DeleteI'm so sorry for your loss. I'm new here, but your sweet baby Jack is adorable! May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments.
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