Jake The Wonder Dog

This post is tough for me. Really, really, really tough. The only way I can describe it when I talk to Trey is that I feel 100% pure heartbreak. And I know Trey knows....because he, too, has felt our loss big time. Today, we had to say goodbye to our golden boy, Jake. Want to know why it was so tough?

Well, over 8 1/2 years ago, I BEGGED Trey for a golden retriever. BEGGED. We got a newspaper one Saturday (I now know that isn't the way to get a dog,but hey, we were young) and we decided to go and check some out.....ONLY looking. The puppies....adorable. There was one in particular who wasn't going crazy, stood off from the rest and just watched. A little girl who lived at the house said she called him Sweetie because he was her favorite and so gentle. That Sweetie....became our Jake. Forget looking, I found my boy!

He was totally innocent....didn't get into a thing. Okay maybe shoes, and anything leather....and anything that made cool noises....or anything he could drag. "Sweetie" quickly developed a personality.

After we moved into a house, we decided to get Jakey a friend. We adopted Rocky. These two had completely opposite personalities, but, in time, bonded and became the best of friends.

Then came the babies. Many people told us they thought we'd get rid of the dogs when the kids came. My response, "did you get rid of your kids when you had more?" They were awesome.

Hailey and Jakey bonding.

And bonding some more :). I love this picture.

They even made some Christmas cards together!

And when Reese came along....well, the more the merrier! She, especially, loved Jakey. She has a passion for animals and thought he was so great.

So great, that she imitated him often.

The crew.

He had a multitude of passions....(not all listed here)

His floppy disk

Playing ball

Playing in the snow.

Napping on the couch.

And people watching....and people greeting....and making sure people knew that they would love to pet him.

Today wasn't his first run-in with the vet. Oh no, Jakey tore both of his ACL's in his knees and he tried to poison himself by eating a cigarette butt once. Oh, and the vet called us once because he had escaped from my friend's fence and was wandering the streets enjoying his day when someone saw his vet tags. Was treating him each time worth the time, money and rehab? You betcha.

His soul was full of unconditional love, loyalty, compassion, love-for-life, and a desire to please people with a bit of orneriness that made him a perfect fit for us.

I love him whole heartedly.

So when Jake started feeling ill again, we took him to his vet. The vet told us yesterday that we had done everything possible for him, but that his cancer had returned, was very aggressive, and that he was about to get incredibly sick and possibly encounter immense pain......we knew what we had to do. Well, actually, he told me what I needed to do. I don't think I would have ever known when to do that. I talked to three vets to see if they all agreed....secretly hoping there was something to make him feel better. But, there was not.

So, today we spent the morning at one of his favorite places. The lake. And we have let him eat as much people food as he wanted. And we have been loving him up like he has done for us for over 8 1/2 years. And we have cried and sobbed and cried and sobbed some more.

But we knew that letting him experience a traumatic pain would not be fair to a dog who has only given the best to us. I pray that I will see him again someday and that he's with my Rocky and that they're cuddling and chewing on each other's legs again. He has forever made myself and all the members in this family better people.

Thank you so much Jakey. We love you.