Memory Lane II

Jake will always be my pure of heart dog. The white spot on his chest reflected the sweetness in his soul.

Dutch Iris

When I saw these Dutch Iris I could not resist buying them. Their purple color reminds me of Jake, our first Golden Retriever. For 9 years, Jake proudly wore his purple Neuse Golden Retriever Rescue collar.

Jake was a sweet, gentle dog who never was able to forget the early years of abuse. The scars on Jake's body were mirrored in his sorrowful eyes. Time does not heal all wounds and Jake's rescue came two years too late.

 

Happy Birthday JJ. We still miss you. Danny, Cooper and Otis joined our family because of the wonderful times we shared with you, our first rescue dog.

Another Bird Story

Yesterday's mourning dove incident reminded me of a Jake story.....

Our first Golden, Jake, once caught a baby bird. We were in our NC yard and I looked over and saw tail feathers sticking out of Jake's mouth.

Amazingly, when Jake opened his mouth, the bird was unharmed. The bird was scared and its feathers were damp, but there were no bite marks or broken wings.

I took the bird from Jake and it eventually flew away.

At 90+ pounds, Jake could have easily crushed the bird. Was it instinct that gave him such a soft mouth when holding the tiny bird ?

Fighting Canine Cancer

We received a catalog from Orvis and on the cover was a picture of a beautiful Golden and the caption help fight canine cancer! The cover dog, Dylan, is a cancer survivor.

It seems that Orvis and Eukanuba have teamed up to double canine cancer donations.

For more details, you can go to: Orvis/Eukanuba Canine Cancer Campaign

Having lost Brandy, Jake and Danny to cancer, I can honestly say that this is a cause worth donating to. Coop's battle with cancer is going well, but more research and better treatments are needed.

Our online donation is on its way.

The Longest Night of My Life

On Thursday, May 8th, 2003 I remember getting a call on my drive home. Jake had a seizure and Valerie was frantic. I arrived at home about 30 minutes later to a dazed and confused Jake and a more confused Valerie.

We put Jake in the car and rushed to the after-hours vet clinic. Half way there, he had another seizure and we pulled to the side of the road to comfort him during his agony. The clinic kept him overnight and pumped him full of anti-seizure medicine to stop the convulsions.

We brought him to his regular vet the next day and plotted out a course of action. He would be weaned off the high doses of anti-seizure medication to a point where he was functioning but not having convulsions. As the week drew on, Jake became more aware of his surroundings and we become more and more hopeful.

Hope came to an end on Friday, May 16th. As we finished cleaning up after dinner, Jake had his first seizure since he was on medication. About 60 minutes later, another one longer and more violent than the first. We doubled his dose and made a plan to see the Vet the next day. Then came another, and another. The choice was clear. Jake couldn't even make it up the stairs to go to bed, so we slept with him on the floor that night.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. The choice couldn't have been clearer but it still bothered me. When he was on the table about to take his last breath, he looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes that said "Thank You Papa."

Six years have gone by and I still see those eyes.

Danny gave me the same look before his passing. I hope to never see it in Cooper.

Jake

While living in NC, I saw an ad in the paper asking for people to adopt homeless Goldens. I always liked Goldens and knew that too many dogs end up in shelters, so thought why not ? Looking back I did not realize just how traumatized a rescued dog could be.

Jeff had always wanted a red Retriever named Jake. When I called Neuse Golden Retriever Rescue and was told that there was a dog named Jake, I knew it was fate. When we first met Jake, a large red coated Golden, he did not walk, but crawled on his belly. My heart broke and I wondered what cruelty he had been subjected to, to be too afraid to walk.

Jake had large soulful eyes that always appeared haunted. We had Jake for 9 years and I could never erase the sadness in his sweet face. When we brought Jake home, he was terrified. A loud noise or sudden movement would send him scuttling from the room.

Jake taught me patience and Jake taught me that some wounds never heal. Trust is tenuous and when our vet said a nail had been intentionally driven into Jake's leg, we knew that all the love in the world might never be enough to make him feel safe.

Surprisingly, after all the abuse Jake endured, he did learn to love being near people. Jake loved to be petted, but not hugged.

Jake and Brandy became inseparable. Brandy taught Jake that jumping on the bed was ok and that toys were meant to be played with. Jake never learned to play fetch, but he would happily chase after Brandy.

At 90+ pounds, Jake was a big dog who brought much happiness into our lives. Jake had a white spot on his chest and I nicknamed him my "pure of heart" boy; even after all the abuse, Jake retained his Golden heart.

Jake's sweetness and gentleness were echoed in Danny's personality.

Brandy & Jake

Long before Danny and Cooper were part of our lives, we had two other dogs, Brandy a Shetland Sheepdog, and Jake a rescued Golden Retriever.

Both of these dogs passed away in the middle of May. Every year when I flip the calendar from April to May, their memories immediately come to my mind.

This week I will share some stories about these two special dogs.