Jackie

This lioness is the closest I can get here to matching my dog Jackie’s looks. When I adopted her, I was told she probably wouldn’t live to the end of the year. She was confiscated from a puppy mill and had been a breeder, they spayed her and hoped she’d get a home. I fell in love with that sweet puppy face. She was a long legged jack russel terrier. We got her home and my brother’s dog Tyler loved her instantly. He got to meet her after we took her to the vet, this “3-4 year old” dog was actually about 14! I got her on a good diet, taught her how to be a dog and about outside and walks. The only silly dog trick she understood was dance, she’d stand on her back legs and twirl! She used to have bad separation anxiety until she knew I came home from school daily. I used to think people were mean, dressing up their dogs until I had Jackie. Our first winter she needed sweaters and a coat. In the spring she got very upset I had to take the sweater off. This was her first T-shirt I got her...then I’d buy dresses and even a bathing suit! She knew when I got her clothes! My sweet girl would leap up, steal the bag and shake out her clothing and dance around me with it while I tried to grab it. She wanted her new clothes on right away! I never made fun of or thought I’ll of people who dressed their dogs after Jackie. She lived to be about 22, I had her for eight years. She had a few health problems from improper care in her younger years, but hey, being told she’d die in a few months, health problems were expected. Pancreatic cancer took my Grandma seven months before the same evil stole my little Jackie away. I had rushed her to the e-vet for puking up water and having bathroom issues. They ran a full panel and said her sugar was so high, at 400 and she should be in a coma. Then more tests revealed the pancreatic cancer. There were treatments but at her age she wouldn’t survive them. I did the only thing I could do for her. They sedated her and gave her painkillers as I held her and cuddled her. I told her she had to take care of Tyler while she waited for me and my siblings on the other side. The vet came in and euthanized her, while I cuddled her one last time.

Everything we had been through, apart and together. We had crappy beginnings, I had to teach her about love and playing and being safe and even about outside, grass, trees, dirt! We were attacked by a big black dog two different times and she tried to protect me but got hurt badly. Almost lost a leg the second time. The vet said she was on bedrest but I couldn’t keep her in a crate due to it terrifying her. I had to walk Tyler still, my big brother had jobs, so Jackie only stayed calm and layed still when I set her blanket, then her in my messenger bag I had for a backpack. She got to be a purse dog until her muscles healed and she was content she could go places still. She helped us mourn Tyler’s death. She and Tyler were very close and it was adorable, he loved her. He’d give up his big orthopedic bed for her and curl up to flop on her tiny dog sized one. He let her eat or drink first and would lay down to gently play with her. He even gave her his big bones to chew on, they’d trade all the time. He’d get it open and she’d eat the marrow so I had to put dog safe peanut butter inside them. I donated all but one of Jackie’s clothing to the shelter. I saved her favorite sweater.