Jack’s Last Day

Jack made it to 15-years-old. Not too bad for a little guy. He lived a good life and made the most of his days.

In “dog years”, Jack was 105 years old. You won’t be surprised to learn that, though a mixed breed, he went through life with a Puggish attitude and experienced more than his share of legal troubles.

To be precise, as a younger and smaller dog, he often challenged the quality of our back-yard fence, which was not quite up to our home-owners’ association specifications when we moved in…and didn’t get better with our continued neglect. The deplorable condition of our fence made it possible for Jack to easily find holes and gaps. Once outside the confines of the back yard, he would wander the neighborhood, looking for adventure, dodging passing cars, and giving us heartburn on a regular basis.

It was during one of these escapades that a helpful neighbor thought she could return Jack to his yard, by picking up the Pug-Terrier-Mix to place him gently over the fence and into his rightful location. Unfortunately, Jack was not consulted about this plan and let the neighbor know of his disapproval. By biting her. In the face. From below her chin to her forehead, just above her eye. This one act set us back hundreds of dollars a year for the next five years as our insurance responded as expected. The insurance company paid the emergency room bill and thankfully prevented a future lawsuit. And, of course, we installed a new fence which kept Jack in his rightful location from that day forward.

Rightfully so, the event gave Jack a reputation as a bad boy. Mothers would hold their children close as they passed the yard. Neighbors whispered about us when we were out on walks. Windows would shut, babies would cry, and police patrolled the neighborhood to ensure the snaggletoothed monster wasn’t on the loose.

But now the threat is gone and people can stroll the streets with a new sense of peace. 

In the waning years of his life, Jack became far less Puggish. While he was always willing to go for a nice walk, he slept most of his days and nights, rarely engaging in household life. He often became confused in the evenings, not knowing if he wanted in or out, staring blankly for long periods of time. We because concerned when he started tripping over his own feet on flat surfaces. But we knew it was the time when, on a Monday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, Jack suffered a major seizure. It was sad to watch and a little scary. Over the following days, he experienced several minor seizure-like events and we called the vet.

Jack was the last of his family line. He was proceeded in death by his Mother, Molly, his father (an unknown hound dog), and his seven brothers and sisters. He added much to our lives and will be missed by all who knew him.