This is Jack, the pit bull from Pendleton Pike that nobody wanted.  After countless cars drove past him, his head and tail still moving, a woman picked him up took her to her place of work. She called a vet tech to pick him up.  The vet tech transported the dog to her clinic, where still nobody would claim him.  When I arrived, I saw that Jack had given up his fight and was ready to not be suffering anymore.  Jack became my dog.  I signed the paper to have him euthanized.  This was a genuine euthanasia as Jack had made up his mind and was just waiting for the relief that death would bring.

 

Jack had a few superficial puncture wounds on the side of his head, none were life threatening. He did not have old scars from previous fights.  Maybe Jack tried to fight but didn’t like it so he was dumped on the road.  That would explain the road rash on the lower half of his body.

 

Jack’s ears were cropped, professionally.  At some point, he was somebody else’s dog, but not that day.  That day he was mine and I thought he was beautiful.

 

Jack was not hit by a car.  Jack was dehydrated to the point of organ failure.  It was sunny and approximately 95 degrees on the day he died.  Ironically, Jack was picked up near a retention pond.  He just couldn’t make it there in time.

 

Jack was too tired to hold his head up anymore, so in the picture you will see that I helped him.  His eyes still followed me and his tail still wagged, just a little bit.  He didn’t have a name, so I asked the vet to give him a name before he died.  The vet named him Jack.  The vet tech and I held him, talked to him, and kissed him while he passed.  I promised him that he would not die in vain.

 

Jack is why we do what we do.  Jack is why we will all find the courage and strength to continue. It was a series of phone calls from concerned people who brought me to Jack.  So maybe he really belongs to everyone who cares.  If you have room in your heart for Jack’s spirit, I will share my dog.

 

Stacey