On July 19, 2002, Janis Musante sent us a tribute to her special guy, Jack.

He came into our lives fourteen years ago. His then owner, a recent college grad, decided that he would be better off living with a family where he would be cared for and loved on a 24-hour basis rather than kept in a run playing second fiddle to her mother’s dog.

He had been known as Monterey Jack, Sausalito Jack and Burlingame Jack. But the real reason he was named Jack was for Smiling Jack, because smile he did. He was the most regal, majestic animal one could behold. He walked with the grace and strength of a cougar, and could find any ball anytime, anywhere. Once, when our son Marcus lost a new baseball in the ivy bed next door, we simply told Jack to 'go find' and within seconds the ball was in his mouth.

He ruled the park across the street, and the baseball field was also his. We took him with us everywhere we could. He loved riding in the car with the exception of being incredibly sensitive to any static on the radio, and never could we leave him on the 4th of July. He hated firecrackers and thunder and lightning, and, in fact, once jumped an eight foot fence when a storm unexpectedly came in with thunder and lightning. Thank G-d a neighbor rescued him and kept him in his backyard, until his mistress, me, with a bottle of wine in hand as a thank-you, came and retrieved him. For two hours, she searched everywhere he might have gone and was hysterical by the time she received the phone call that he was safe some twenty blocks away.

He was approximately seven when Duke came into our lives. There were three years between them. The only spat they ever had was over a ball, but there was no question as to who the alpha dog was – it was Jack. They played together, loved us together and loved each other.

But in the last year or so, age finally caught up with Jack and his arthritis essentially took over. His days of running or being interested in balls came to an end, and but for Rimidyl, he would have shut down a long time ago. In May, his buddy Duke unexpectedly died in his sleep missing Jack’s 16th birthday, which was on May 16th. The photo of Jack was taken on his 16th birthday. It’s been downhill since, and now even eating is an endeavor.

It is so hard to cope with the knowledge that it is time to say goodbye. We said that when there was no quality left to Jack’s life, we would let him go. I know that he has hung on only to please me because he knows how devastated I shall be without him. But I am devastated now watching him unable to get up on his own, falling over so easily and gagging after he eats. This afternoon, we shall let him go to sleep for the last time. He’ll cross over to that dimension where his buddy Duke will be waiting for him, and the lure of the ball will once again awaken his senses.

It will be so lonely without my Golden boys in my house, but they will be in my heart until the day I join them. I am so grateful for every moment that I have had Jack. He brought such dignity and love into my life and helped me survive two cancers. Thank you, Jack, thank you, thank you, thank you. G-dspeed and know that I have and always will love you.

With All Our Love,
Janis and Raymond