Dedicated with love by Susan

Jack, Jack, Jack...
...my dearest son!
We had so much fun,
We were always on the run,
The time was too short,
The time was so dear,
I will always miss you,
I will always hold you near...

So many rocks...
...so many balls,
Only wish we had more time,
So the story goes..............

I feel like the luckiest person alive having Jack (my Jack Russell Terrier) in my life for 13 years. He was the ray of light in my heart. I can honestly say Jack gave me the best years of my life. Jack had very human traits. He was intuitive, fun, and never wanted to stop playing ball. He just loved enjoying life. He always was loyal to me, and we loved each other unconditionally. He was my very best friend and companion. Jack grew up on the beach in Carmel.

Eight years into his life however, he was unexpectedly diagnosed with lupus erythematosus. Even worse, the vets at UC Davis predicted that he only had 2 months to live. I cried at first when they broke the news, but then we both became resolved to continue living life to its fullest, and Jack more than did his part. Any other dog probably wouldn't have lasted nearly so long. In fact, three years went by and his lupus had actually gone into remission. Jack stayed happy, alive and active for me all that time.

Unfortunately, in October 2007 the disease came back severely, and Jack was now in great pain and barely walking. We traveled back to UC Davis and he was subjected to painful joint taps. His kidney was failing and overall health getting progressively worse. He couldn't process protein and had to be placed on a low protein diet. They also put him on a course of Prednisone and Enalapril to help relieve his condition. He started to get internal bleeding at times too, but took everything in stride despite 7 pills a day. We could tell he was tiring easily, but he still wanted to chew rocks, play ball, and dig in the sand. He still wanted to play and still wanted to go out. We still played ball with him, threw rocks, and took him to the beach as before, but had to restrain him a bit as he overdid it sometimes and would suffer the following day.

Jack was by nature a hardworking dog, and always wanted to work for us and keep himself busy. The doctor said to keep him on a leash, but how can you stop a working dog from living and being himself, especially one as energetic as Jack was to the very end? He always moped when kept inside the house and unhappy when he was restrained.
On Sunday January 20th of 2008, we took Jack to his favorite beach in Half Moon Bay (Princeton). The air and wind felt cold, but the sun and tide were out. Jack played with rocks, and dove into the tide pools. He was digging in the sand, doing his thing with the sea kelp, playing in the tide pools, retrieving rocks for us, playing with his sister Barbie, enjoying himself, and keeping continually busy as usual. He had done this regularly for over 13 years. We don't know for sure what happened then-he either chewed on an anemone, or ate something he shouldn't have. On the way back to the car his tail was between his legs and his gait was not normal. He drank some water back at the car and just seemed a little cold. We started driving home and he took his normal position as co-pilot in the drivers' seat looking out the window.

Suddenly and without warning, Jack's eyes dilated and he started to become drowsy. We put him under some warm air and wrapped him in a blanket. He started to get sick and threw up some weird sea remains. We rushed him to the veterinary emergency clinic and they started treating him for shock. He suffered throughout all the tests and we saw him slipping away. His temperature began dropping and he was crashing hard and fast. We stayed with him for hours, until they made us leave. Right before midnight we got the call that Jack's heart had failed, and he suddenly passed away. They concluded that Jack had died of anaphylactic shock from something he ate at the beach. We were totally grief stricken and didn't sleep for days.

We had Jack's remains cremated and his ashes spread over all his favorite places.

In spite of all that happened, I wouldn't have wanted Jack to go out any other way. He didn't slowly deteriorate into total helplessness from all his disease and kidney failure. He always pushed life to the limits and lived every day as if it were his last.

Nature took its course and Jack died doing what he loved best; playing at the beach. It's his family-we are the ones who are sad now (Susan, James, Barbie, and all his friends that knew him). Jack was truly special. He was really one of a kind, more than just another pet, and we know there will never be another. Ironically, Barbie now sleeps in Jack's bed every night.

Jack's greatest gift to me is demonstrating life's ultimate lesson. That every day you should live it to its fullest, be happy and have fun, like Jack did. It's what I loved most about Jack; his zest for life, and sharing it with him.

- We will miss you dearly Jack, but you will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts...

- I hope when I die, I go doing something I love, like Jack did...

(we have included some pictures below and a link to Rainbow Bridge)

- Rainbow Bridge is where dogs go when they die...

http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

"Life is meant to be a celebration!
It shouldn't be necessary to set aside special times to remind us of this fact.
Wise is the person who finds a reason to make every day a special one."

Time Passes by like a ray of light....
I look for it, but by then it's gone.....