Our valiant Jack

Our brave, stoic Jack was put to sleep. I pour over the photos to keep the visual memories in my head as happy and healthy as he once was. He was always brave, always sweet, always laid back - a contrast to his big brother Petey, who is full of drama. It will be impossible not to see him around every corner - he had his chair, his bench, his couch and his own little bed in the studio.
He even had his own hiding place, under a maple tree, where he quietly watched the squirrels and chipmunks. He loved going for walks first thing in the morning, rain or shine, then promptly jumped up on his bench and fell fast asleep while we read the paper. He loved romping through the cemetery with his brother and my man - a male-bonding treat that happened most every day for eight years. He was a man's dog, happy to share a Sunday afternoon watching MotoGP in the den. He had one trick - just one - where he would give us a big stretch right before we put on his collar. He howled when he heard sirens in the distance, prompting a chorus of all dogs in a 1-mile radius.

I lost a dog ten years ago, I remember thinking he had been through the hardest times with me and it would have been unimaginable without him by my side. Jack has been with us through the best years of our lives - we're not done yet - he left too soon. But it was because of him that we've had such happy times and lots of laughs. Happy trails to our dear Jack.