We found Jake at the West Haven (CT) Animal Shelter in 1997
or 1998. He was an alert, excitable, beautiful, black German-shepherd-looking
mutt. We both loved him at first sight and he seemed satisfied that we’d be
good owners. We took him home to meet Toby and Misha and that went pretty well,
at least at first.
But Jake wasn’t happy. We didn’t yet know it, but he needed
to be the alpha dog; he in fact needed to be the ONLY dog in the family. We
tried for nearly two years to help him fit in, but it was eventually clear
that it wasn’t going to work.
Toby was eleven at the time and Jake was challenging him
virtually every day. While there were no serious injuries, Jake was terrorizing
poor Toby and was drawing blood. Jake was also eating our house. Literally. When
left alone he would chew on anything and everything in sight. He even ate a
hole in the deck. Not the railing, but the floor of the deck itself.
We had to act. We sent an email to everyone in our address
books, trying to find Jake a new home. No one locally stepped up. No one
regionally stepped up. But then Theo, on the West Coast, wrote to say he was
interested. In December of 1999 we bought an airline-worthy dog crate and
booked Ransom and Jake on a flight to Seattle. I said my goodbyes, sad, but
relieved.
It turned out to be a match made in heaven. Jake had what he
needed and Theo had a wonderful, loyal and loving companion. For over thirteen years Theo and Jake were
bound together, living happily on their island. Ransom visited several times
and Jake was always happy to see him.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for Jake here in CT but am so
glad that we persisted and found Jake the home he needed. I am moved by Ransom’s
dedication to Jake and Theo and I am truly sorry for their loss. Even though I said goodbye all those years ago, I feel the loss too. He was a great dog.
Jake (1997-2013)
And here's a painting Theo did of his beloved friend
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