Jack

Austin is 11 and Matthew is almost 10. We have had three dogs in their lifetime.

First was Bull, he was a Boston Terrier and pretty much an old man by the time the boys got here. I inherited him from my grandparents. He was an incredibly sweet dog. He got old, got sick - was deaf and blind in one eye, had a heart murmur and very bad arthritis. It was a hard decision, but we had him put to sleep when the children were still very young.


Then there was Champ. We got him when I was pregnant with Austin. A very large dog, he was Mastiff-Boxer mix. The boys grew up knowing Champ, though he never really played much with them. Champ was content to just lie around in the sun. He got very sick with what the doctors thought was cancer, and we had him put to sleep Christmas of 2008.


And there was Jack. Jack entered our family when the boys were young. He was about a year or so old and fit in perfectly with everyone. He was a Golden Retriever and a wonderful dog. Here was the playful dog that all boys need - never too tired to play fetch or run with you. Very protective and tremendously loving. We had Jack for a little over 9 years. He was starting to get a little gray and was slower to move around in the mornings, but once he got going you would think he was still a puppy.

Jack passed away two nights ago. It appears that he had a heart attack. It was very sad when the first two dogs passed away, but they were sick and we had a chance to come to terms with it and say good-bye. With Jack, it was so sudden there was no good-bye. I think that is what has hit us the most. That combined with we have always had a dog since the boys have been alive. The house seems a little lonelier now. I don't think I realized just how much a part of the family he was. Jack, you will be missed.