Share Your Story: Jake

dachshund/terrier mix

About 18 years ago I was having a “heart to heart” with the powers that be, doing what every young woman does, requesting a mate . I was wanted someone who would love me unconditionally, be strong, stand by me, never run away or be afraid of my inner strength, be handsome and debonair and always protect me. The lesson I learned from that request was to be VERY specific about what you’re asking for. That wish did come true…. in the form of a dog! Anyone who knew or ever met Jake knew he was all of those things and then some. He saved my life more than once and was as devoted to me as I was to him to the very end.

I am FOREVER grateful for the gift he was in my life! WE vacationed, traveled, played and had some great memories together. Jake was a rescued dog that AARF had difficulty placing, and hesitated showing me, stating that he wasn’t too welcoming to new people. I decided to give it a go anyway and drove out to Hanover to check him out. When I arrived at the foster home, a dachshund/terrier mix “little man” came prancing over from the backyard, tail wagging, and when I opened my car door to get out, he hopped right in as if to say “Let’s go!”. It took me and his foster mother off guard who didn’t hesitate to let me take him home that day.

We did have our trials as he didn’t like ANY other dogs (with the exception of maybe five) and his health was always in check due to disk dysplasia. I thought I’d almost lost him once before in Pittsburgh because the pain was so bad they admitted him to the vet hospital for three-days to calm him and allow the disk to slip back into place (anyone with dachshunds knows what I’m talking about). When one of his episodes would flare up, it would break my heart, his cries sounding like that of a wounded baby seal. But, I wouldn’t have traded him for the world!

In February of 2006, I was at my wits end with him. In the past few months, he had begun urinating throughout the apartment. I initially dismissed it, thinking it was due to moving to a new place and marking his territory, but it progressively became worse and was uncharacteristic of him. I took him to my vet, Dr. Mark out at Wellesley Animal Hospital, for a check up to see if there was anything more going on. It was then that I received the news that I wasn’t prepared for.

Dr. Mark found a mass in his colon during an exam. It turned out Jake had colon cancer. They gave me the even more crushing news that at best, he would have 4-6 months. I was devastated! I felt like I had somehow done something wrong, not taken care of him and now I was letting him down. Dr. Mark assured me that wasn’t the case and that things like this just simply ‘happen’. Not being able to afford surgery, nor knowing what options there were, we decided on prescriptions to hopefully reduce the mass and medication for pain management. Unfortunately, the mass didn’t go away. Over the next few months, Jake slowly deteriorated, losing muscle mass and weight and my once strapping, young man was in pain, had difficulty walking and was wearing a doggie diaper most of the time.

In the last month, he was having renal difficulty. I took him out to the bathroom one morning and his urine was a startling crimson. In a panic, I called Dr. Mark and brought him right in. I sat there in shock as Dr. Mark told me that he’d had a long fight, but it was ‘time’. The most DIFFICULT decision I ever had to make was choosing to end his pain. I thought I had more time, but his body decided otherwise. On June 5, 2006, Jake quietly passed away in my arms at the vet’s office. That final moment tore my heart open. All at once I felt such a flood of emotion- loss, grief, relief and love. Part of me felt like I had given up on him, yet I was constantly reassured I had made the right choice (and, I still cry to this day thinking about it).

At 15, he led a great life and was pretty pampered; ask my friends. He enjoyed being the “co-pilot” in the car and went with me on business trips and vacations. Being the ‘gentleman’ he was, he was the ONLY canine guest welcome at two of the Inns I frequented. In many cases, on my business travels, the inn keepers appeared to be more eager to see HIM again than me. In fact, the same went for the vets and assistants at Wellesley, who had known him ‘back in the day’ as a patient at Lakeside Animal Hospital. He’s the only dog I’ve ever know who was actually happy to go see the vet. He’d prance on in the door and to the exam room looking up at everyone, almost as if saying “Hey there!…. How are you?…. And you too?…. Nice to see ya again!”.

Jake holds a place of honor on a shelf in my room: his urn, a photo of him, his paw print and “Pooka” (bear) are there looking over and still protecting me. I have two new additions, though they will never replace him. Sophie is my “little girl” and ever fragile and genteel. She entered my life a month before Jake left me (another rescue, this time from Richmond City Animal Control). Timing is everything and with out her precious little poodle face, I don’t think I could have made it through the months that came after. And then there’s Basil (another dachshund/terrier mix)… all I can say is that for his cute and cuddly qualities, he is definitely the “trouble child” who tests me daily and is no Jake. But Jake will ALWAYS be a part of my heart.

In November of 2006, I came across an ad in Style for a grass roots organization that was starting up, Fetch a Cure. When I read about their organization, I KNEW that I had to help out in anyway I could- in Jake’s memory. I wish that the information and assistance they offer today had been readily available when Jake was diagnosed. But, so many lives can be changed now because of the love and support of so many people like myself who have lost a beloved family member and the founders here at Fetch.

Survivor Stories

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