Remembering Jakey Todd

Well, it finally happened.

We put Jake to sleep today at around noon.  He had been really going downhill quick.  He hadn't eaten for 4 days, had been getting sick, and wasn't even able to get outside to go to the bathroom.

After we talked to the vet, he confirmed he probably had cancer and there was a really big (almost the size of a softball) tumor in his tummy.  He also had a lot of fluid in his stomach which was causing him a lot of discomfort.  The cancer had likely spread and even if we chose to drain the fluid from his stomach, it would've just been a temporary band-aid and could've only gotten us anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks longer with him.

We thought it would be selfish to prolong his discomfort any longer, and we chose to put him down.  He has always been such a great dog, it was a very hard decision for Brian and I.  We made sure Colin said his good-byes to Jakey this morning, giving him lots of hugs and kisses.  That's what makes us the most sad...not having Colin's buddy around.  

Reasons why we LOVE Jakey:
*how whenever I was crying, he would come over to my side, and just sit there patiently, waiting for me to pet him and help comfort me - he even did this as I was crying my eyes out at the vet making one of the hardest decisions ever - always putting others first

* how he woke Brian and I up when the tornado was just about to hit our house 3 years ago (then practically shoved me out of the way getting downstairs cause he wanted to get down there first!)

*he was so mild-mannered with Colin, letting him climb all over him and pull his tail

*he loved going on walks and going for rides in the car
*how terrified he was of thunderstorms, especially at night, sitting right by the bed and panting directly in our face for hours

*how he would frequently get his collar stuck in the register vent at night, and bark very quietly to wake us up and help him out - and how he practically spent 90% of his day laying on the register vents

*when Colin was a baby, he would lay in his room at night and protect him

*he loved to chew on rocks outside and would lay for hours outdoors if we'd let him

*he'd do pretty much anything for a treat

*he was always so nervous to walk on our hardwood floors, then he'd slip and slide all over the place
*how he would run like the wind whenever the vacuum was pulled out

*he let Colin play with all of his toys and didn't seem to mind - such a patient dog!

*everytime he was let out at Grammie & Grandad's house, he would run around the perimeter of the fence, trying to find a way out of the yard

*when on the loose, he would always run to the creek and get all muddy

*he would smile at me while I was brushing him or clipping his toenails

*he had the WORST breath ever

*you could tell exactly what he was thinking with all of his different facial expressions

*he flunked out of obedience school, but was always such a behaved doggy for us

*he was the best dog with our kids, teaching Colin responsibility and unconditional love

Some pics of Colin (about 1 year old) and Jakey (about 12 years old):

We will always remember you Jake.  Thanks for being such a great dog and a loving member of our family!