Jake was a dog who gave new meaning to the term "mild mannered." He was an exceedingly
sweet chocolate Lab who died in his foster home on May 4, 2003.
I was on phone duty in September of 2001 when Jake's owner called about him. She had
adopted Jake from Dick and Luanne about 6 years earlier and she loved him dearly, but
she had been in a bad car accident and could not take care of him any more. We took Jake
back and he lived in the Geriatric Room for the next year or so, with Moose, Thumper, and
Maggie. He sure liked that doggie door! All he wanted was to sit and be petted or brushed.
He was a big, loveable guy. Over time, his three roommates found forever homes, but when
the Appyland Kennels closed down Jake was left all alone. We took him home and he lived
with us for seven months until he died of natural causes at the age of 13.
We think he enjoyed his time with us. He loved to go for walks and we had to restrain him
so he didn't overdo and get too tired. His arthritic hips slowed him down, but he insisted
on climbing the stairs every night to sleep at the foot of our bed. With some dietary
supplements, his coat became a gorgeous chestnut brown and he seemed happy. The highlight
of his time with us was when we took him to the HOTLR Reunion and he surprised us by
jumping into the lake and swimming like a 2-year-old. He even tried to retrieve a post
that was sticking up out of the water! He loved seeing all his old volunteer buddies at
the reunion and meeting new friends.
Over the next four weeks, however, he slowed down more and more. He stopped wanting to go
for walks. One Saturday we came home from shopping and he did not greet us at the door
with his big brown nose. We found him on the living room floor, unconscious and breathing
hard. We stayed with him until he died early the next morning.
We miss his cheerful face. Strange how such a quiet dog can leave such a vacant spot in a
home. Lucy, our adopted HOTLR dog, misses him too.
Janet Smith