Jake: August 4, 2005-June 20, 2009

June 20, 2009 was a very sad day for us.  Jake, our sweet dog, was put to sleep.  :(  Before Jake turned a year old, he had both hips replaced.  He did well with them for about two years.  In June 2008, he had an infection in the right hip.  The only option then was to have the hip removed.  He was never back to a normal, healthy dog, but he would play and was happy.  In May 2009, he developed another infection in the bone that was really bad.  He got to the point that he wouldn't eat so we had to take him to the vet and have an IV put in him.  He overcame the infection and we brought him home.  We have a feeling that even then he was not feeling well.  He never pulled out any toys and would occasionally howl which was very unusual for him.  Friday, June 19, he began limping really bad and by the 20th he could hardly walk.  We felt that the only thing left to do was to have him put to sleep.  He was in pain and was never going to be healed completely.  It was a very difficult decision to make, but we know that ultimately he's better off.  

While we were at the vet's office, Raleigh was so sweet!  She would pet Jake and love on him.  She even started blowing him kisses!  It was really sad when we got back in the car and she kept calling his name.  We are very thankful for the time that we had Jake in our lives.  He was always into something...eating my lesson plans, towels, washcloths, bike socks or gloves, diapers, etc.  You name it, he probably ate it!  Jake would eat washcloths so much that he recognized the hydrogen peroxide bottle when we brought it out!  Jake became very fearful of snakes or anything that resembled a snake!  The summer of 2007 he was bit in the nose by a Copperhead snake that was in our driveway!  Luckily his nose was tough and he didn't have a strong reaction.  Despite all the trouble he got in to, he was our "first child" as we waited on a baby to come into our lives, he loved us unconditionally, and he was a gentle, loving dog to Raleigh.  We couldn't have chosen another one any sweeter than him!