~ Jake ~
Adopted November 2005
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Jake’s story is actually a “saga”.
July 2004 he was picked up by Animal Control in Blackwood NJ & listed as “Marco” [collie mix]. We pulled him from the shelter and went straight to the vet in Mt. Laurel. He was half starved, very sick with Kennel Cough, in need of major TLC … not to mention medical quarantine. But the vet said to “take him home, give him the medications, and just keep him isolated for a week or so”. Not possible when living with 2 other dogs in a small townhouse!!!
Once again, Carol K stepped up to the plate and cared for Marco … now renamed JAKE over the next 6 months as he slowly recovered his health and strength. Vet care and foster home evaluation during that time raised questions about former abuse. Jake’s neck and jaw showed evidence of old injury. Had he been tied to a tree or did someone hit/kick him? We’ll never know ~ but Carol was very protective/selective in finding the right home. She turned a number of people down for various reasons. Finally the right person seemed to come along and he went to his new home during the winter of 2005.
The next line should read "and they lived happily ever after". Not so….
Late spring of 2005, the owner contacted Carol & said Jake had growled & shown aggression towards her significant other. This was NOT like Jake at all. Carol did a repeat home visit and found a totally different environment. Without going into details, suffice it to say that Jake was removed from the home ~ adoption rescinded ~ and he was brought back to Mt. Laurel to be fostered for however long it took to figure out what had changed in his personality.
Whatever he’d been through had not made him aggressive or shy. He did not show bias towards people who looked a certain way [i.e., tall men, men with beards, people wearing hats, etc.]. He was always friendly and outgoing ~ a total extravert ~ he was, in short, an extremely gentle, calm, and wonderful dog.
Because he was SO well behaved, his foster mom took him to work with her almost every day. An ex-pen was used to extend her office space, allowing him to see folks coming into the main office. He greeted everyone with a wagging tail and was soon very popular with staff and visitors alike. Friendly with everyone, he did have a few “favorites” however, and as soon as he saw “his special people”, that long & bushy tail would be going a mile a minute. If not petted immediately, he’d whine like his heart was going to break. Our Jake could really work a room, as they say.
Things happen for a reason ….. A guest lecturer from across campus stopped by one day to take a look at the auditorium in preparation for his class. Jake was being his usual adorable self ~ and just happened to be standing right next to the “I’m for adoption” sign on his ex-pen. Well, the visitor was completely won over and made arrangements for an extended meeting, adoption application review, etc. etc. Things looked very promising, but given the earlier fiasco, it was decided to do a series of sleepovers, starting with a day or so, then longer as Jake and his [hopefully] new parents got to know each other. Was really cute ~ Jake went visiting with his own bed, toys, food and gates … like he was going off to camp. Then he’d come back to his foster mom for 3-5 days, go “camping” again ….
What were we looking for? The day when Jake arrived at "camp", hopped out of his foster mom’s car, ran up the steps to the front door and was so obviously “home” that it was no longer a camp visit .... He was going to be with his new mom and dad .
As I write this, it’s been 20 months since Jake was adopted by his “really forever” family. We occasionally see him on campus walking with his “dad”, and they’ve stopped by the office a few times as well. I’d like to think he remembers all of us. But even if he doesn’t, there is no mistaking how happy he is, how much he loves his family and is loved in return ~ the joy in his eyes speaks volumes.
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| Jake and Buddy |
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| just look at that smile !! |
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| Jake, Buddy and "The Princess" |
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August 20, 2009 we received this sad message......
Dear Linda,
I hope this message reaches you doing well.
I have some sad news: Cara and I had to put Jake to sleep a few days ago. He had lost complete control of his back legs, we think because of neurological reasons, and while we were able to manage his pain for the last year, Jake just wasn’t able to even lift himself off the ground towards the end.
He went very peacefully and seemed to be at rest, and painful though it was, we think we made the right decision for Jake. We trust his four years with us were happy ones, and we are so thankful to you and the entire rescue society community for bringing him into our lives.
Sincerely yours,
Dave
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we are so sorry to hear about Jake.
Carol Kukulya and I always referred to him as “our Jakey”….. he has held a special place in our hearts since we first met him in 2004. We always said that he couldn’t have found a more loving home than when he found Dave & Cara.
We cannot thank them enough for giving Jake a forever home. I have no doubt that they were the happiest years in his entire life !!
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