This is Jack...

The beginnings...

Four years ago, my boyfriend and I decided to try to foster a dog from the local shelter after having successfully fostered several cats...

*Please don't judge my syntax or spelling, my native language is French :P

The "worst" dog at the shelter

Since the workers knew me from months of volunteering, the suggested I worked with a dog named Jack.

(Him and I ready to rule the streets)

No Jack! Don't eat that!

Poor Jack spent his two first years of his life tied outside by himself. He didn't know his name, wasn't house trained, had no focus, was really skinny, had SEVERE separation anxiety and had wayyyy too much energy. He had been adopted previously, but returned due to all his issues

Good boy Jack!

Since he had so much love to give, we took him in immediately to foster. After our suggested 3 weeks with him (with the help of our other dog Mugen), he was kenneled trained, knew all his basic commands and asked to go outside.

Foster Fail...

We brought him back like we were supposed to after the suggested time. 48 hours later, after all my and Mugen's moping around, we decided to go in and adopt him.

That's when he jumped into our lives

So, we were a family. We would go hiking,

swimming,

surfing,

He was trying to climb on the paddle board, so I helped him up and this was the result!

more swimming,

playing in the snow,

you name it!

He was the happiest dog alive!

Chilling at our camp

He was my cuddle bug and we went everywhere together.

But then the bad news...

In September 2014, I came home to a dog that wasn't Jack. His face was swollen, he had very little energy and would barely eat (which was his favorite pastime). We learned that he had lymphoma (cancer) and, without treatment, would only live for a few weeks if that.

The only option we had was chemo which would only prolong his life by maybe 6-9 months. It wasn't a cure.

*He is just sleeping in this picture

Chemo

The treatments where 2.5 hours away, but since he would have VERY little side effect (1 day of nausea in 6 months of treatments) and that he seemed to love life too much and that he was only 4 and half, we decided to try chemo.

This if him with his wig. Fur loss was NOT a side effect, but a wig seemed fitting for his first day of chemo.

No side effect!!

On his meds, he had basically no side effects, so he was as happy and energetic during all his treatments.

Ok... One side effect...

This is him in his Radioactive Dog uniform. His poo and pee were radioactive during his treatment.

Life went on

We continued living and cuddling,

Adventure times!

We made sure to go on even more adventures to make sure he could enjoy all the time he had left.

Cuddles!!!

Obviously mandatory and multiplying as time went on

And farts...

My mom took this picture at the exact time that Jack farted and I was laughing my head off.

Who's a good boy?

Jack's a good boy!

The final fight!

This is him at his last chemo treatment. He is wearing shorts and "boxing gloves" with a towel. We walked into the vet's office with the Rocky theme song since he was wining at his fight against cancer (well, as much as he can against a terminal cancer...)

So, 6 months had passed...

And still tumor free!

My birthday

This is us last May celebrating my 28th Bday. I didn't think I would have him with me, so that was my best birthday present.

Buddies!

Jack and our third dog, Arthas.

Cuddling

I guess that's what this is :/

Goof ball of a dog

Wearing my zebra sweater

Moving

So... this is in November, 15 months after being told that he had 6 to 9 months to live (with the treatments). We were moving into our new house and he was scared that we would leave him behind (YEAH RIGHT DOGGY!)

An abscess :(

Mid-November, his face swelled up again. The tumors were coming back and caused an abscess. The swelling did go down with new drugs, but that was the first sign of the end... We were given 2 months of pills. The vet was being optimistic... :(

Only 2 months, yeah right!!

Jack just loved proving the vets wrong and surpassing his lifespan. Still with no side effect other than being more thirsty and hungry (two of his favorite things), he showed absolutely no signs of suffering. He was happy, outgoing, loving, eating with gusto and enjoying life.

And then...

On April 7th, after another day running after the ball and cuddling happily, he couldn't get up on the bed at night...

Something happened that night and he crashed. He woke up the next morning with no energy, not wanting to eat and panting... We called the vet knowing that his fight was over... The vet said that she could run tests, but we knew there was no point. He was done fighting and we were ready to say goodbye (well, as ready as we could be)...

He gave us an extra 19 months with him. He didn't suffer for more that a few hours. I loved him soooo much and I am grateful for all the time that he gave us.

Last night...

I had a dream that he was back. His face was swollen like the picture above, but he was happy, energetic and loving like he always was. I got to hug him one more time. The dream was REALLY lifelike, but I was still aware that it was a dream. I woke up feeling him in my arms.

I saw another post of someone dreaming about their dog on the front page, that's what gave me the courage to make my first post about my buddy. Luckily, I was happy waking up because I know he would want me to be happy like he was.

Thank you Jack for being the best dog at the shelter, for coming into our lives even if it was just for a few years in your young life. We love you puppy and we miss you <3