ACTION JACKSON

 

A couch and a bone and life is good

In honor of those who work for or volunteer with the many outstanding nonprofit organizations that make our world a better place, I wanted to share a story on Colorado Gives Day - -as a reminder to encourage generosity.

In October 2016 four German Shepherd mix puppies were transferred to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley from Texas.  As the puppies played, the smallest, Joey, struggled to keep up and fell ill.  

An ultrasound showed Joey had a life-threatening heart condition that restricted his esophagus.  HSBV provided corrective surgery to Joey via its partnership with the Colorado State University (CSU) Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  Joey spent two months recovering in a foster home and then appeared on HSBV’s adoption page.  HSBV described him as a bit of an alarmist and a great snuggler.

I had lost my Labrador best friend at age 16 earlier in the year and was looking for a dog to adopt.  Joey’s story captivated me.  He was initially “on hold” but became available as other potential adopters were concerned with his health history. I spoke to a friend who is a veterinarian about Joey’s history and she gave it a 50/50 probability that Joey would fully recover.

Joey was quite puny when we brought him home.  A 4-month old German Shepherd mix weighing only 10 pounds.  We spoon fed him for many months to ensure he didn’t choke on his food.  I renamed him “Jackson” because I wanted him to grow into a healthy and active dog  - from Joey to “Action Jackson”.

The short story is that Jackson prospered.  His health issues dissipated and then seemed to disappear.  He is a sweet, active and loving dog.  He has his little bucket of insecurities, especially as relates to other dogs (except his adopted sister Delilah) – probably due to the fact that he spent some formative months in close human care as he recovered.  He truly loves people and is every bit the “snuggling alarmist” he was advertised to be.  Today he is a lean and muscular 65 pounds.

The bond we have with pets is an amazing thing.  During the summer of 2021 I suffered a loss that left me reeling.  On the Saturday of the July 4th weekend I was really struggling as one can when the mind gets overly active and pessimistic.  In a bit of tired despair I threw myself into an afternoon nap on the couch, with Jackson in his nearby bed.  I awoke some time later to find that Jackson had wedged his way in between me and the back of the couch.  Oozing into tight places is one of his super powers.  He had a front paw on the back of my shoulder as if to remind me he was there for me. 

When I think about it, there is an amazing set of circumstances that brought Jackson into my life.  His rescue in Texas, his being at HSBV when he became ill, the care and love he received that saved his life, the potential adopters that passed over him.  I thank HSBV every day in my heart for its role in Jackson’s path to me.

Support a cause that you care about and the people in your community that make the world a better place.

Fall in the Rockies