Jack

Molly and Jack

Jack Alexander (or at least that's what I called him), was a brown and white English Springer Spaniel, with a nubby tail and three spots down the side of his muzzle. Every year for my birthday I wished for a dog, and the year it came true I was 6 years old. A toe-headed and chubby cheeked girl, I was overjoyed to see this bright pup appear at my door one Wednesday regular afternoon in the hands of a stranger. My dad had surprised us with the newest addition to our family, Jack. We must have sat on the floor watching him bop around for hours as he chewed and destroyed everything, yet it was still endearing and excusable (definitely something I could have never gotten away with). This is the day I fell in love with dogs, more specifically my dog Jack. The next 12 years of my life were spent every day with Jack, attempting to put him on a leash and failing miserably, and crying by the window while watching my father drive away on a hunting trip with my best canine friend. We played sword fight, attempted to play dress-up, and despite the fact he always ate my Easter candy every year, I still loved him. As the years passed, Jack got weaker as he and I both grew older. Being a spaniel, he had developed many allergy problems, some inexplicable and bad smelling, but none the less he was still my favorite. Despite his problems, he was still chipper, and always chasing squirrels. He never left my father's side and was never afraid to peak his nose up onto my bed in the wee hours of the morning. June of 2008, a couple days after my birthday, Jack was put to sleep. His medications had become too expensive for our family to afford and his pain seemed to grow, draining his usual cheerful character. To this day, I will never forget those droopy and adorable eyes, those three perfect dots, and his short nubby tail wagging with just the call of his name. My dad buried him in his favorite place, our camp in Middlebury, VT, where Jack was never afraid to get dirty, yet his white booted paws always remained untouched by anything. Today, Jack Alexander is the reason I am an Animal Science Major at the University of Vermont. My passion for pets has carried from one animal to another, and nothing warms my heart more than the sight of a dog, any dog at all. It's pets like Jack that change lives, remind us every day that when life gets you down, you'll always have that one friend that loves you no matter what you look like, no matter your economic status or beliefs. The blind loyalty never fails.