To our little soldier, We brought you home to join your new family at 10 weeks old and right from the beginning you started to get into lots of mischief. We already had a Bichon Frise called Barney and you both loved each other from the start.
Your favourite time of the year was Christmas because not only did you love opening your presents but you opened everyone elses too.
You liked rides in the car but you loved walking around the park, stopping to sniff every blade of grass.
Barney had cancer and got very sick so we had to send him to Rainbow Bridge on 30th March 2006 when he was 16 years and 58 days old, he was so brave, like you.
After we lost him you pined so much you were ill, we took you to the vets and they advised us to get a puppy as a friend for you, so we bought Teddy a golden retriever puppy, but you didnt want to be friends with him, you just seemed to carry on pining.
Later Buddy, the Old English sheepdog joined our family and then little Thomas, another Bichon Frise arrived, you liked to play with him.
You have always had a bad back and at one point it was thought you would need surgery, but with medication and rest you recovered. You also had to have surgery on your eyes as you had something called cherry eye.
For the last couple of years or so you were on medication for ccd (Doggy Alzheimers) and it worked very well for a long time. Then a couple of months ago your original symptoms started again, and the vet recommended upping the dose of your medicine as it no longer seemed to be strong enough for you.
We then noticed you were bumping into things so we took you to the vet and he told us that you had gone blind in one eye and whilst you could see out of the other eye was clouding over, but there was nothing that could be done as it was down to old age.
Then you developed a mild heart murmur and kidney problems, the kidney problems were kept under control with medication.
But over the last few weeks you started to change in lots of ways, you didnt always want to go for walks although mostly you did but you got tired sometimes quite quickly so we bought you a doggy pushchair and a doggy shoulder sling. You didnt want to play with your brothers or with your toys very often, but you still come for your cuddles, you were so very loving.
Suddenly you started barking at walls during the day for no apparent reason and barking a good deal through the night, together with constant pacing you were unable to settle for several hours at a time. We took you to the vet where they prescribed something to make you sleep but it didnt work, so they upped the dose, that just made your little legs give way.
They then tried you on something else and the same thing happened. You didnt seem to know where you were so we had little night lights fitted all around the skirting board and in our bedroom where you slept so you could see.
We spoke to Uncle Robin, your vet, and he said it was only a matter of time before you got worse and we couldnt bear to see that. So on Friday 30th Sept 2011, we took you for your last walk around our village park.
We then made the heartbreaking journey to the vets, Uncle Robin was waiting, I held you in my arms as tightly as I could because you normally struggled at the vets, but you didnt struggle at all, maybe you knew it was your time to go and it was your way of telling us it was ok.
I told you how much we loved you and always would and you gently drifted off to sleep.
I wrote to Barney to tell him you were going to join him and asked him to look after you as I didnt want you to feel alone and afraid. I do hope he was there to meet you.
If you had lived another ten days you would have been 17 years old. Our hearts are broken, you were our little soldier
When we left the vets we took you to a private crematorium, and whilst we know you are in rainbow Bridge, we have your ashes in a beautiful casket next to barneys.
Please know Jack that we did what we did for you because we could not watch you suffer anymore, please understand.
We will love and remember you always, and wherever we go you will be with us in our hearts.
We have lit candles in our windows so you can find your way home.
We love you sweet angel and always will.
With all our love
Mummy Daddy,Laura,Teddy,Buddy and Thomas.
To our beautiful Baby Jack,
You left us 12 days ago now and we all miss you so much.
Two nights I have seen a really bright star in the sky and a slighly dimmer one just behind it, I wonder if it is you as the star shines into the bedroom where you always slept, and then I think that maybe the slightly dimmer one is Barney as I asked him to stay close and look after you..
I pray that you and Barney are together now and that you are happy and running around causing trouble again.,I also hope Ben and Bluey are with you.Look after each other and stay together, one day when it is our turn we will come find you all and nothing will every part us again.
Whilst you were drifting off to sleep I was telling you how much we all loved you I do hope you heard me,I held you so close,it broke our hearts to lose you Jack and I also pray that you understand why we did what we did, you had been so very brave.
We will love you forever and we will will Barney.Ben and Bluey.
Come visit us when you can.
God bless you.
Mummy xxxxxxxxx
God saw you getting tired,and a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around you and whispered "Come to me"
With tearful eyes we watched you
We saw you gently fade away
Whilst we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay
Your golden heart stopped beating
Your tired little body and paws now rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best..
We miss you so much Jack,
There wont be a light in the window at home for a few sleeps but you know where we will be, and the light will be there shining brightly for you and Barney to come and see us.
God bless you my precious little man,tell Barney, Ben and Bluey that we love and miss them too..
LOve you forever
Mummy Daddy Laura and your family. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx