I didn't mean to write a book but its an amazing true story and I simply could not leave any of it out.

As you read this, remember that before he came to live with us, Jack had never been inside a house.

Jack was a pretty dog, that for years belonged to our neighbors, Barbara and Kenneth. He used to go to the body shop next door to them, every day, and steal a tool to bring home to Kenneth. Of course Kenneth returned them every day! He was Kenneth's constant shadow with every step he took and their special bond was unbreakable!

Jack barked at everyone who came near their driveway, but has never been known to bite anyone or even snap. He has always been a bluff, but a good watch dog! He watched their house all night, but also watched our house and Barbara’s sister’s house next door to them. If anything or anyone came near any one of our houses, he’d let us know in a loud series of barks that would scare even the worst intruders away, people, other dogs, rabbits, birds, squirrels, a shadow, the wind. You could count on Jack to bark all night, every night!

In all these years, Jack never came in our yard. He barked and growled at us like he was going to tear into us when we pulled into our own driveway, but he never got close enough to bite and never set foot in our yard. He and our Australian Shepherd, (Cookie Goodpuppy Brundige) were friends and met every day at the edge of the road by our house after Cookie's chores at the horse barn were done.

Some things change over time, and so did Jack. I don’t recall him ever going to our barn, or anywhere on our property so Cookie must have told him that her barn chores included chasing her barn cats, geese, chickens and ducks out of the way at feeding time, eating a little cat food and horse feed, then putting the horses in their stalls to eat and turning them back out to pasture after their meal was finished.

Time passed and they met at the edge of the road daily, but that was as close as Jack got to us for about 12 years.
Kenneth adored his dog but Barbara wasn't fond of animals, so that's why Jack was never allowed in their house.

When Jack was 12, Kenneth passed away and left Jack with no man in his life. Then in December, the same year, Cookie had a stroke and died. So, Jack had no man and Joe had no dog.

Loosing Cookie was a sad time, and Joe told me how badly it was going to hurt to bury his “barn helper”, so I told him I would bury her. He went off to work and I started the gruesome task at hand. I felt that I was being watched and when I turned around, there was Jack IN THE YARD about 10 feet behind me, quietly watching. He made no attempt to bark or growl at me as he usually did, he just watched.

That afternoon, when Joe came in from work, he started out the back door to go to the barn and something was against the storm door. It was Jack. Joe asked what Jack was doing in our yard and I told him what happened. He stepped out the door and Jack made no attempt to show any of his usual threats. He followed Joe to the barn and did ALL of Cookie's chores exactly as she had always done them.

He did that every day and never missed a trip to the barn to do what were now “his chores". He always looked forward to his rewards, a little cat food and a little horse feed, just like Cookie did.

It was funny to watch him bring the horses in. He did another thing that Cookie always did. When the mares came through the gate toward the barn, he grabbed hold of the tail of one and would ski in behind her.

Whenever I would leave the house, I'd always return to find him waiting and wagging with our other two, anxious to see what kind of treat I brought them, because I never returned home without some kind of treat. He looked as if he were smiling from ear to ear and saying, “OK, now where’s my treat? I know you have it, so give it to me.....NOW!”

Over time, Jack has made other changes that amaze us! One day after going to the barn for about a year and a half, it was around 100 degrees with the heat index and Jack was panting in the heat. When they came up from the barn, Jack pushed right by Joe into the house. Remember? This dog had never been inside a house?
I told Joe this would NOT work. I just knew the first thing he'd do would be to wet all over the front of the couch or the recliners.

Well, by now the next part shouldn't surprise anyone.

Jack proceeded to lay on a doggie bed in the den and go to sleep... OK, says I... I will watch him closely and let him out the minute he wakes up, right? The joke was on me! When he got up about 2 hours later, he headed straight for the door and RANG THE BRASS CARRIAGE BELLS that hung down on a jute rope from the knob, put there for my 2 dogs to ring when they needed to go out.That day he became a house dog.

If it was really hot or cold, he'd just go out to potty and right back in except at feeding time and after four years here, the fact that he could hardly get around any more didn't keep him from RUNNING to the barn.
Remember the old saying "I hear your Mama calling you"? Forget it. It never worked with Jack! He never went back home. He lived with us for 4 years.

He had a good life, that dog! He was never mistreated a day in his life and never had to know that abuse happens to dogs the world over, every day.

Now, for "the rest of the story". Totally unbelievable!!!
On July 23, Joe and I went grocery shopping. He was on one aisle in the store abd I was over in the next. I looked up and there stood a man, just standing, staring at me. I spoke and he never spoke nor moved, just stood staring. Joe came around into the aisle where I was and I whispered "look behind me and tell me who you see". He looked shocked and said "Oh my gosh, it's Kenneth." For some reason...I have NO idea why, I said "I think he wants his dog. The man disappeared. Pretty well shook us both up!
When we got home Jack could not walk. He couldn't use his back legs at all.

Jack could not get up to make the trip to the barn that was his daily passion since he came to live with us. Right then we knew we would not let him suffer He went to the bridge the next day.

Kenneth was his first love and his dog is buried out by his garage, the place he loved to be with Kenneth for so many years.