On May 25, 2022, at 12:30pm – Baby Jake passed. I miss my little boy… I miss how he would lay on his pillow in the corner of my bedroom – watching to make sure all was well; I miss how he kept Kaiden “in line” and played/chased him; I miss how he would run outside to the back… look across the yard to the neighbor’s yard and look for “Oscar” – then once seeing him they would run back and forth along the fence line barking at each other; I miss taking him to the hill; I miss him.

He had three grand mal seizures… one at 4:30a, one at 7:00a and the final one started at 10:00a. It wouldn’t stop… in spite of emergency meds given twice by me and once at MedVet. They finally got it to stop by sedating him. His temperature had risen to 108 degrees. We decided to let Baby Jake go as the seizure had lasted over an hour… the damage – they said – could be tremendous to both his brain and his organs. If it was a brain tumor – and I think it was by how he was acting the last week – it had encroached on serious parts of his brain. I don’t know if he suffered when he was seizing… but I couldn’t take the chance.

Kaiden and I were there. I held him… told him how much I loved him and thanked him for being with me for 16 years.

It took some time to put our memories together in a video to ease the passing but I just couldn’t do it and I couldn’t figure out why… In reflecting – I discovered that his passing marked “the end of an era” for me. I was so very blessed with four sweet pups at one time – Shadow (born 2001), Misty (born 2004), Baby Jake (born 2006) and Sir Lukas (born 2008)- and they have all passed. Baby Jake was the last of my babies. Baby Jake came to EVERY trial with me from 2017 on. He wasn’t a lover of agility… – and retired twice (2010 and 2018) but couldn’t stand to be home alone (he would howl so mourning and escape the fence)… so he came. He was the protector of the house… and was a kind, gentle leader after Shadow passed. I miss you Baby Jake as does Kaiden… It’s been 43 years since the last time I have had only one pup! I so look forward to the time when I see you again!