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A few years ago we decided to get our first Jack Russell. While visiting friends my daughter came back to the house with this most adorable little Jack puppy in her arms. At only 8 weeks old he had been dumped at their farm and left. Well that just did it to me. The next morning when I went to pick her up at the friend's house we also managed to come home with the puppy. Diesel was a crazy little guy that grew into a crazy adult. Last Christmas we decided that it was time to get a friend for Deisel so after a month of looking we found the perfect little girl. We took our son to pick her out and then started the long two week wait until she was ready to leave her mom. Shella then came to join our home in early January. She was even crazier than Deisel and would put him in his place in a heart beet. The two dogs very soon became inseparable. They even had to sleep in the same crate or one would cry all night for the other.
May 22 changed for us forever. Ihad tied the two dogs out on the side yard like I normally do in the mornings while getting the kids ready for school. Suddenly Shella started barking like crazy. I looked out and found that Deisel had gotten off his leash. (nothing new) I sent the kids out to go and get him.. All off a sudden my son came screaming in the house saying Deisel had been hit by a car. I got down the street and found my daughter on the ground with Deisel in her arms. I knew as soon as I got to him it was to late and he was not going to make it. The poor little stinker held on until my daughter went back to our house with a friend.. We loved this crazy little guy with all our hearts. It was especially hard for my daughter since this little man was always with her .
Within 12 hours of loosing our Deisel we knew we had to get another dog right away. Shella also started to shut down and was almost rushed to the vet for fluids because she would not eat or drink. All she did was lay in his crate. We also got very lucky becuase after posting in a few places a very nice couple e-mailed me that they had a 1 year old male that urgently needed a home. So I took Shella and my daughter to meet him.. Shella instantly perked up as soon as she saw Cpt. Jack. After 2 hours he was on his way home with us.
Also since loosing Diesel we decided to become a foster home with Jack Russell Rescue. One day I got a call to see if I could take on a very challenging boy. Silly me couldn't say no.. So the next day Sarah (my dd) and I along with the dogs took the long 5 hour drive to go and meet Forrest. Crazy did not start to explain this boy. He was so hyper that I thought his head would spin off. WE LOVED HIM!!!! After spending a few hours we heading the 5 hours back home with Jack #3 in the car.
After getting Forrest home we realized why he was so crazy. The poor dog was scared to death!! We could not pet him or we would get snapped at. I did some research and found out that he had been given up from his original owners for unknown reasons. He was taken to the humane society where he was about to put to sleep because of agression. Someone got the idea that he could be saved and placed him with a rescue group. They in turn placed him with an older couple who really couldn't look after him properly. He was not walked past his front lawn for over 14 months. Forrest has also at some time been badly abused, hence his aggression issues..
Well Forrest may have been stubborn but he was no match for Sarah. She soon found out that he loved water and would go flying off the dock after anything. He would dive off jsut to dive off!!! In Aug we took the kids and all 3 dogs to a Dock Diving event just to see what would happen.. Well Forrest couldn't get enough. While he wasn't jumping as far as we hoped he was in heaven. His biggest jump was just over 9 feet... It didn't take much for Sarah to start working and training him to go further. A few weeks later we found ourselves in Barrie at our first National event. It was there that Forrest really showed that he was born with springs. By Saturday he qualifyed for his first finals with a jump of 18 feet. Unfortunatly Saturday he also took a bad fall off the dock. In turn he also managed to bite Sarah pretty bad on the hand.. The drive they both had didn't stop them though. Sunday Sarah still jumped him in the finals. Poor Forrest just couldn't do it though and finished the weekend with a jump of 11 feet... After 14 days of crate rest the pair where on their way to London where Forrest again proved us all wrong. The first weekend he finished with a jump of over 19 feet!!!! And also finished 3rd int he pro finals.. The next weekend he did it all again and decided that he was going to be top dog and steel the show. HE BROKE THE CANADIAN LAP DOG RECORD!!!!! He jumped a huge jump of 20 feet 6 inches.. !!!! He also finished 4th in the pro finals and earned his first step to a Master's title.. The last event for the season was in Pickering. All the big jumpers where there.. Forrest again pulled out his springs and jumped not one but two 20 foot jumps to place him 4th in the pro finals again. He was dubbed the little lap dog who could..
A few weeks ago we again packed up all the dogs and took a trip to Pittsburgh Pa to jump for the first time with Ultimate Air Dogs.. We had the smallest dogs there and Forrest was not about to let the big dogs take all the glory. All weekend he was jumping 19-20 feet!!! Sunday there was also a film crew there from Japain. Forrest was the dog they wanted the most. Him and Sarah ended up the weekend pulling out of the feather weight class(little dogs) and jumping with the Master Jumpers. !! They finished last in their group but no one cared.. All they saw was a 13 year old kid and her little dog running witht he big boys.
Since Diving. Forrest has really changed. He has gone from a terrified dog who we couldn't touch to a lovable goofball. All it took was my daughter's stubborn nature and her willingness to never give up on him.
We are now waiting to hear test result to see if Forrest has lymphoma. We are also considering adding #4 to the pack. We may just have a nother rescue story to add. |
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I keep meaning to add to Forrest's story
Since posting Forrest's story we have found that he does have lymphoma. This diagnosis is not slowing him down at all .. He is still out there proving everyone wrong. He is responding extreamly well to medication and his life expectancy at this time has gone from 3 months to unknown. He also is showing that yes he may have cancer but that is not going to stop him from doing what he loves best.. He has been racing not once but twice and just had to show everyone how he is not going down without a fight! This includes a major jug of war that ended after 6 people and 20 min of fighting to get a lure from his grip. In December him and Sarah will be diving once again with Ultimate Air Dogs. This is a very special event because it is being held for rescue animals just like him. We truly believe that with his fight to live and Sarah by his side there is nothing this little guy can't beat. |
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