As I sit here watching a show on television my faithful friend and companion for the last eleven years stretches his aging and arthritic legs. He’s enjoying the simple peace and quiet after the grandkids have gone home. A twelve year old Black Labrador and German Shepard cross is a pretty big dog and Labradors don’t live as long as a Shepard, so we’re hoping that he’ll be around awhile longer. His left rear leg spasms just a little before he settles. His condition is particularly bad in cold below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Jake was a drop off close to our house on the south edge of Eldora. A steel choke chain collar was stuck in his neck that had grown so big so fast that whoever owned him couldn’t get it off. He was going to die. So we saved him. My neighbor, Tim Hoy, is a big Irishman with hands like a catcher’s mitt. I couldn’t cut off the hardened steel collar, but Tim made short work of it saving young Jake’s life.
With every dog comes a promise that I won’t get so close, this time. Unfortunately, it’s a promise I’ve never been able to keep. We are tied to each other by a bond of life and experiences shared. He just about got me killed when he was running along as I was x-country skiing years ago. It was a long fast downhill on a slash hillside road. There was a big bare spot at the south facing end where the sun melted all the snow. I knew where I had to do my skidded stop and just when I got there, old dog, Jake was standing right where I needed to slam my stop. I hit a tree next to him rather than hit him. That was a concussion and a trip to the ER. Who in that hospital hasn’t saved my life?
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
