We adopted Jack from an animal shelter when he was 5 years old. Since he had aggression toward people and other animals, living in the shelter was uncomfortable both for him and for the people working there. At that time, my husband and I were volunteers, so we were able to find a way to connect with Jack, he started trusting us, and we decided to make him part of our family.

It was, of course, challenging, as he was a big and strong-willed dog, but both Jack and we overcame those challenges and reached a mutual understanding of love and respect. For us, Jack is not just a dog; he's a family member who taught us not to give up in difficult situations. In fact, he marked the start of our adult life, as we moved out of our student dorm just to bring him home.

He was incredibly strong too — right up until the end, he would walk up the stairs himself after walks, even on the day of his death, though it was very hard for him (we couldn’t carry him because the tumor in his spleen caused him pain).

So, thank you for giving us the opportunity to keep a part of our family close. It helps ease the pain of loss because it feels like he’s still with us.