JAKE
Foreword
by Leona Grady
I received a call one morning in August from Rock Springs, WY about a "two year old" Springer who was going to be put down in two days. Trying to make quick arrangements to bring him to Colorado, I didn't know where to start but things just fell in place. By the end of the same day Jake was sharing a ride with a gentleman, who just happened to pick up a dog from that same shelter and was going to Ft. Collins, CO. The next morning Jake went to his foster home with Robin Wolfgram who took a wonderful care of him and not even two weeks later match was made in heaven and Jake was wiggling his butt in Jimmy's home. The strong bond the two developed in the past three months wasn't weakened by discovery that Jake is more like 6-7 years old and has problems with his vision which occasionally causes him to make an undesired contact with a wall.
This happy ending wouldn't be a happy ending if it wasn't for Chris Thomas and Shanna Newton from the BOD of the Rock Springs Humane Society who went out of their way and contacted us about Jake, Jan Flagg, who was understanding of his situation and decided to give him a chance, Robin Wolfgram, who gave him a comfy loving temporary home and got him looking like a movie star so that Jimmy would fall in love with him right away and give him a great forever home!
Leona Grady
ESRA ESSRC Rocky Mountain Region Coordinator
Happy
Ending Story by Jake's New Dad Jimmy
I adopted this very goofy dog about three months ago and we have both enjoyed each other immensely. Jake is a black and white Springer of unknown age that was several days away from being put to sleep when I got him.
To the best of my knowledge he had a very unhappy prior life and was a misunderstood dog. The dog pound labeled him as aggressive towards people and dogs. The Jake I know is a scaredy pants wimp around other dogs and loves people and children. I can't imagine this dog hurting a fly, although he does love to chase squirrels and deer. I don't know what he would do if he got one though.
If you are planning on adopting a Springer, there are several things I can warn you about, based on my experiences with Jake.
1. He has uncontrollable shakey-butt. Particularly when you came home or when he gets done with a bath and knows it is time for a treat.
2. He jumps in water no mater how cold, how improper, or how clean the inside of my car is.
3. He is obsessed with critters of any size, except cows and horses. After seeing what he thought was a squirrel run up a tree, he will run around the tree for upwards of an hour.
I am very grateful to the English Springer Rescue America and hope there are many more success stories to come.
Jimmy Wade and Jake
