Jasper

RIP to my ride or die truly

My bestie, my constant

He didn’t trust easily and loved me more than anything. He saved me from being attacked by a man I am absolutely certain when we were hiking in 2 separate instances

I adopted him while I was in college and we went from my college apartment to moving cities to a different apartment, to a trailer, to my first house and then to our farm where it seemed to breathe new life into him for a couple of years!

Just a few of the special moments we shared through the years. I can't even begin to capture all the things we did together

He was my passenger prince who loved road trips of any kind and sometimes would just refuse to get out when we were home.

He sat with me at my first house when I was scared and pregnant and I remember thinking I should really cherish this special time with him as we were going through the biggest transition we’d ever been through.

He came to be so gentle with my baby and learned to get along with horses, goats, cats and chickens. When I first got him he would pull me off my feet to chase a squirrel. We went through 2 levels of obedience classes and he still only listened when he felt like it and lived life to the beat of his own drum. In that way I felt to be kindred spirits with him.

The last hike we went on made me realize how old he was getting and he really wasn’t up to it anymore. I always had to make sure we hiked next to some water so he could swim and cool off afterwards.

He always loved a pillow under his head and he loved his air conditioning.

For awhile he had been on pain pills to manage his arthritis and the vet thought he most likely had cancer or some other incurable issue. He was not able to get up the day I came home from work so we rushed to the vet and I cuddled him to the end. I do believe our last kindness as pet owners is to not let our animals suffer to prop up our own emotions.

Vets have a seriously tough job and I couldn’t have asked for a better vet or more kindness from everyone.

after I came home without Jasper this beautiful rainbow came out just for me for a few minutes

I got Jasper from a foster family who had saved him the day he was going to be put down (he was a stray). He originally hated men!

I’m so grateful to have had a dog as wonderful and quirky as him in my life to ride through my twenties and into my thirties.

I will honor him by rescuing another shelter dog one day I’m just not sure when that will be.

-A