Jasper

Our home has become very quiet. Last week, Danny & I had to make the tough decision, that it was time for Jasper to find relief from his pain, struggles & frustration.

He was 11 years, 3 months & 7 days. I had him for just over 11 years, as I got him in May of 2006. And that summer he was diagnosed with CNM or muscle myopathy, a genetic defect, affecting his muscle development. I really had no idea how to raise a dog, let alone a handicapped one. Yet he defied the odds & lived much longer than anyone expected.

Most of his years were pretty normal, with bad spells where he couldn’t walk very much for a couple of days at a time. But he always bounced back. His resilience inspired me every day! He lived for love & happiness! (And snuggles & treats!)

He loved going on walks when the weather was mild. He also loved his feline brothers, when they were living, even tho they picked on him. He also loved making friends with other dogs, but he loved making friends with humans even more! He definitely had many special friends. He loved greeting his pals with his cute little hops & silly bark.

He truly was the happiest dog, even when he was having a tough time.

The last couple years he started to have a lot less mobility. And this past winter was definitely a struggle for all of us. I had a hospice vet come to the house in April. She was wonderful & hopeful that there might be medication that could help. But it was a temporary fix. He had a couple of good weeks but started to decline very quickly in the last couple of weeks of his life. We had been carrying him out for quite some time & sometimes he wasn’t wanting to get up at all. His back legs just weren’t strong enough to get him up or hold him up anymore. He had become so skinny, especially his back end & legs. We couldn’t watch his frustration any longer. As heartbreaking as it was, I know it was the best thing for him.

I know I did everything I could to help him. I dedicated my life to helping him live stress free, because stress is what triggered the bad spells, when he was young.

I helped him because he helped me. I got him during a very difficult time in my life. When I was sad & broken, he gave me a reason to keep going. He always was my comfort when life was too much. He truly was my best friend.

Now he is free to run & jump like he never could on earth. I hope he’s chasing around Max & Jack in a meadow!

He definitely will always have a piece of our hearts. We loved him so much!