The story of Jake

I like to say that I "Secreted" Jake.  You know?  The Secret?  Where you just wish really hard for something and it comes to you?

My friend Tamar was telling me about the dog that her brother and sister-in-law and their family had just gotten.  His name was Jake and he was a goldendoodle.  Then she showed me photos of the cutest puppy I'd ever seen in my life.  "And", she told me, "He doesn't shed!"  OMG - too good to be true!  Every time I spoke to her for months to come, she talked about Jake and what a special dog he was.

I had been thinking about getting a dog for a while.  I knew I'd be moving home to Los Angeles before too long (I was living in San Francisco at the time) and I really, really wanted a dog.  Whenever I had down time, I was googling "goldendoodles".  I loved looking at their pictures and reading about the various breeders.  I couldn't really justify buying a dog when there were so many shelter dogs who needed homes. I was determined to find a shelter doodle.

Many months later, I found myself living in New York, and still browsing the doodle pages.  Tamar had a conference in town and I ditched my dingy apartment for the weekend to stay with her in her plush hotel.  It was over that weekend that she told me the news - her brother and sister-in-law couldn't keep Jakey and needed to find a new home for him.  "I'll take him", I said in an instant.  I couldn't believe this was happening.  I knew it was some kind of destiny.  Seriously.  I KNEW I needed to have him.

I remember very clearly her calling them to tell them that I wanted him.  I thought that they would be thrilled to know that he would be coming to live with me, since they knew me and all.  Instead, there was some hesitation on their part.  Maybe they were just having a hard time thinking about actually giving him away.  I know they had been talking to another family.  But, I wasn't going to let this one go.  I think it was all I talked about to Tamar until the deal was finally sealed.  I am pretty sure that they know now that they made a good choice.  Jake was the center of my universe until Max came along.  Jake couldn't have asked for a better daddy than Ted.  Ted and Jake are even closer than me and Jake, which used to make me INSANELY jealous.  Now I am just grateful that they love each other so much.

Jake is a special special boy, who I really have always felt was a soulmate of a certain type.  I don't know how we will bear seeing him in pain.  I hope that we can keep him comfortable during the time he has left.  Jake has had a really nice life.  He lived with a family that loved him and then moved to live with another family that loves him.  He has lots of friends.  He gets lots of love.  I can't imagine my life without him but I never expected Jake to outlive me.  There aren't dreams and hopes that I had for his future....just that he would always feel loved and happy, which I believe he has.  When Jake is gone, I hope he will join my sweet Max, and that they will play together and keep each other company, having fun and sharing love until I can come and join them someday and then for all of eternity.