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Jackie's Story
Jacquelyn Grace Skinner
June 6, 1995 to May 26, 2007
A month after adopting Romeo, we were volunteering at a meet and greet. One of the new Greyhounds coming into our group was a 5 year old, freshly retired, petite, black brindle female named Jackie. All we were warned about was her attitude. When you looked into this little girl's extremely dark eyes, you felt them pierce right through you. Her ears stood straight up like bat ears and she wouldn't let another dog within 3 feet of her without showing her "attitude" either. No one in our group wanted to foster her. Actually, they were afraid of her. She didn't look like a Greyhound from a distance. She looked more like a Doberman with her petite little face, bat ears and piercing eyes. Most of our volunteers were new to Greyhounds and so was I to a point. Everyone was afraid she would bite them if they tried to pet her. Finally, at the end of the day, I thought I would give it a try and foster this little girl with an attitude.
We attended a few more meet and greets with Jackie to see if we couldn't find someone to love her. I finally resigned to the fact this little girl needed to be muzzled, tethered and away from the crowd of dogs to protect them - not her - them! She was definitely a challenge. However, at home was a different story. She fell in love with Romeo. He was her Greyhound mentor and her first love, too.
Finally, after 2 long grueling weeks trying to understand Jackie and to find her a loving home, something told me that her home wasn't anywhere else except with us. I picked up the phone, called the group president and told her that Jackie was being adopted. She hesitantly said "By who and do they know what she's REALLY like?" I kind of laughed and said they were up for the challenge because the family who was adopting Jackie aka Miss Jackie was our family. You could tell the group president was relieved to hear that. After all, Miss Jackie was not a good meet and greet dog at all. She lacked the charisma most Greyhounds have towards getting a person hooked on adopting a Greyhound. We discovered why Miss Jackie had an attitude, too. She was an alpha! She was used to showing a tough exterior until the day I finally told her we were adopting her. That's when I looked into her eyes and finally saw the loving side of Jackie and not the tough alpha side.
Romeo was happy that we adopted Jackie and Jackie was happy that we adopted her, too. Those two never had unkind words to say to each other. Jackie was space aggressive so Romeo tried not to crowd her too much but there was a special bond between the two that was incredible to watch. Although Jackie was definitely the alpha dog of the two, she often allowed Romeo to be the first in many things. Jackie displayed a special respect for those older than she and Romeo was at least 4 years older than Jackie.
The night that Romeo died, something died inside Jackie, too. Her spirit was broken. She wouldn't play with her toys. If you knew Jackie, toys were her second love in life back then. She would eat and still go for walks but her spark for life wasn't there. Finally, when I looked down one day with her standing beside me, I saw tears trickle down her cheeks and she let out a small quiet whimper. Her heart was breaking and I knew we had to adopt another Greyhound right then and there.
I checked with one group but Jackie decided no on every single dog they had available. Then I received a call one day from the track adoption kennel inquiring how Jackie and the rest of the family was doing since Romeo had passed. I knew Jackie needed a boost and made an appointment to let her have some Greyhound time.
Jackie is one smart little cookie. She knew who would fit into our family and she wasn't going to stop looking until she found the right one for us - all of us. She went through the whole entire kennel full of dogs until the last one was let out of his crate. Jackie let out her little snappy alpha bark through her hot pink muzzle then tails started to wag. I saw the spark return to Jackie and I knew right then she found who she was looking for.
We had Jackie for 7 years and she was the most incredible little girl in the world. She knew exactly what I wanted her to do without me ever speaking a word. She was my best friend, my confidant, my heart and my soul all behind those dark, dark piercing eyes. People were a little hesitant to pet her all because of the way she looked but I can assure everyone Jackie's heart was pure gold and her heart was my heart. She was my baby girl........
Unfortunately, our life with Miss Jackie unexpectedly ended May 26, 2007 after 7 years of pure love. Suddenly, she took ill late in the evening and by the time we got her to the ER vet, she was labored in breathing and couldn't stand on her own. To our horror and shock, Jackie had lymphosarcoma of the heart. The tumor was almost as big as her heart was. The vet didn't think she would survive the night. She had a very irregular heartbeat and no pulse in her hind legs. She was dying right before us. She left us for the bridge in my arms with me whispering I love you in her ear. She was 11 years, 11 months and 20 days old.
When we first adopted Jackie I made a promise to her. That promise consisted of loving her, caring for her, spoiling her and letting her go when the time came. Although that time came too quickly for us, I know she is pain free and happy at the bridge waiting patiently until we are together again.
Jackie was my heart, my soul, my world.
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