Jake was given up at age 10 by his family. They said they just “don’t want him anymore.” This is one of the hardest things for me to understand about people: Why you would just give up a dog who has been a loyal companion for 10 years?  He appeared to be relatively well cared for and in good health.

Jake was very sweet and social. He had not been neutered which posed a problem in a multi-dog household so we scheduled him for surgery. All went well but then suddenly 3 weeks later he lost his fur. First the undercoat and then his top coat became brittle and was breaking off and fallling out. We began testing for thyroid, Cushing’s, etc. and everything came up negative. His skin was fine.  It appeared that he had a strange hormonal reaction to the neutering.

After about three months, his coat came back. But in the process of trying to figure out why he was losing it, an ultrasound revealed a mass on his right kidney and in the vena cava artery, making it inoperable.

Jake had a fantastic 6 months of life, knowing that he was loved. He played every day at Top Dog Country Club and then would run to Jean’s house where he lived with her Sheltie pack. He got a chance to herd sheep and he loved to play fetch and keep away.

Jake passed away October 20, 2014 in my arms . . . The arms of someone who loved him very much.

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