We adopted Jack from an animal shelter (he was 5 years old at the time). Since he had aggression toward people and other animals, life in the shelter was uncomfortable both for him and for the staff.

At that time, my husband and I were volunteers, so we were able to find an approach to Jack. He began to trust us, and we decided to bring him into our family. Of course, it was difficult, as he was a big dog with a strong character, but both we and Jack managed, and we achieved mutual love and respect.

So Jack was not just a dog for us — he was a family member who taught us not to give up in difficult situations. In fact, our adult life began with him, because to adopt him, we moved out of a student dormitory. He was also very strong, climbing stairs on his own from walks until the very last day, even though it was very hard for him (we couldn’t carry him, as it hurt due to a spleen tumor).

Thank you for giving the opportunity to keep a part of a family member close. It helps ease the pain of loss because he feels like he is still near.