Name: Captain Jack
Family Members: Mary & Dan
How long has Captain Jack been in the family? 2.5 years
Professions: Mary - Professor of Computer Science, Dan - General Contractor, former Eastern Airlines Pilot
Location: Peachtree City, GA.
Nicknames: Jack, Jackee (the ee sound lingers), Snuggle Butt, Sweet Boy, Toad (but we call each other and all grandchildren toads, kind of a family thing).
5 words/phrases that best describe Jack:
- Happy
- Handsome
- Sweet
- Lover Boy (he loves everyone he has met, human and animal)
- Dude (when he is bad)
What makes Jack unique? The recliner in the living room is his recliner, and he only sits in it when a human is in it so he can sit on top of them. Jack knows when Dan is not feeling well. Jack licks all of Dan’s wounds and scars from open heart surgery every night before he lays down between us with his head on Dan’s shoulder.
Jack loves a good stick!
Rescue Story: Our story is different. I was a cat lady all my life. No dogs, afraid of dogs, knew nothing about dogs. We have a blended family of grown children. So stepson asks us to take care of his dog for stretches of time. We had heard the dog was destructive so made him a very nice bed in the storage area in our house. We walked and played with the dog and nothing is destroyed, so we let him into the main part of the house. Still nothing destroyed. I am becoming more comfortable with the dog. Dog goes back and forth from us to stepson. One month, dog comes to our house and he isn't "right", something is wrong. We tell stepson. Dog has advanced stage heartworms. Stepson pays for the treatment but can't physically do it all, so dog comes to live with us for the treatments.
The first treatment the dog collapses in a puddle of his own urine whimpering and in pain. I cried and carried him into the bathroom. We nursed him back to health. We bathed him, hoisted his butt up in our bed, fed him steak, and smothered him with love. After a year he is better. He goes back to stepson. I realize that I lost my heart to this dog. I tell my husband, I think we should get a dog. Stepson tells us that his dog is a bully. Remember I know nothing about dogs and am looking for a bully and can't find one. I am confused. It is clarified for me that the dog is a pit bull. OMG I was floored. I never would have let a pit bull in my house. How uneducated I was to this breed.
Before I could find a dog, my husband's aorta artery ruptures. Husband survives but he will never be the same, he is severely disabled. I know that I now must have a dog. I found a breeder of XL pit bulls who specialized in service dogs. I put a down payment on the puppy. I brought my husband home weeks later from the hospital. A month later we went to choose the pup. Out of 10 there were only three who fit what we required in the pup. Of the three, only one went to my husband's side and stayed there the entire time. We brought our boy Jack home and it is the single best decision I have ever made in my life. I do believe my husband would not be here today had it not been for Jack to give him a reason to get up everyday. I have never experienced the capacity of love for an animal. My husband is lost without Jack at his side. The two do everything together.
As I began to research about the breed, I discovered the huge problems facing shelters. I donate regularly to rescues, I volunteer at the local shelter. We cannot rescue another dog because of my husband's condition. We are not the typical rescue situation. Jack rescued us and opened up our world.
Jack taking care of his Dad!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Dan has to walk & loves to fly. Jack & Dan go to the Falcon Field airport everyday and walk the flight line. Jack is grounded by routine and knows when it is time for Dan to get dressed and take him to the airport.
What is life like since you got Jack? Dan’s aorta rupture is called the “widow maker”. Only 5% survive the rupture and complete dissection. Dan’s aorta is dissected ascending and descending, with tears in his renal arteries. Dan lost his livelihood, all hobbies, and is in constant pain. He is disabled. The surgeon does not know why Dan is still here.
Jack is a life giving force for my husband. Jack eases Dan’s anxiety and pain. Jack is Dan’s companion, they go everywhere together on errands. I work long hours and so I am gone a lot. I can leave for work knowing that Jack is watching over Dan. Jack is our family. Dan and I did not have children together since we married after all children were grown and gone. Dan and I have a dog together. We live and breath Jack.
As for Jack, no dog has been as loved and spoiled as this dog. We boarded Jack for two weeks when we went on vacation last year. Jack broke out of the kennel 5 times destroying their house trying to get home to us. We have to hire a dog sitter sometimes who cooks for Jack. Jack is always out of sorts when Dan has to be gone overnight. Jack does not like it one bit. Jack will climb up on Dan’s pillows and sleep there. Jack is bathed every week because he noses the shower door open to join Dan.
Photographers Note: As you probably realize this story is a little different for this project. Jack is not a rescue, which is a requirement to volunteer for Shine A Light. When Mary reached out to me with their story, I made an exception for a couple reasons. The dog she references that belonged to her stepson was Cash, our volunteer from 5/20 who passed away the same day that his story went up on this site. (you may recognize their grandson Skylar above from Cash's story) Cash absolutely did what we want this campaign to do; change perceptions about these dogs and he did that for Mary. The other reason being that there is a pretty amazing rescue story here, it just happens to be Jack who did the rescuing. Now because of these two dogs, we have two more people who are advocating for these wonderful pups and doing what they can to change more minds. You only have to spend a few minutes with this family to see how much Captain Jack is loved. They even made arrangements for him in their wills. He is a family member, a care taker and just a goofy happy boy, what more could you ask for?