Those of us who have been the lucky companions of Jack Russells will know how these little dogs make our lives brighter – and how hard it hits us when the inevitable happens and we have to say goodbye to them forever. In March of 2014, we said goodbye to our 18 year old beloved Jack Russell, Morgaine. She was the last of our JR Triad – Gilmour and Olivia having left us in the previous few years. At that point, we said “no more dogs”.
That promise lasted until July of the same year, when through a series of “friends of friends” and fellow JR lovers, we became the forever home of a small JR named Danny. He was not a rescue, but a re-home. Life was good – Danny filled the empty spot in the house left by Morgaine, and we stated, again “just one this time”.
Well, the universe laughed at us and said “ya right” – and one day, peering out at us from the computer screen was a little adorable JR in a pink coat – Cocoa. Well, her description was a made to order companion for Danny and for us – quiet, house trained, good with other dogs……well, I’ll see where she is I thought – low and behold, she was in Angus, a short drive away. Well, maybe – well, for sure – well, maybe we should just keep Danny an only dog………but she’s so adorable, she needs us!
The rest is history – we submitted an application, had our interviews and off to Angus we went – Danny came along for the ride. Of course, we immediately fell in love with Miss Cocoa (who goes by Cocoa-bean, Cocoa-puff, Kookoo Cocoa and other variations). Her foster mom and dad are wonderful people and Miss Cocoa was in good hands with them, and I’m thankful to the JRTRO Group for the opportunity and privilege to bring the wee gal into our home.
Cocoa has bonded with Danny, and though he is younger than she, it’s him she looks up to for protection from the dark, strange noises, scary birds and things that go bump in the night. We often find them in the same crate or the same bed; they eat from the same bowl – in short, they have an inseparable bond already.
It’s hard to know what has happened to these little creatures in their travels; we have discovered that some things upset Cocoa and are working to ensure she always feels safe and over time she will hopefully feel confident with every new situation she encounters. We are grateful that the universe sent Cocoa our way and it is our promise that she’ll be safe and happy forever. We look forward to seeing the Parade of Happy Rescues next summer, and proud that Cocoa will be a participant!
Deborah and Ron Crawford