Goodbye to Our Friend

I had been putting this off because I wasn't sure if I'd know what to write and honestly just didn't want to have to write it but I feel it needs to be done.  There are many of you out there who have followed Jake's story that I do not even personally know.  As was mentioned in my last post, Jake hadn't been doing well and sadly was out of options to treat this aggressive tumor of his.  Even worse, it was finally affecting his quality of life and poor Jake just wasn't himself.  He was in pain and we could not bear to see him like this.  It was clear last Friday, April 8th, that Jake was not himself and was suffering so we made the toughest decision we've ever had to make and chose to have Jake put to sleep.  Both Jenn and I were with him till the last moment and while it was extremely tough to be there I wouldn't have done it differently today.  I feel as if I've lost my best friend and we miss him everyday.  It has been tough but we are very thankful to our friends and family for being there for us.  There were a lot of people pulling for him and he made an impact in a lot of lives.  He will always be remembered and while our time with him was short, it was truly memorable.  He should be remembered as the crazy, loving and active dog he was.  Even with that horrific tumor he never let anything affect him until the very end. 
In his death I hope he can still help this clinical trial as they study his tumor that even fought back against the gene therapy.  Our thanks go out to Dr. Pluhar and her team for always being accessible and trying their very best to help Jake.  Her optimistic attitude was a pleasant surprise while having to deal with this.  She always hoped for the best.  We are also extremely thankful to everyone at Richmond Valley Animal Hospital, especially Dr. Esposito who went above and beyond her normal veterinary duties.  She truly is one of a kind.  She is what every vet should be and her love for animals is evident in her work.  Please visit the non-profit organization that she helped found, NY SAVE (Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency), which provides emergency veterinary care for low-income pet owners.  http://nysave.org/