Jackson Knox Budd

July 11, 2009 – December 9, 2009

Jackson was the love of our lives. He was everything to us. Although he was only with us for three months, he had already given us a lifetime of joy. I’m writing this love story in hopes that the tragic accident that happened to us will teach other dog lovers to be careful about electric cords.

For years I’ve wanted a dog. I mean – REALLY wanted a dog. But, for years my jobs required me to travel a lot. My husband and I have been married for 18 years. We don’t have kids, so we always had the luxury of coming and going as we pleased. Every time I asked if we could get a dog, “no” was always the answer. It wasn’t that my husband didn’t want the love and companionship of a dog, he didn’t want the full responsibility when I was away traveling – which was about 1/3rd of the year.

The economy came crashing down a few years ago and at the same time, my job changed – both leading to me traveling less and less. My husband got the bug to buy a motorcycle. Not happy about it, I “gave in” – but only on one condition… that I could get a puppy. So the “deal” was done. We both got what we wanted. A former work colleague of mine has a Wire Fox Terrier named Callie and is she ever special. Not only is she extremely cute, but I always loved her personality and more importantly, the way she made her owner feel. She is the love of Jane’s life and I loved the smile Callie always brought to her face. So a Wire Fox Terrier is what I wanted. Jane was so excited when I told her that I was getting a dog just like Callie.

So the time finally came… I found a breeder a few hours away and a deposit was placed for a male. Now it was waiting time. Jackson was born July 11th and we got the exciting e-mail from the breeder. My husband still wasn’t convinced that a puppy was a good thing for our lives. This meant that we’d have to change our daily routine – and if anyone knows my husband, you know he doesn’t like change. If you look up “routine” in the dictionary, you see his picture next to the word.

The breeder sent photos of the litter. I was the second on the list to “pick” from the group of precious pups. As I looked at the photos, I had picked the puppy I wanted. It was the puppy that I would soon name Jackson. Now I just had to sit back and wait to see who the first on the list picked. I knew it was meant to be when the puppy I wanted was the one I got! Each week the breeder sent us pictures of Jackson. He was ADORABLE and we got more excited as each week passed. It was the longest 8 weeks ever!

The day finally came when we picked him up. My Mom and I headed to Ocala to meet the breeder and collect our new bundle of joy. I cried when he was placed in my arms. I knew immediately he was one special little guy. Mom and I brought him home. My husband came home from work and I put him in his arms. I knew immediately that he was smitten and that he had already stolen his heart. The tough guy, who had said “no” for so many years, now had a new little guy in his life – and one that he would not soon forget.

Our daily routines then changed. As a mommy to a new puppy, I was up several times a night while trying to figure out what to do. Friends gave us great advice and after a few weeks, the routine was down. He was housebroken (for the most part) and we fought for “puppy time” with him. My favorite thing to do with Jackson was to cuddle with him every night. He laid on my chest and we’d snooze in and out while watching our favorite TV shows. We soon learned our favorite places to walk and places to do his business. I no longer worked late and I planned my weekends around him. We were on a constant search for dog-friendly places to go.

Through Facebook, I had posted photos and comments about Jackson from the time he was born. My friends watched him grow and saw every special occasion or activity we attended. He became a part of everyone’s lives and everyone became extremely attached to him. He never met a stranger – both the 2 and 4-legged kind.

Jackson, being a terrier, was very inquisitive by nature. He loved exploring. He was also a puppy who had just recently lost his “baby” teeth and his “big boy” teeth were coming in. Jackson went to “Grandma’s” every day when I went to work. The daily routine included Jackson waiving goodbye to me (with the help of my Mom), while I pulled out of the driveway. I hated leaving him everyday – but I also LOVED picking him up – he would go nuts and his tail would almost wag off! He was great for my Mom – a great companion that she could spend her days with.

Last week, as part of their daily routine, Jackson laid underneath my Mom’s desk while she worked on her computer. Mom has a strip cord laying on her desk with her computer, printer and light plugged into it. The cord to the strip came off behind her desk and into the wall socket. For some reason, Jackson, wormed his way behind her desk and began chewing the thick, rubber part of the strip cord that was suspended in the air. We are unsure if he did this all in one time, or if he had been working on this cord for a while. But, it only took that one bite that sent electrical waves through his poor little body. When it happened, my Mom was unaware that anything was wrong with him – other than he acted “lethargic”. She took him onto her screen porch where he laid in her lap for a while, then headed to the opposite end of the couch where he curled up.

My husband came in to pick him up and thought it strange that Jackson didn’t jump up to greet him. He went over and picked him up and immediately noticed that Jackson had labored breathing. He called me and told me that he thought that Jackson had swallowed something and was having trouble catching his breath and was rushing him to our vet. I left work and tried to make the 25-mintue drive as fast as I could – but it felt like I was hitting every red light ever known to man. When I arrived at the vet’s office, my husband met me in the parking lot to tell me that Jackson had been electrocuted. I immediately went in to see the poor little guy gasping on an oxygen mask. The vet took me in to see the x-rays to show me that poor Jackson’s lungs had been burned. There were burn marks on his mouth from the cord and his tongue had been scorched, too. Our hearts were sinking by the minute. Jackson needed to be transported to an all-night clinic – which ironically was near my office – that dreaded 25-minute, traffic-filled ride back. Unfortunately, he could not be stabilized while his lungs continued to get worse. At that time, we decided to put him to rest. It was heart breaking beyond belief.

I’m writing this story so that those with puppies and inquisitive dogs can learn from this. I now know that we can all be more cautious in our surroundings with a puppy in the mix.

Here’s a list of what I’ve learned from this experience:

· Be aware of your electric cords. Do not expose any of them and be aware of those that are hidden or 

 “behind” things. Puppies can find them.

· Strip cords have a “rubber” coating on them – ideal for puppies who are teething.

· Tape up any cords that must be exposed.

· Be aware of puppies and their whereabouts at all times.

· Listen for things like chewing – if you hear it, look to see what they are chewing on.

· Have plenty of chew toys around. This was not a problem in my house or my Mom’s,

  but for some reason, Jackson wanted to chew on the cord.

· When puppies injure themselves, they become quite, and very rarely, do the cry or scream for help.

· Hug your dog often. You never know when it will be your last.

Rest in peace Jackson. We love and miss you.