Jack's Story

Jack is a special little guy who gets by on his charm and good looks!

Jack was originally found about 3 years ago, wandering a highway in Alabama. He was covered in deep wounds, had a scratched cornea, and an empty right eye socket. It was clear that someone or something had torn him up pretty badly. He was fortunate enough to get away from whatever bad situation caused his pain and was found by someone who cared enough to help him. The nice person who found him took him to a vet where he was cleaned up, stitched up and given a permanent wink! When Jack recovered, he was adopted by a wonderful family in New York who took great care of him for about two and a half years. Unfortunately, Jack's rough past led him to develop some fear and aggression toward other dogs, especially other males. He didn't get along at all with the other male dog in his new family, which caused a lot of stress and conflict. So his new family made the decision to find him a new forever home where he would be the only child and he would get all of the attention. That's when Erin O'Connor and her boyfriend, Ray Wildman, found him through the Boston Terrier Resource and Adoption Center on Petfinder.com. They were looking for a Boston Terrier to provide them with companionship and an excuse to get more exercise! Jack won them over instantly and they decided to apply to adopt him in February of 2009. NEBTR assisted by sending a representative to perform the home visit required for Jack's adoption.

Erin and Ray were happy to welcome Jack into their home as the latest member of their family. He was very friendly with everyone he met and seemed very happy in his new home. However, they soon discovered that poor Jack was more affected by his past then they thought. One day, when Jack's new parents were at work, a thunderstorm rolled through. Erin came home after work and discovered bloody shards of wood all around the inside of the doorway. Jack was so frightened while he was alone that he chewed off almost all of the molding beneath the doorknob on the front door. He started becoming progressively more and more anxious while Erin and Ray got ready to leave for work every day. He would shake and whine uncontrollably when he knew they were about to leave. Then Jack just became nervous and anxious almost constantly. Whenever he was left alone while there were loud noises like fireworks or thunder, he would become destructive. He pushed out a screen in a second story window and even chewed a hole almost all the way through a door! It was clear that Jack had a severe noise phobia and also developed separation anxiety.

Even though Jack turned out to be a bit of a special needs dog and required serious dedication, Erin and Ray decided to put the energy and time into helping Jack overcome his anxiety. With the help of a dog behavior specialist, they began using a combination of anxiety medication, training, exercise, and behavior modification techniques to rehabilitate Jack.

The time and patience that Jack's new parents have given him have made a big difference. He still has a way to go, but his stress level has decreased drastically and he is a much calmer dog. He continues to show improvement in his behavior and discipline. After all of the hardships Jack has endured, he is finally happy to settle into his new forever home where a loving family is willing to give him the attention he needs to be happy and calm. Jack wouldn't be the same without the kindness of so many people!