Around July 21st of 2008, I came home from work to be greeted by my wife and son in the driveway. My wife was cradling something but I had no idea what it was immediately. Then she unfolded her arms and behold there was this tiny little puppy! When I say tiny, i mean really tiny. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of weeks old. When I asked whose puppy it was, my wife joyfully said “it’s Yours, if you want it!”. Oh I think it took me all of 1 second to say “great”! I took it into my hands and then asked where it came from? My son, Jeff, said he and his girlfriend were walking through the Cleveland Metro-Parks system when they heard whining coming from the underbrush. There they found “Jake” abandoned and obviously scared stiff. How cruel, I thought to myself, that people can abandon a little defenseless puppy like that. There are coyotes and other wild creatures lurking in these woods, and it would’ve been just a matter of time before Jake would become a victim. Mark, my wife and I had been searching rescue missions for a nice yellow lab, but this little guy was a gift. He’s mixed breed, but is mostly pit bull. We surmised that recent ordinances passed in the city of Lakewood, Ohio against vicious dogs, namely pit bulls, forced some idiot to dump his puppy(s) in the woods rather than face the authorities. It has been a blessing for me especially having Jake. He is remarkable. He never once had an accident in our home, in fact, from early on, he barked when he wanted to go outside. To this day, 3 barks means you’d better let me outside or else! He is adorable and big now that he is about a year old. He weighs in at about 87 lbs. and he is all muscle with a big, deep bark. But everyone I meet that is greeted by Jake say he is absolutely handsome and gentle-spirited. He is still a puppy and we are working hard to curb some of his jumping and playfulness, but it is a great work in progress. You wouldn’t happen to know Cesar Millan personally, would you? I could use his help, as this big guy requires nearly all of my strength to manage. LOL! God Bless you, Mark, and keep up the good fight!

Chris from OH