Celebrating Life - Jaeggar

Jaeggar

I just found out about this organization. Though I do not have a lot of money, I wanted to contribute something and share a story also.

I had a Rottweiler named Jaeggar (pronounced Jay-Gur), and he was my first Rottie. Everyone loved him, he was a clown! No one back then had been around Rotts and he helped people understand they were not the mean, viscous monsters they were made out to be. He was loveable, funny, and yes a little mischievous. Unfortunately my heartbreak started with him at an early age. At four or five, he underwent 3 knee surgeries. He kept tearing his ACL, and we knew that was no reason to put him down so we fixed it on both knees. Then, when he was 8 years old, he starting limping on his hind leg, and a bump came up in one spot. After taking him to a vet for an x-ray and later a bone biopsy, they thought it might be bone cancer. There was at one time a question of a staph infection, but I guess cancer was really what they suspected.

There were really no options for me. The vet told me I could amputate but I decided not to do that because he knees were weak from past problems. I was afraid he would not be able to deal with one back leg, knowing he could throw that knee out again.

So we kept him as long as we could. He was like a son. And what hurt the most is how short his life was. He was only 8 years old.

It has been about 7 years since this happened and people still cry over this dog's death because he touched so many lives. I wish that I had been given more options. That is why this cause is important to me. I had another Rott who died last year, not from cancer, but she did live a long life of 13 years. I have a male now who is only 2 years old. I worry because cancer seems to be a problem for the breed. I hope someone finds a cure quickly—I am not sure my heart can go through that again.

Thanks for letting me share my story, and let's find a cure!!

Melissa

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