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Black Jack happily at home
Black Jack2
Below: Black Jack gets comfy at home with his new family. - photo by Photo provided.
Editor’s note: Below is a letter from a family who adopted a dog from the Liberty Humane Shelter.

Editor,

I wanted to say thank you to everyone, and especially Sandra for taking the time to talk with me about Black Jack.
Our trip home went by so fast. Jack was so good on the ride. He sat at attention for some of it looking ahead as if he knew tonight was going to be different.
As we left the perimeter of the base, he stood solid looking out the rear window. The only time he looked back was as if to say “bye” and “thank you” to you all. I really think this was his thoughts.
After this he never looked out the rear again. He sniffed the air with big deep huffs and puffs, he drooled giant shoestrings and shook slobber on us all.
After about an hour or so, he laid down in the backseat with Rowan and put his head in his lap as if he had found trust in the little fella. Occasionally he would sit up and look about, at times he even peered between the seats, watching where we went, and once he  laid his chin on my shoulder. So, feel good about all your efforts and take comfort in knowing all your hard work is not for nothing, Jack accepted a tall man!
When we got home, we turned him loose in the yard. He bounded to every corner, behind every bush and went to the fence as if to introduce himself to Chevy, the dog next door. He relaxed after a few minutes and his tail lifted from between his legs and his head was high as he sniffed the air and seemed to just look all around at his new surroundings.
He follows Kathi around like her shadow and all of the kids in the neighborhood had to come meet him and he did excellent with them all. He allowed them to pet him without getting scared or showing any signs of feeling threatened or aggression.
He comes to me, not like he does to Kathi but he does come to me to be petted and he even laid on the floor with me for a few minutes. Just now, as I’m typing this, he came in here and put his head next to me to pet him, then he backed away and went back to my wife — baby steps right? To me, these are big steps for Jack in such a short time.
I gotta say, he knows the inside of a house. He wanted to come back in when we did. I think he will fit right in. He has walked the house, the yard, found his place in the living room where he can see all and found himself a nice cool spot next to the front steps that he seems to feel secure in.
Attached are a couple of pics. A real happy Jack riding in the car coming home and him and Kathi relaxing in the living room. Yep, he finally relaxed, stretched out, took a deep breath and shut his eyes till he caught me trying to take his picture.
There’s no sneaking up on Jack, poor guy sleeps with one eye open, I think, but that will change. He’ll find comfort and trust and safety when he feels like he’s home and before the week is over, he’ll be sleeping like a big baby.
Now, Jack is in the kitchen having dinner and we are getting ready to run all the kids off and let everyone, especially Jack, unwind from a long eventful day.
All of ya’ll (at shelter) just know, he turned and said “bye.” He stood for a few minutes looking back like he would never forget all the love and kindness that was given to him and his appreciation for saving him from an alternate short stay in this world.
We thank you all, too, for the warm welcome and our new friend and family member. I say he’s handsome, Kathi says he’s beautiful, Rowan says “He’s mine.”
 Take care and no tears — or at least not many, OK?

Bud, Kathi, Rowan and Jack Dickson
Black Jack’s adoptive family
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