A little about me...
What makes a good dog? I think everyone has their own answer, and Jewel would have met the criteria of anyone reading this.

Jewel was adopted from "Helping Hands" in 2016 (before it joined with HSNCF) as a puppy, but she was returned to the shelter at around 1.5 years old. It was then that I adopted her while on an unassuming trip to PetSmart on adoption day.

Jewel started life with me in my first college apartment and lived another 8.5 years, seeing me through several more apartments, college graduation, my wedding, my first jobs, my first house and even the introduction and raising of a long-planned second addition, Xeric, my German shepherd dog.

Jewel may have started life as a shelter puppy, but she became an avid adventure partner and experienced a bucket list of activities many dogs are not able to over the course of her life. This is in part because she became my service dog after two years of training for nearly 5 years of her life before I gradually retired her. We traveled, camped, and visited mountains, savannas, beaches, and cities. We were inseparable.

Jewel was also a gentle therapy dog for elderly and loved all people. Before she passed October 2024, she attended a group session where she let every person individually pet her belly throughout the hour, moving to each on her own.

Jewel gave so much of her heart to the world, she forgot to save some for herself. #RIPJeweltheCatahoula