Jackie

I am not an animal lover. Dislike cats, hate and terrified of little furry creatures ( the mention of them gives me goose bumps) and have no feelings for dogs. Whenever I walked pass a dog, it would either bark or growl at me.

Three years ago in our old house at T Tasik Jaya, somebody cut a hole in the fence and crawled in. That shattered my security. Somebody from SPCA introduced us to someone who had too many dogs and needed to give them away. So...that was how Jackie came to us.

He was a year plus then. Tears rolled down his cheeks as we drove further and further from his former home. He knew he was leaving his family. My heart went out to him; from then on Jackie became part of our family and is treated like one.

He doesn't do tricks or whatever...we never taught him any. He obeys us pretty well. Understands English and Foochow. A good company for ma. Ma has a real soft spot for Jackie too. Jackie loves to jump at us but he never jumps at ma. Probably he knows that she is old and can't take his jumping.

One day, D took a box and played capture the enemy with him. Jackie ran and D chased. Suddenly, D came to the kitchen and said, 'Mum, Jackie's gone missing!' We searched under the car, table, in the house...no sign of him. Just disappeared. Then I saw a pair of eyes following us from behind the potted plants!!!! So cute...he hid behind the plants and hid himself so well that all I could see were a pair of mischevious eyes.

Today, D and I played basketball. Jackie joined us...he jumped and ran after the ball. The ball accidentally hit him under the chin. He stopped jumping around and sat quietly in the corner watching us. Later when D rolled the ball to him; he seems afraid of it. Sigh...timidity is not only with the members of the family; the dog has the trait too.