Jackson (Pt. VI)

Here's a bit of an update, because kind and thoughtful people have been asking. Sorry if it's “just the facts,” but the nerves are pretty raw right now and I don't want to wiggle this loose tooth all that hard.

Jackson doesn't live here anymore.

By the beginning of last week, it looked like legal defense wouldn't hold up, offers of extra money to the landlord were refused, and we resigned ourselves that Jackson would need to move in with the perfect family mentioned in the last part of this post.

We called them, and the short story is: they flaked out. The wife was “unsure” about it. The guy even thought it was necessary to tell me his wife has OCD and that she grew up with a father who convinced her that loving a pet was pointless.

I don't care. But thank you for wasting our time, gasoline, and emotional energy. Pig fucker.

S called the kind lady at the landlord's legal department. She told us that as long as we were looking for a good home for Jackson, and weren't going to take this to court, then we could have some more time past the February 16th deadline they'd given us to remove the dog.

Three days later (Saturday) we received a pair of letters, via certified mail, informing us that we had 10 days to move out before eviction would be served. Not move the dog out, it said move the family and furniture out too.

So, this morning, we brought Jackson to his good friends at Monster Mutt, who will hold on to him, and help us find a nice adoptive family. (If that's you or anyone you know, please contact them.) It was hard. My wife said goodbye to the beagledog in the car, and I brought him inside. It hurt. I had a lump in my throat the size of Texas when I walked out of there. I wanted to turn around and take one last look... but I couldn't. I wish I had.

[posted with ecto]

On iTunes right now: “Spectacular Views” from the album The Execution Of All Things by Rilo Kiley

Comments

[chicagomama]

oh, god...I am so sorry. there are no words because I do know how you are feeling. and that potential adoptive dog family sucks ass. I hate them for making promises they can't keep. sending good juju and hoping sweet Jackson finds a very good home very very soon.

[Brian]

Man, this really hurts me, and I only spend a handful of hours with Jackson... so I can't even imagine how you're handling it. Please know that I'm hoping with all of my heart that he finds a family who will care for him as much, if not more, than you did... but even if it's a fraction as much as you did, given how much you loved him, that will be more than enough.
Best to the family...

[joel]

uuuh, man i can't beleive your landlord can be such a heartless bastard. karma will come back and bite that guy big time, hopefully the karma will be one big giant f'ing dog. thinking about you, S, and H- good luck.

[Rolyn]

You left out the address of the family that jerked you around. Not that they'd be worthy of having Jackson, obviously.

So sorry to hear the news. I'm sending out an e-mail to everyone I can with a pic. He'll find a new wonderful home!! Sorry it can't be yours any longer. A total kick in the teeth.

Nothing else to say. Sorry.

[Figlet]

This is just the worst news. I was really hoping that your landlord would have some sort of epiphany.

Fuck fuck fuck. I'm so sorry.

[Shelba]

This is so horrible, I'm so sorry. God, I'm sorry.

[Brooklyn Mama]

Aw, shit. I'm so sorry.

[kowgurl]

Man, that sucks. I'm gonna forward this to my friend who likes beagles....

[Tommy Himself]

Thank you, all of you. Thanks for all the kind thoughts, and for sharing some of the anger with us.

[Anna H.]

Oh, Tommy and S and H -- I'm so sorry.

Crying on the west coast for you guys and Jackson.