At just over a year old, Jack, a black Labrador Retriever, was adopted by Barbara. Despite having no idea how to retrieve, it was immediately obvious Jack was special. Barbara, still grieving the loss of her father (also named Jack), met little Jack at the Wileville Kennel and instantly felt the connection was meant to be.
Introduced as the chillest lab the breeder had ever known, his calm disposition became the defining attribute of their life together. Now eight years old, Jack and Barbara operate as a highly sought-after therapy dog team for St. John Ambulance.
A therapy dog must be exceptionally calm, non-reactive, and non-jumping. Jack surpasses these standards, spreading infectious care wherever he goes. The busy duo can be found weekly helping students de-stress at the Bridgewater NSCC campus, visiting patients at South Shore Regional Hospital, and comforting residents in care homes throughout the region.
Their community impact is vast: Jack hosts a monthly “Read to Jack” program at the Bridgewater library, has provided comfort at trauma and grief camps for children, welcomed participants of the Indigenous Games, and befriended children at blood collection centres. Their excellence was formally recognized when the pair won the prestigious Therapy Dog Team of the Year award, which also acknowledged their mentorship of new participants in the program.
Barbara ensures Jack gets plenty of time to simply be a dog, limiting his work to three days a week and scheduling doggy daycare for weekly play dates.
Jack’s greatest joy in life is food, and his perpetual “diet” isn’t helped by the cafeteria cook at NSCC regularly slipping him homemade dog treats. At home on the lake, he loves to wade or visit the neighbors. And every evening, the unstoppable duo snuggles up on their big round chair to watch TV and snooze—ready to recharge for their next day of making a difference in their community.
