Jessa's Journey

Hi People! I'm Jessa (aka Jessa Marie, if someone REALLY wants my attention!) I was Cassie's first Guide Dog Puppy. Cassie and her family picked me up from Guide Dogs for the Blind, INC. in San Rafael, California on August 4, 1989 at the annual Fun Day. Cassie and her family did a lot of learning with me! They didn't know very much about raising pups in the beginning, so I had to teach them! I got to live the special life of a puppy-in-training. They took me to church, shopping, out to eat and just about everywhere else they went!

This is me hanging out on my bed! I got to sleep right next to Cassie's bed! Great place to wake her up from *grin*

At one of the Fun Days we went to, I got to meet two of my siblings! This is Cassie and I, Jassy and her raiser and Joker and his raiser. My brother Joker didn't live very long and that made me sad. He had something that caused him to have bad seizures.

I also got to be Bullard High School's marching band mascot! Cassie's brother was in marching band back then and I got to go to ALL The football games and anywhere else that the band went! All those kids... with so many hands... just to love the dog... HEAVEN! I even made it in to a Bullard Yearbook!

We got to do a local talk show too!

This is (from left to right) Douglas Wakida, Jason Hoopes, his grandmother, Eve Hoopes, the talk show lady and Cassie. I gotta bad memory and don't remember who those labbies are -but the shephard is Miss Alpha!

Cassie's cousin, Amy, raised a guide dog puppy too! This is her puppy, Hooper and I in our van!

Before Cassie and I received word that I needed to return to GDB for training, I had some pokey eyelashes that were growing in towards my eyes. Ugh! They didn't feel good, so they took me to San Rafael to have them removed. While I was sleeping, they took some pictures of my hips... Bad news!! Doc said I couldn't be a guide dog! Bummer! Cassie's grandmother loved me SOOOOOO much, that she decided that I could come live with her!

So, off I went! I still got to see Cassie and her family all the time while I lived with her grandmother! It was great! I got spoiled by Gram AND got to see my other people! When Gram had to move, I came back to Cassie's parent's house -where I now live!

Cassie took me to Valley Children's Hospital for a few summers, where I was a pet therapy dog! It was great fun! I got tons of pets and loves from all the kiddos!! Best of all, most of them let me up on their beds to catch a nap! I girl's gotta have her beauty rest ya know! This is me at the hospital.

I turn 10 on May 30, 1999! Wowsers! And Doc said I'd be so arthritic by 5 that I would have to be put to sleep. I'm doing great! (All that swimming has paid off!) Speaking of swimming... I think the pool is lacking some fur! Gotta go replinish its supply! Look out raft, here I come!!

Jessa's Journey / Chotah's Clubhouse / Harvard's Haven / Lindsay's Lounge / Georgie's Dog House / Tweety's Bird Cage / E-mail Pele / E-mail Cassie