Shantha fell in love with Jack Chai after spotting him by the roadside in 2007.
“I’ve always adored dogs, but I never had one as an adult as I didn’t think I would have the time to take care of it,” she reflects.
But she couldn’t get the image of the helpless mixed-breed puppy out of her mind, so she decided to adopt him the very next day.
From then on, Jack became a treasured member of the family who was spoiled silly by Shantha and her husband.
Like many protective dogs, Jack wasn’t fond of the postman, the TNB meter reader, the vet, or the guy who delivered gas on his motorcycle.
“He could be quite fierce to strangers, but he was actually quite timid and affectionate to those who patted him,” Shantha, a retired teacher, recalls fondly.
Jack also hated being put on a leash whenever he went on his daily walks, and absolutely loathed baths.
Not one to refuse food, Jack’s favourite meal was homecooked chicken meat mixed with bones and kibble.
“He also loved eating white bread that we’d get from the roti bai,” Shantha tells FMT.
When it came to his favourite resting spot, Jack was very fond of his mats, although he would eventually end up destroying them.
“He also loved sitting on my husband’s lap, especially when he wears a sarong!”
In 2017, Jack’s world was thrown into chaos with the addition of a new member of the family – a mischievous cat named Lola.
“She would often hide behind the curtains and pounce on Jack whenever he came inside the house,” Shantha remembers.
Jack, however, never once retaliated – he was such a “nice guy” who “played the part of the patient older brother”.
“He did have a cheeky side, though, because he used to often eat food from her bowl even though he had his own,” she adds with a grin.
One day, Shantha and her husband came home to find Jack’s body stuck in the gate grille.
“He used to see Lola go in and out through the grille, so he tried to copy her,” she says. Fortunately, they managed to get him out safely. Whew!
There were also several occasions when Jack ran away from home.
“I was especially worried that he would get into fights with other dogs, so I’d drive around the neighbourhood to look for him.
“But after a while, I realised he just needed to let off steam,” she chuckles, adding that he would always come home after an hour or so.
Shantha also speaks fondly of the times she would check Jack’s body for fleas and ticks.
“All I had to do was say ‘mummy check’, and he would sit obediently as I removed the ticks with tweezers.”
Sadly, every story comes to an inevitable end: Jack passed away in 2019, after being part of Shantha’s life for about 12 years.
“I was so distraught, I vowed to never have a pet again,” she shares.
But this resolve didn’t last long, as she and her husband adopted a stray puppy last year whom they named Momo.
Even with this new addition to the family, whenever they look at the bent gate grille, Shantha and her family lovingly remember Jack Chai, the “nice guy” who brought joy into their lives.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.