I know I've said it time and time again, but dogs are truly man’s best friend. It’s practically a fact at this point. We don’t really need any more justification, just scroll through our dogs category on the website and see for yourself…
… but we’ll give you more justification, because dogs are amazing and we need more of them.
A heartwarming story has surfaced online some time ago about a doggo named Jade who has been living “a second life” helping an elderly woman when she needed the support the most.
It goes without saying that the dog is man's best friend, and Jade over here is the bestest
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Meet Jade, the 35-pound, 1.5-year-old miniature Australian Shepherd And Shiba Inu mix who—as her human companion Heath, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for an interview, put it—has been living a “second life” as a support pooch.
Heath posted a short story on Reddit, particularly on r/Dogs (another great source of dopamine), where he explained that his girlfriend manages a home health care place.
Jade's human companion Heath shared a story of how she's now living a "second life" as a therapy dog
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
For as long as the two have known each other, she has been visiting this one elderly lady, Mrs. Riddle (not a real name for privacy), who she’s grown really fond of. Unfortunately, the woman’s dog passed away on the anniversary of her husband’s passing. This left her devastated. But not for long.
Some months ago, Heath offered to let his girlfriend bring Jade to her client’s house. And the moment the two locked eyes, they fell in love. “Apparently Jade recognizes that she’s old and fragile and is deliberately gentle. She and Jade eat breakfast and dinner together,” explained Heath in his post.
Apparently, the two bonded so well that Mrs. Riddle had also got Jade a “mountain of toys”, and when Heath or his girlfriend calls over Jade and says “Wanna go to Mrs. Riddle’s house?”, Jade can’t contain her giddiness and cuteness by jumping, squealing, and zooming about.
In his story, Heath explains how his girlfriend takes care of this one elderly woman who he called Mrs. Riddle (not the actual name for privacy reasons)
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
“The client said something to the effect of her life has meaning again,” said Heath. “While I’m at work, Jade goes to Mrs. Riddle’s house. She’s there Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM. It’s like this is now Jade’s full-time job!” And it’s truly awesome to think that Jade has spontaneously become a therapy dog for someone who lost a lot.
Heath explained that he first got the idea to share this story because he enjoys writing and just overall talking about Jade. He felt like this was something the lovely dog lovers of Reddit would enjoy and feel intrigued by.
Jade became Heath’s pupper companion when she was just 8 weeks old. He got her from a woman in Palmer, Alaska in hopes that she’d help him with his mental health. Jade’s dad is an Australian shepherd, and the mom is half Shiba Inu and half American Eskimo dog.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Riddle had lost her dog on the anniversary of her husband's passing
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
To help remedy this, Heath suggested his girlfriend take Jade with her to visit Mrs. Riddle, and the two immediately became friends
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
The two now live in his “experiment in frugality and adventure,” which translates to boondocking in a sleeper built in his truck.
“Jade is a sweetheart, but she’s also very protective of me and those that she perceives as part of our pack. She’s very cuddly. She’s nestled into my side as I’m writing this,” elaborated Heath about Jade’s dogsonality. Caninality? Dogsona? You decide.
Being part Eskimo dog, it should come as no surprise that she loves to run. Heath explained that he often puts a harness on her and lets her pull him on his skateboard down the Coastal Trail in Anchorage, Alaska.
So, every day now, from 8 to 4, Jade spends her time with Mrs. Riddle—something that means the the world to her
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Here is Mrs. Riddle together with Jade, enjoying each other's company
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
“She loves to play fetch. I got her about 60 racquetballs for her first birthday and gave them all to her at once. She went bonkers for all the balls as they bounced around!”
She’s also a trained dog, as Heath did it all himself, and that’s when she fell in love with beef liver treats—loved them ever since.
But, back to the story. In the comments, Heath explained that Mrs. Riddle is not her real name, but she is a retired teacher from Texas. And speaking of comments, folks absolutely loved Jade and her story.
Heath gave a little bit of context in the comments
Folks thoroughly enjoyed this bit of wholesomeness, praising Heath for sharing his doggy companion, and praising Jade for being the goodest of dogs
For those wondering, Jade is an Australian shepherd and Shiba Inu mix
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Heath got her when she was just a wee pup—8 weeks old—to help him with his mental health
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
People thought that it is awesome that Heath and his girlfriend are sharing the joy that doggos can provide just by being their awesome selves, and even more so for those who need it. And dogs seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to identifying who needs it.
Another commenter pointed out dogs know only one kind of love, and that is unconditional love. We as a species don’t really deserve it, but we are happy we still get it.
And yet others praised Heath for being generous and kind, allowing Mrs. Riddle to enjoy Jade’s company throughout the day. And it seems Jade enjoys it as well, so it’s a win all around.
Jade is now 1.5 years young, enjoys running, balls, beef liver treats, and, of course, spending time with Mrs. Riddle
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Image source: Heath | Backseat Bedroom
Be sure to check out the story in context here. And if you want to keep following Jade, Heath, and everything that they do, be sure follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel, where they document their adventurous truck life.