Jack has got a bad back and his legs do not work like they
used to - but surprisingly he still gets mistaken for a young pup.
Jack is not able to go on the long walks he once enjoyed,
but at 177 in dog years and 25 human years, he is as happy as he was when he
was a puppy.
Now believed to be Britain's oldest dog, the terrier was
rescued by Ray and Mary Bunn 16 years ago, from a couple who could no longer
care for him.
Mr. Bunn, of Hartlepool, County Durham, said they had an “instant
bond” with little Jack.
He said, “My daughter's next door neighbor spotted a couple
who were going to tie him to a tree and leave him there. She took him in, but
their dog didn't like him.”
“She told me go and see him. The first time I saw him, he
came running over to me and jumped into my arms.
The bond was instant. He very quickly became a big part of
the family, and now we've had him for 16 years.”
According to records, Jack could be one of the oldest dogs
ever to have lived, and would be eighth on an all-time list if his age was
proven by Guinness World Records.
The oldest dog in Britain was 25-year-old Jack Russell Meg
from Somerset, who died last year.
However, if the pensioner pooch
wants to take the global crown he has to wait another three years.
The oldest dog ever to have
lived was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who reached 29 years and five
months before being put to sleep in 1939.
Someone thought he was a puppy,
even though he has arthritis and can only walk a short distant.
“He is on medication, but he's
doing good. He is eating and drinking. He's having some problems with his back
and his legs as he is getting older.
He is a very friendly dog, but
wasn’t taken care of properly before he came to us.
He had a brother, and we heard
that he had been fed to a Rottweiler, so he was facing a horrible future before
my daughter's friend took him.
He has always felt at home
here. He's generally a very happy dog and we all love him” said, Mr. Bunn.
