A gem of a dog
JEWEL, THE FACE OF THE NKLA INITIATIVE, ENJOYS LIFE OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT WITH AN ADORING FAMILY
He had noticed her face on billboards across Los Angeles, so it was a bit of a thrill when David Eagle saw Jewel walk by that warm spring evening in 2012 at the House of Blues. The Staffordshire terrier was a poster girl for Best Friends’ NKLA (No-Kill Los Angeles) initiative, and Best Friends was hosting a launch party to celebrate.
Jewel was escorted into the spotlight by actress Hilary Swank, who announced that the three-year-old dog was looking for a home. Smitten by Jewel’s striking looks and sweet nature, David and his wife, Nancy, thought they should give her a chance to meet their dog and see if she was a good fit for their family. But Jewel was quite popular that evening, and they decided to stand aside so someone else could adopt her.
Two weeks later, however, despite the attention at the party, Jewel hadn’t been adopted. Like many pets, Jewel struggled in a shelter environment. She was still young and had a lot of energy when she arrived as a stray at Los Angeles Animal Services. She was moved to the Best Friends Pet Adoption and Spay/Neuter Center, and as time went by, she started to act out from frustration.
A staff person remembered that David and Nancy had liked her and called them to ask if they wanted to meet her. Yes, they did. Jewel and the Eagles’ dog, Brando, met in the play yard, and hit it off, so that was that. She went home with them that day. Sadly, Brando passed away last year, but that only makes Jewel, now 11 years old, dearer to them.
And though she may have looked tough to some, Jewel turned out to be way more of a lover than a fighter. “She just wants to kiss you. She would let the worst criminal in the house and lick his face,” David says with a laugh. “She just loves people and exists to play with her ball or have a game of tug of war.” She spends most of her time in David’s office, lying at his feet or basking in the sun near a window.
“Other than my wife and human kids, Jewel is the love of my life. She’s a wonderful creature who’s brought nothing but joy to us,” David says. “I will always be proud that she will be remembered as the representative for shelter pets in L.A.”
“I will always be proud that she will be remembered as the representative for shelter pets in L.A.”
~ David Eagle, Jewel’s adopter