A Golden Life of Love
Resident Cindy Keen shared the remarkable story of her beloved golden retriever Jackson and his contribution to science.
Rose Villa, the perfect backdrop for a photo. On December 31, 2013, I asked my
golden retriever Jackson to pose for a photograph as he had done hundreds of
times before. He positioned himself perfectly, held his head high and looked into
my camera lens. The resulting image is one of the best I have ever taken.
Big Jack, as I referred to him had an extraordinary life. In addition to posing for
pictures, he was a certified Canine Good Citizen, a certified therapy dog and
the best friend I’ve ever had, but his most impressive accomplishment was as an
MRI research dog in Dr. Gregory Bern’s’ “Dog Project.”
Dr. Berns is a professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University in Atlanta,
Georgia. His research has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, Time Magazine, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Los Angeles Times,
Nature, New Scientist and Psychology Today. He has appeared on 60 Minutes,
GMA, CNN, NPR, ABC, and the BBC. His books "How Dogs Love Us" was a
New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller; and "What It's Like to Be a
Dog"; was named one of the 10 best science books of 2017 by the Smithsonian.
Big Jack was among the first group of dogs selected for the “Dog Project.” He
was trained to sit unrestrained in an MRI machine in order to study his brain's
response to commands given by me. Every Sunday for months my husband and
I would load up big Jack, his training equipment and a Ziploc baggie filled with
chopped hot dogs, and travel across Atlanta to meet Dr. Berns’ team and the
other canine trainees. Jack would practice climbing into a mock MRI machine,
placing his head on a support and remaining perfectly still while a recording of an
actual MRI played loudly. His eyes remained steadfastly on me, alert and ready
to receive a command. We were a team and we loved it.
Jack learned quickly and was one of the first to complete a successful MRI. In
total, Jackson performed eight successful MRIs for which he was paid $200.00
each. The money he earned was used to provide food, toys, and
other necessities to shelter animals.
This time with big Jack was very special for my husband and I as well as
Jackson. He participated because it was fun to do. He loved the attention and the
hot dog treats. He was an amazing animal who spread love and good energy
everywhere he went. He welcomed every human and animal who approached him.
Jackson passed away in January of 2017, one month shy of his 12th birthday,
from a brain tumor. Dr Berns, having learned of Jack’s diagnosis was quick to
offer a functional MRI and to reach out to his contacts in veterinary medicine
seeking help, but to no avail. This untreatable condition occurs all too often in the
aging golden retriever. But because of Jackson’s association with Dr. Berns and
Emory University and the significant amount of data both before and after the
appearance of the tumor, Jackson made a lasting contribution to Veterinary
Science. His case was written up in the journal, Frontiers of Veterinary Science -
veterinary imaging, August 2018.
When Jackson wasn’t in training, he travelled with my husband and I between
Ormond Beach and Blue Ridge Georgia. Oh, how he loved the north Georgia
mountains. It seemed his heart beat louder and his eyes sparkled more when he
was there. So, that became the place where our beloved Jackson rests in peace.