Introducing Jack

This is my buddy Jack, a 2 year old part terrier, part who-knows-what, who lives near the railroad tracks in the Din Daeng section of Bangkok. Despite his diminutive stature, Jack is one of the scrappiest, toughest little dogs you'll ever meet.

Like most terriers, Jack has a pretty hot temper, and once he gets riled up there's no stopping him. Fortunately, Jack's a pretty reasonable dog, who only fights in situations where obvious injustice is taking place.

For his friends, Jack is one hurricane of a bodyguard! One time, when I was walking down Sukhumvit Road, on my way to see some friends (to go out trash can-tipping), I was set upon by a pack of drooling, bloodthirsty hell hounds from Bangkok's eastern suburbs. These mangy miscreants have a well-earned reputation for cruising around town and causing trouble, and they soon had me cornered in a dark alley.

Just as they were about to tear me to pieces, I heard a vicious, high-pitched snarling sound, like the din of a dozen rabid pit bulls. It was Jack, coming to save me! He came rushing into the crowd of dogs, snapping and biting and going off like a canine buzzsaw, and within seconds the gang of bullies went running away yelping, with their tails between their legs.

It's good to have a friend like Jack. He'd do anything for me.