Pictures of Jam with First Lady Patsy Riley

Breed
Black and White Shih Tzu
 

Age

15 years old
(that’s about 100 in people years!)

Address

The Governor’s Mansion, 1142 South Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama

Origin of My Name

JAM stands for “Jenice and Minda”.  Jenice was my very first owner.  I lived with her and her sister, Minda, for many years.

Current Owners
Governor Bob Riley and First Lady Patsy Riley
 

The Story of JAM, Alabama’s “First Dog”, by JAM

My very first memory was when I was just a little puppy, only about six weeks old.  A very nice man and lady, named Bob and Patsy Riley, found me at my mother’s side and picked ME out of all my brothers and sisters to be their birthday gift to their daughter, Jenice.  When I met Jenice, I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me, too!  Back then, I was so little that I could fit in the palm of her hand!  I would cuddle and nuzzle her all day long.  Jenice took me to Tuscaloosa where she was attending college, and I lived there with her and her sister, Minda.    We had a great time—and I cheered them up when things did not go so well.  Many years later, Jenice went to heaven.  Her parents, those same nice people who first found me, gave me a home with them.  Now, I live in a big white house called the Governor’s Mansion and people call me the “first dog”!  Sometimes, you will see me in the window of the Mansion, waiting for the Rileys to come home.  Other times, I am running and playing in the front and back yards, chasing squirrels or playing with balls.  When the Rileys opened up the Mansion to the public, I was the first one out the door to greet the children who visited.  I was excited to see them!  I love the living at the Mansion and seeing all the visitors.    But, most of all, I love the Rileys—and the home they have given me.

Click Here to Go Back to Main Kids' Page