[inquisitive piano and gentle brass]
[shimmery music]
[light country music]
Ever stroll through a familiar neighborhood
and come across something that seems out of place?
- Christine Fink: We were comin' up the hill
and across this prairie down here,
and I looked and I said, [record scratch]
"Is that a horse?" [laughs]
My boyfriend says, "I think it is."
[cheerful melody]
- That's Rose Johnson and her roommate, Jack.
[clip-clop, clip-clop]
Rose is the one in the green jacket,
and Jack, well,
Jack is Eau Claire's newest resident.
- Rose Johnson: He's a very good citizen,
extremely good citizen.
He's very careful.
He likes to interact,
but he has very good manners.
- Before we horse around too much,
we need to talk about how Rose and Jack met.
[light, playful music]
It started at a friend's farm.
- In a little pen, all by himself, is Jack.
And I said, "This little guy is cute.
Why is he in a pen all by himself?"
- The answer, it turns out, had to do with Jack
and his affinity for being a bit of an annoyance,
sucking and licking the kneecaps
of horses and donkeys nearly twice his size.
- 'Cause he was trying so hard to bond with something,
and they were just like, "But you're obnoxious."
And he's like, "But I love you."
And so then he's by himself in this little pen,
and I'm like, "Oh, he's so cute."
- Having been rehomed five times already,
Jack was sadly running out of both friends and options,
so Rose did the only natural thing
any city-dwelling person would do.
- Good morning.
- She brought Jack home. - Good morning.
Jack lives on the back of my house, in the city.
- Rose had been going through some issues of her own,
both emotionally and physically,
when she met Jack.
- We totally needed each other.
He needed someone to bond with
that would put up with him sucking on everything,
and I needed him in ways I couldn't really--
I didn't understand.
Good Jacky.
- Jack became more than a new roommate to Rose.
- Good job.
- He became her support.
- Big smile, way up high. Good job.
So I had discussions with the city
about what to do with Jack,
and we decided mutually that the best way
to do that was to make him an ESA,
or an emotional support animal.
Good boy. - Rose found out
Jack's encouragement extended well beyond just herself.
- Your friends have come to see you.
- Christine Fink: People see him, they're uplifted.
It makes their day.
And people that have seen him for the first time,
it's kind of a shock
to see a horse in the middle of the city,
but they come out and greet him,
and it brings a smile to their face.
[laughter]
- Rose Johnson: I never realized the ramifications of that,
but he is everyone's emotional support animal
because he just makes everybody happy.
So just his existence brings joy to me, primarily,
but then also, as kind of a runoff of that,
joy to everybody who sees him.
- The two go on daily walks around their neighborhood.
- Sometimes we're walking, sometimes he'll run beside me,
and then I'll get on.
And I'm a very small person,
and Jack is a tank.
And I am 20% of his weight.
He does not mind my weight in the least.
- According to Jack's vet,
Rose riding Jack is completely fine.
The activity provides him with exercise
and the neighbors with a little entertainment.
- He has become a huge local celebrity.
I did not plan on becoming Jack's PR manager.
You're just madly grinning at everybody.
He was flapping it at people earlier.
Are you having fun?
Nobody knows my name.
I'm just Jack's mom. [laughs]
- Luckily for Jack's admirers,
he rarely turns down the chance at a photo op,
unless, of course, you're a Minnesota Vikings fan.
[laughter]
- He's a killer ham.
I might have created that monster.
[laughs]
I taught him how to smile,
and you tap him on the nose,
and you say, "Smile, Jack" with a carrot.
And then, as soon as the lip goes up,
you stuff the carrot in his mouth.
And so, it took about three times,
and he's like, "This is my favorite thing
to do in the world."
So now he won't stop.
- Jack has become so popular
Rose created a Facebook page to document his shenanigans.
When thinking of a title for the account,
one word immediately came to mind.
- He needed a title,
and I'm like, "He is the best thing ever."
I'm like, "He's Jack the Magnificent."
[cheerful whistling]
And I don't know why that popped into my head,
but it just stuck.
And it's really, really true too,
because he is totally magnificent.
- Jack's online antics
have entertained thousands of people
across the country.
And boy, does he know how to put on a show.
- Jack loves wearing costumes.
Jack absolutely adores being dressed up.
He's got fans that have never met him,
and everybody's like,
"He's a virtual emotional support animal
to, like, the whole country."
And he is.
[Jack stomps foot] You wanna go?
- It's true.
Seeing Rose and Jack trotting down the street
does seem a bit out of place.
However, get to know them a tad,
and the sight becomes a little less odd...
- [snorts]
- And a little more magnificent.
- Aww. - He is hilarious. - [laughs]
- Jack is the center of my world.
I-I don't know how I'd do without him.
He's just-- he's my best buddy.
He loves me SO much.
I'm very happy with that. [laughs]
He's pretty special.
I love him so much.
♪ ♪
[shimmery music]
[inspirational vocalizing]