When people think of pets, they often picture dogs and cats. When it comes to more unusual pets, they may imagine a ferret or a hedgehog. But not many, especially in Nashville, would think of a wallaby.
Alex Fasching, a lawyer specializing in estate planning and probate administration with Cook Tillman Law Group (formerly Russ Cook and Associates before Josh Tillman was made a partner) does have a dog and a cat. But he also has, you guessed it, a wallaby!
Jack Junior, otherwise known as JJ or “Little” Jack, joined the family about two years ago, after Alex’s 5-year-old wallaby, “big” Jack, passed away from cancer. (In captivity, wallabies usually live 12 to 15 years.) Alex was devastated by Jack’s unexpected death, and had no intentions of getting another.
Fate, though, sometimes has a way of intervening. About six months after Jack passed, Alex was visiting his parents in Wisconsin and learned of a baby wallaby available for adoption nearby. “Even though I wasn’t looking to get another one, I ended up adopting JJ and bringing him back to Tennessee,” he says. “I’m very glad I did; there was a huge hole in the family.”
Today, JJ is 2.5 years old, 40 pounds and 3 feet tall, and has his own room where he sleeps in a pouch at night. There are more pouches around the house and in the yard for him to take naps in as well. When Alex comes home from work, JJ hops on his leg and waits to be scratched on the head. And he loves to play with his dog brother, Tucker. (He and the cat, Mouse, wisely keep their distance.)
JJ also loves the rain and getting wet. “I was getting him ready for his photo shoot the other day, and I put him in the bathroom, turned on the shower and went to get towels. When I came back he was already in the shower, washing himself and perfectly happy. It was hard to get him out.”
If someone is thinking about getting a wallaby, Alex advises that they do their research first. Owning one is a big commitment. “They need to be bottle fed every four hours for about three months. [When JJ was a baby, he slept in a pouch in a Pack ‘n Play in Alex’s bedroom.] You have to ship in special marsupial milk, and then you have to order special pellet food to make sure they get all their vitamins and minerals. You need a large yard with lots of grass and a very high privacy fence. [They are grazing animals and will spend most of the day eating grass. They also love all kinds of fruits and vegetables.]
Housetraining is problematic: "We’ve had some luck pee pad training him, but it’s not perfect.” He also says it’s imperative to have a vet nearby who can take care of a wallaby.
All in all, Alex finds having a wallaby lots of fun, and enjoys sharing his marsupial adventures with others. When big Jack was about a year old, he got his own Instagram page (@jackthewallaby) and was a huge hit.
“Big Jack was a little more relaxed and chill,” he says. “You could put a leash on him and take him for a walk. JJ is a little more squirrely, and he doesn’t like the harness.” But he can dress him up in outfits and costumes like he did with big Jack, as long as they’re loose fitting. Now JJ is the star of the show, and people love him, too. Between the two, they have garnered more than 25,000 followers from all over the world, including Germany and Australia. Alex says a TV crew from Japan even came to the house to film big Jack for a couple of days.
Alex also takes JJ to schools so kids can meet him and learn about wallabies. “It’s a lot of fun to be able to share him,” he assures.