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I adopted Faye, a beautiful broken legged white female, from Make Peace on February 28, 1999.  I remember that there were serious questions about my household being appropriate for any greyhound, as I had multiple cats.  Faye was recovering from surgery to repair a badly broken leg and after three months convalescence in foster care, was ready for adoption.  Cynthia decided to take a chance on my household, and Faye was taken home from the office in downtown Doylestown.  

She never looked at the cats - ever.  It was like they didn't exist for her.  She was aloof at first, staying in her crate (door open) the majority of the time, and coming out only to eat and take walks which she loved. Faye and I worked hard on getting her to use the right hind leg and she made great progress, although whenever she walked quickly or tried to run she would hop on that leg.  

In June, 1999, Biscuit (known to Make Peace as Ray) joined the household and Faye fell in love.  I've never seen two dogs as bonded as Biscuit and Faye and when Biscuit died very suddenly of an aneurysm in 2004 she was devastated.  Andy joined the family shortly after Biscuit's death and Faye was again happy.  When Andy died of osteo in 2006, Faye seemed happy to remain the only greyhound, because, by that time, the family had expanded with the addition of two Miniature American Eskimo dogs.  

At age 13, Faye was diagnosed with osteo in her pelvis in September, 2008.  The vet and I helped her cross the Bridge on December 9, 2008.Faye was a perfect lady until the end of her life. She put up with cats and little fluffy dogs with grace and dignity, gazing over their heads as if they didn't exist for her.  

Thank you so much Cynthia for giving me the opportunity to know Faye, Biscuit, and Andy. I know that they are all together again.  
Linda Schatzle Bryn Mawr, PA
Mon, 22 Dec 2008

I put down my greyhound Wednesday evening.  She joined my family 9 years ago Thanksgiving weekend.  My son, my Bearded Collie and I welcomed her with open arms.  She enriched our lives in every way.  She developed bone cancer in her rear leg at the beginning of October.  She fought valiantly. That fight ended Wednesday.  We said goodbye to our Bearded Collie, Jumper 1 1/2 years ago.  Now we say goodbye to Lady.  Any pain I feel now can not overshadow the pleasure I had having her in my life.  We saved each other. 
The Kalichstein Family
Fri, 14 Nov 2008

There is such an empty hole in our lives since he left us, but we're grateful that we had the opportunity to share our lives with him. He was our "prince" . When we first brought him home he was so scared and nervous. He had no idea how to get up and down stairs and would hit his head against our floor to ceiling windows in the front of the house because he never experienced windows before. Slowly, Harpo became used to his new surroundings and stole our hearts. His ease, laid back style and pure gentleness touched everyone who came in contact with him. And living in NYC Harpo came in contact with a lot of people. In fact, we always had to factor in more time for his walks because inevitably people would stop and want to pet him, ask a multitude of questions about greyhounds or just thank us for rescuing him. My husband who was famous for saying "We're never getting a dog", ran into a greyhound with me at our local pharmacy and absolutely fell in love with the breed. That's when we decided to adopt. Now, although we are all devastated by Harpo's loss, my husband seems to be experiencing his loss the hardest.  He is retired and spent the most time caring for "Harpo".   Today is the first day I mentioned the possibility of adopting another greyhound. My husband fears that he will somehow be betraying him, but I assured him that it would be the highest tribute to Harpo's memory to rescue another one of these beautiful creatures. Time will tell....
Kresch Family
Tue, 07 Oct 2008

Today we had to make the heart breaking decision to put our beloved Ben (Banishing) down. Last Saturday he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, which came on very quickly. By this morning, he lost that Ben sparkle in his eye and had difficulty walking. We will cherish the 10 years of memories we have of Ben, especially the celebration of his 12th birthday on 8/27. He came to us  in March 1998 as a playful 2 year old and never lost that spunk. He was a fighter who lived with damaged kidneys for 10 years and cardiac arrhythmia for 2 years. He lived the pampered life with his own sofa, regular long walks and favorite foods often (pasta, bagels, Frosty Paws, waffles, pizza crust) . Aside from annual trips to Dewey, we only went on 1 vacation in the 10 years we had him because we didn't want to be without him. Though he and we thought he was our first child, he welcomed 2 human siblings into his life and was a gentle big brother. I know over the rainbow bridge he is winning every race (we always joked he came off the track so quickly because he would stop running when he smelt food) and chasing all the cats and rabbits his heart desires (probably catching them as well). He will live in the hearts of the human family lucky enough to have adopted him forever. We love and already miss you Ben! Love, Mommy, Daddy, Julia, Matthew and of course Axel (LJ's Axel)
Amy (Nettis) and David Heineman
Sat, Sept 6 2008

He was joined by a Weim puppy, and later, a female greyhound. The bond of a loving pack was established. They played, hunted rabbits, and slept together, and came for sips of mom's coffee. Our "boy" loved walks with dad and his sisters. He was the king of the hill. He had made it in this world and didn't miss the track a bit. He had a big yard to run laps when he felt the urge, but no one made him do anything except for fun. He caught the biggest rabbits and stood with them proudly on the hill in the yard. He had it all!

He was big and red and handsome and he was the sweetest boy an adoptive mom or dad could ever want. He was diagnosed 2 months ago with a brain tumor but he wasn't ready to go yet and we weren't ready to let him go. He was still happy and content although weakening through the past two months, then today, he told us that he was ready to go. When I carried him to the truck he was as light as a bird. He was a gentleman to the end and we miss him dearly. He was full pure love and we feel an emptiness in our lives. Our two surviving dogs are missing him terribly. I know that his spirit remains here and is strong. I wish that everyone could experience his love and loyalty and have witnessed what he became in a happy home. We love you Xander, and know that you are with us in our hearts.
The Stone Family Bethlehem PA
Thu, 14 Aug 2008

Yesterday morning we received the gut wrenching news that Jupiter's cancer had returned and was inoperable. He came to us 5 years ago along with our beautiful little girl Gracie. We brought them into our home after the passing of our first greyhound Patch. We knew that they would not replace him but celebrate him. We had no idea the impact Jupiter and Gracie would have on our lives.

Jupiter was a big, beautiful red brindle who's racing name was Evening Gent. He was a gentleman to the end. In March of 2007 he was diagnosed with Hermangio Sarcoma, he had a 6lb tumor removed from his stomach. He recovered and led a happy and healthy life until Wednesday afternoon when he started acting lethargic, on Thursday we noticed that his abdomen was much larger than normal, Friday morning we took him to the vet, the x-ray showed that the cancer had returned, after an ultra sound was performed we knew that the cancer had won. We had no choice but to say good bye to our handsome man. He was 9 years old.

Gracie is still with us and at 10 she acts like the little girl she is, always happy to see us and be with us. Although I know that she is looking for Jupiter we will help each other through this.

Our hearts are breaking knowing that we will not hear Jupiter talk to us any more or greet us with that magical howling "whoooo" when ever we came home.

Jupiter you take a part of our hearts with you - have fun catching all the rabbits you want.
The Trageser Family Jamison, PA Feb 10, 2008

We were inseperable for 10 years, so much so that my husband and I  bought a motorhome so that we wouldn't have to leave him each summer when we vacationed.  He was, is, the dog of my heart.  A therapy dog that hundreds of people also loved.  I know this by the dozens of sympathy cards and all the phone calls and flowers I have gotten from people since his passing.  I thought people would think he was "just a dog", but they have grieved also.  Everyone knew what a sweet, happy, loving, special boy he truly was.  He will be missed on so many levels by so many.  Thank you, Make Peace, for bringing him into my life and for giving me a love so deep that I can feel this pain so great now.  Even though this pain hurts, I couldn't have THIS unless I had that love all those years, and the trade off is worth it. I wouldn't trade one moment of that life with Chundo. I miss you Chun, I miss you with all my heart and soul and thank you for it all.
Roz Dial Wenrich December 15, 2007

My next door neighbors had to say "goody bye" to her each and every weekend when they would return North.  When the air became thick with autumn smells and the silence blanketed our block she would go into a funk.  Disappointed that the weekenders would now be gone for another season.  Her kiddie pool and neon orange bikini were packed away for another season.  Yet she could still don her DOOGLES (dawg sunglasses) and we would sit side by side on the swing and look up the lagoon.  Cloud watching season still exists  

In 2005, it seemed her 'end of summer funk' was extending a bit longer.  One Friday she didn't eat a thing, except for her BUCK BUCK (dried chicken breasts) treats.  The next day she ate heartily yet seemed to be avoiding me.  She had her senior wellness only weeks before and was given a clean bill of health, so I wasn't overly concerned.  By Monday she was at the vet with a high fever & low blood counts.  By Wednesday she was admitted to a hospital in Red Bank.  Thursday morning, I had to love her enough to let her go.....................  I was devastated.  My beautiful, funny, entertaining "baby girl", only 8 yrs old was found to have a very aggressive canine cancer in her liver, spleen & in her beautiful heart.  She was so ill there was no hope of remission.  Kotah was part Chow and Skeperkke.  Purple tongue & gorgeous thick black hair, perky ears and a devilish spirit.  

I had no reason to go home.  Eleven days later a friend told me about this desperate dawg in a shelter in Voorhees.  I couldn't save my Kotah girl, but there was just a bit of comfort knowing I could save this skinny, depressed sheep dawg/terrier mix.  Maggie May has been a blessing.  
Moon Wild 5/6/07

The neighborhood children were so impressed when we first brought Dabney home.  Most had never seen a greyhound before.  They were fascinated with her ear tattoos, her athletic history, her streamlined build, her size, her gentleness and her unique coloring.  Her coloring for a dog was so fascinating to them that the little girls across the street asked if she was a tiger.  The adult neighbors were impressed with how nice she walked on a leash and repeatedly commented about it to me, as their labs and other breeds pulled them every which way through the neighborhood.

Dabney wagged her tail in circles like a helicopter when excited. She carried a toy to the door (her "hall pass") to let us know she wanted to go outside, sang(howled) regularly to the local news theme leading our other dogs in group ROOs to this theme song, making it hard to hear "the big story" most times. She tapped us with her paw when she wanted us to keep petting her. When she was younger and an only dog, she greeted us when we returned home from being out by putting her whole mouth around our hand as we walked through the house.  Then as she was joined by other dogs in our family, she greeted uswith a toy in her mouth, waiting patiently for us to acknowledge her as she stood calmly behind all of the other dogs. She nitted and air snapped when excited (and sometimes those little front teeth hurt!). Chipmunks and squirrels were collectively named "chippies" and she was very obsessed with these furry critters. If you mentioned the word chippy, her ears shot straight up and she ran to the window or door. One day, she was inside looking out a window that was open on a nice spring day and saw a squirrel climb up a pole to a bird feeder outside that window. She barked at it when it reached the feeder and the squirrel leaped off and ran to hide when she barked, thinking she was outside coming after it. Upon realizing it was safe, the squirrel soon returned and repeated the climb up to the feeder. Dabney loudly barked out the window again when it reached the feeder and again it leaped off and ran for safety. This went on for about a half hour as she made sure this "chippy" did not get the birds' food.  She was very proud of herself.  A dog with very few injuries, her most significant was a dislocated toe from chasing a squirrel up a tree.  And she was so stoic, we didn't even know she had an injury until about 4 hours later when we suddenly noticed that she was not putting weight on that foot and we saw the toe sticking out completely sideways.  The ER vet who treated her wrapped her foot up with purple vet wrap and added a pink vet wrap heart to it.  She even looked pretty with her splinted foot as she recuperated from that minor injury.  She loved to cockroach and even relaxed in her favorite belly up position with her splint on.

She met every foster greyhound we've had to date, welcoming them to our home happily most times, but at other times feeling like she had to teach them appropriate behavior in her house. She was the fun police as she barked at our other dogs or fosters when they got excited and played too exuberantly in the house. She got to attend the Dewey Beach Greyhound event 6 years in a row, enjoying walks on the less crowded areas of the beach since she was not fond of large crowds. She loved lounging in the hotels, too, as if she knew vacations were meant for relaxing and being pampered. Despite her slight anxiety on car rides, she jumped in excitedly every time we were going somewhere, not wanting to be left behind.  We didn't travel many long distances with her, though, especially as she got older due to her anxiety in the car. She loved walks and preferred them over running around in our fenced yard, except for the chippy chasing, of course. She was a gentle dog, earned her Canine Good Citizen and visited a family friend in a nursing home with us, where she impressed the residents with her gentle personality. She looked forward to "cookie time" every night before bed.  There were not many foods she did not like. Her favorites were scrambled eggs and cantaloupe. No matter where she was in the house, she would come running when she heard me crack open an egg or slice into a fresh cantaloupe.

She was healthy,alert and happy at 12 years old.  We thought she would be around for much longer.  Then that last week was an exhausting blur for us.  Things went downhill so fast, with various problems consisting of neck/shoulder pain, abdominal pain, a Laryngeal Paralysis breathing crisis, days at an emergency center on IV fluids and various meds being treated for what was diagnosed as ulcerative gastritis.  Then she was sent home due to her anxiety there only to quickly decline from sudden internal bleeding and requiring us to humanely help end her suffering.  An autopsy showed that the cause of death was a hemorrhage of her liver. Upon a pathology exam, no cancer was found in the liver, nor was any definitive cause of liver disease, just disease process consistent with possible hepatitis, aging or toxicity.  The stress of that last week's mulitple medical issues just took its toll on her body.  Surprisingly, the necropsy showed that her stomach was perfectly normal, with no sign of irritation, ulcer or gastritis whatsoever. So the ultrasound diagnosis by one of the top diagnostic imaging specialists in the area was incorrect.  And she did not need all of the stomach protecting meds they gave her for days and had instructed us to continue at home.  The whole ordeal was stressful and heartbreaking.  We're just glad she's free from her discomfort now.  We miss her very much and we especially miss her lovely voice.  There have been no group ROOs since she's been gone and "the big stories" on the news are heard much too clearly now.

Dabney joins her greyhoundbuddies Reo and Sweetie at the Rainbow Bridge. She was our first greyhound and the last member of our original pack remaining. There have been more since her and there will continue to be more because of her. She will always be remembered as our very special girl, our perfect first greyhound that gave us a wonderful introduction to the breed and strengthened our interest in the breed and our dedication to the adoption cause. Although our time together was much too short, we had a wonderful 9 years with her and cherish our many wonderful memories of those happy daystogether.
Debbie and Ed Lipartito with Karli and Seagull missing Dabney, Reo, Sweetie and Bo Gwynedd Valley, PA
Tues, 24 April, 2007

Sadly, Honeybee of the Honeybee and Delphine sisters that I adopted Sept 04, died last night due to the very rare mesenteric root torsion.  It came on quickly and when they operated it revealed part of her intestine had died.  Delphine will be lost without her sister.  Although I only had them for 21/2 years I certainly spoiled them.    She was such a gentle, sweet. and lovable dog.
Patty Donegan
Thurs, 19 April 2007

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our big, happy brindle boy, Reo, on January 22.  He would have been 11 years old just 3 days later.

It was all so sudden and shocking.  On New Year's Eve, he was running and chasing Karli around the yard, happy as usual.  No signs of anything wrong.  Then just a week later, he coughed up a little blood on Ed's sock.  After a vet visit showing normal bloodwork, negative tick tests, no abdominal masses felt, only a slight fever, we thought it was just a slight infection or irritation.  Then an increased respiration rate and another spat of blood coughed up a few days later, brought us back to the vet, where chest x-rays revealed the worst.  He had cancer throughout his lungs.  An ultrasound revealed a primary mass in his abdomen that was not detectable by palpation due to its location.  The oncology vet told us the cancer, histiocytic sarcoma, was very aggressive and was probably only there about a month.  There were no prior signs and no options for us.  He was not in pain, so we took our boy home to enjoy whatever he wanted for whatever length of quality time he had left with us.  He was still interested in his toys, but his appetite was very poor.  He soon only ate frosty paws and other concoctions we would freeze for him to lick.  Then after an uncomfortable night on January 21, we knew things were going downhill and so helped free him from his discomfort the next morning.  Although we knew it was the right thing to do for him, we were just crushed he didn't have a little more time with us.  He was gone just 2 weeks after the first sign of anything being wrong.  

Ed and I miss him terribly.  He was our great, big, fun, handsome boy and everyone who met him loved him.  He was our fourth foster for MPWA back in 2000 and our first "failed foster" (meaning we adopted him ourselves).  He was our second greyhound.  Our first male dog.  A high prey, non-cat-safe and non-small-dog safe guy (and possibly not even medium-dog safe if you asked Cynthia and Charles' spaniel, Wallace, after Reo chased him around the yard like a maniac the day he arrived from NH).  He was a crazy, rambuncious boy at first, then a gentle giant as he matured.  He was always curious and fun.  A true toy enthusiast. A "trancer" in the clusters of tall grasses outside in our yard(his favorite!).  He was always happy, so happy he even sustained the dreaded, bloody "happy tail" numerous times!  I still find little drops of blood in various places that the wild injured tail tip spewed blood as it still wagged happily.  He never met a toy or ball he didn't like, one of his favorites being the "grunters" (Kris Metz always has these toys for sale and he insisted we buy one from her each time he saw another one!).  One year at Dewey, he grabbed a huge 2-foot tall hand made stuffed bunny(with 21 squeakers!) from a table where a group was raffling it off as a fundraiser.  I politely put it back, apologized and bought him a raffle ticket.  My cell phone later rang and I was informed that we were the winners!  The rafflers were ecstatic when they saw that it was Reo that came back to claim the huge prize since he was so obsessed with the purple bunny.  They even have his photo on their website.  He also made the back cover of the Winter 2005 issue of Celebrating Greyhounds magazine with Dabney and Sweetie.  He did his pre-dinner spin and pounce celebrations each night when I got the bowls ready.  He was our velcro boy, following us everywhere (including into the bathroom if we didn't close the door!) and slept in our bed with us (yep, all 87 pounds of him).  He always wanted to be wherever we were.  He was interested in doing whatever we were doing and going wherever we were going, whether it be to the yard to pick up twigs or to toss a ball for him or in the car on an outing.  The loss of our best buddy hit us so hard, but we're glad for him that it was fast and he didn't suffer long.  

Dabney actually celebrated her 12th birthday the day we had to let him go.  It was just the girls - her and Karli - that night.  Karli (who we just adopted last May) had just started to get used to Reo's loud, rambuncious play style and was beginning to enjoy playing with him more and more.  She now barks at Dabney to play while Dabney lays belly up on the couch ignoring her.  It's really obvious how independent Dabney and Karli are now that Reo is no longer here.  At times Ed and I actually have to ask each other where one of them is.  They sack out on different dog beds throughout the house.  But not Reo.  He was always in the same room with us, keeping an eye on our every movement or following us, laying on his bed outside the bathroom when we got our showers, sacking out on his bed in the kitchen when we ate meals, resting on his bed in the den when I was on the computer or napping on his pad on the patio when Ed was cooking on the grill or when we enjoyed a fire in the chimnea.  His presence is greatly missed and our hearts just ache terribly for that big, handsome, happy-go-lucky, cuddly, teddy bear.  He used to warm my side of the bed for me every night - then I'd move him over before I climbed into a nice toasty spot.  The sheets are awfully cold now.   We miss our dear Reo, but he will be in our hearts forever. 

Thank you, Cynthia, for introducing us to such a wonderful companion.  

Debbie and Ed Lipartito, withDabney and Karli missing Reo, Sweetie and Bo Gwynedd Valley, PA
Thurs, 8 Feb, 2007

--Michele Krause

Shania was our first greyhound and our heartdog. She came to us through Make Peace with Animals - to this day I remember Kathy Bentzoni meeting Barry and I at the Midway Diner on Route 78. Kathy was in a Geo Tracker and all I saw were legs and more legs getting out of the vehicle and then - there she was, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Shania was almost 2; in fact, I'm pretty sure it was 9 years ago this month that we got her. What a devil she was when she first got home - she understood retirement! Petite with the most striking brown eyes filled with love and devilment and play - even into the middle of this week.

Shania aged gracefully. There was no question who the queen Bitch of the house was AND she was quite proud of that fact! This year was probably the first that we REALLY noticed her slowing down.

Shania didn't beg her daddy for table scraps last night (a first). And, she wouldn't take any treats (another first). She was panting like it was 100 degrees outside and her heart was going a mile a minute. A good friend (thank you Liz) confirmed - Call the vet! So, at 9:00 PM last night, we were off for a 45 minute car ride in the pouring rain. One block from the house, Shania threw up more upchuck then I have ever seen and I figured - oh, good, a trip to find out there's nothing wrong! She was still huffing and puffing when we got to the vets. They examined her, took x-rays and drew blood. From the results, they were sure she just had an irritated stomach so they gave her a shot and sent us home with Tagamet and another tummy med.

Shania passed quietly this afternoon at home with her brother and sister surrounding and protecting her. The vet is stumped because Shania's blood work came out just fine. Barry and I are numb - it happened so fast. I'm thankful she didn't suffer even 24 hours but, my doG, it was so fast.

The tears are returning. I know they will dry up. I know the void in my heart will lessen. I know we did everything for her that we could. I'm so sorry that it wasn't enough.

Sha na na - you were your mommy and daddy's baby doll. Run free my precious little girl...

Barry and Karen
Dec 9, 2006

We first met Kelsey in May of 2002, when we were asked to foster her in preparation for her new home.  From the first day, we fell in love with her and, a few days later, we decided that we'd like to add her to her family.  Our other greyhound, Sunny, seemed lonely every time one of our fosters left for its new home, so we knew he'd be happy to have a "permanent" sister.  And we just loved the way Kelsey would jump up on the couch next to us and put her head in our laps.  

Then, due to a mixup that was no-one's fault, we found out that Kelsey had been promised to another family, so we had to give her up.  It was a tearful day when Kelsey left, but we knew that this other family would provide her with a great home.  The Make Peace representative was nice enough to forward an e-mail to us from Kelsey's new parents, indicating that Kelsey was adjusting well and that they loved her very much.  That gave us much comfort knowing that she was happy in her new home.  However, we would think of her often, and we missed her terribly.  However, we continued to foster other dogs for Make Peace, and eventually adopted Angel (M's Fair Lassie).  

In November of 2003, we received a phone call from Make Peace telling us that Kelsey was again available for adoption.  Her parents were moving to an assisted-living facility.  While we were sorry that Kelsey's parents had to give her up, we were thrilled to get her back.  It was a great day when she came bounding into our house on November 24.  We knew she was home to stay.  She has been a great family member ever since.  

Kelsey was always a "silent sufferer".  One day, she caught her toenail in a fence and it ripped off.  She wimpered a little, but was silent as we tried to stop the bleeding and bandage her.  Even the veterinarian indicated that she was quiet and cooperative as he treated her toenail.  This was ultimately her downfall.   On October 5 of this year, my wife Sue took Kelsey to the veterinarian because she had been limping around for several days.  When they arrived at the vet's, Dr Boccia discovered that she had a fever, and decided to admit her.  Then, on Friday morning, I received a call at work with the terrible news that Kelsey had advanced cancer in her lungs and chest.  Dr Boccia told us that Kelsey was in a great deal of pain, and after hearing all the options, we decided that the best thing to do would be to have her put to sleep.  

Saturday, October 7 was one of the saddest days of our lives.  We went to visit Kelsey as a family that morning to say good-bye.  There was much crying, hugging and heartache as we saw our girl for the last time as a family.  Sue had to work that day, so I went back to the veterinarian's at noon to hold Kelsey as she was put to sleep.  Dr Boccia and the entire staff of A&A Veterinary Hospital were so kind and compassionate to us.   I brought Kelsey two pupperonis for a snack (it was her favorite), and she ate them with joy.  She probably couldn't understand why I looked so sad while she was eating her favorite food.  I then began hugging her and looked into her eyes until she left this earth.  Dr Boccia then left the room and allowed me to spend as much time as I wanted with Kelsey.   We will remember her always, and she will always be in our hearts.  

We are grateful to Marc and Susan Dralus, who supported and advised us during this difficult time.  And of course, we would like to thank Cynthia Branigan and Make Peace for allowing Kelsey to be a part of our family.  
Pete Celiberti
October 15, 2006

Some of you may have heard stories of OHenry... he was quite the character. When given the chance, he would raid the kitchen cabinets, steal canned goods, and was even known to take the coffee-maker or the toaster off the counter, ripping the plugs out of the sockets! One of his last escapades, not even two months ago, included carrying a full gallon jug of distilled water from the counter, and setting it down, upright, in his crate. Along with a few canned goods, and a bag of flour, which he ate heartily. I was amazed he could still pull it off, as he had become very weak in the rear, sometimes unable to get up well on his own. For a large male (about 30" tall) it was surprising to see he might make it to 14 years old, without many ailments except for a little arthritis in the rear, and Laryngeal Paralysis. But it was not to be, about two weeks ago I noticed the glands in his neck were swollen, then a few days later I noticed lumps on either side of his back legs. I feared the worst, and the vet confirmed it: Lymphoma. So on Monday, July 10, I bid this sweet old man farewell. I will never forget you, dear old striped one, sometimes goofy, sometimes exasperating, but always a love to be around...
Kathy Bentzoni
July 18, 2006

We lost Rudy to kidney disease on February 17th of this year.  Although my heart has broken into a million pieces, I have to be thankful that he died peacefully in our home with the greatest of dignity.  I was getting his leash ready to take him out, and he stood up for a brief second, then lied down again, let out his final breath and was gone.   

I will forever miss the racing circles you made in the living room.  How I only needed to think of you throughout the day to make me smile.  Walks in the park, Frosty Paws and Hide and Seek.  People have often asked me since his passing if I will get another dog, and I've asked myself if I would give up the nine years of memories and love to avoid the pain at the end, and the answer is absolutely not.   

I would like to thank Dr. Paul Donovan and staff at Alburtis Animal Hospital for all the expertise, and kind and loving support throughout Rudy's illness.   

Rest in peace, until we meet again.  
Judy Hanselman-Fitts 5/31/06

Mike started limping about 2 weeks ago and we watched him very closely.. most days he seemed like he was getting better but once in a while when he'd make that first run to the back of the yard, he'd yelp once and then be fine again.. I took him to our vet last monday and they did an x-ray of his arm and foot--no fractures or breaks. They also ran a test that ruled out lime disease, heartworm and a 3rd disease--all negative.. last night he was in the backyard at 7 p.m. and everything was normal. At 8 p.m. he was adjusting himself on his bed and let out a cry like I've never heard before from any living creature.. it was unbearable. From there on, he couldn't put any weight on his front right arm. I took him to Mt. Laurel ER (which was wonderful to us) and they found a tumor on the x-ray of his shoulder. He was in so much pain, had uncontrollable panting and could barely walk while dragging his arm.. it was excruciating to watch. They put him on a pain patch and other medication and we brought him home at 3:30 a.m. We returned to the ER after many tears and kisses goodbye after realizing the inevitable needed to happen, and at 1 p.m. he was made comfortable forever.

He had a long successful racing career (we got him when he was 5) and he died just a month after his 8th birthday. He leaves behind his best friend Thomas (a lab-mix) who we adopted from a Camden, NJ rescue to keep Mike company a few weeks after Mike joined our family. He also leaves behind his human baby-brother, 10 month old Will who thought Mike was so funny. Mike would let Will play on his bed and never got upset at the constant tugging of his tags and ear pulls. Mike was so protective of me when I was pregnant and of Will after he arrived. I know that he is still looking down on all of us as he joins the big race in the sky.

Once we wrap our brain around these last 24 hours and can get over the initial shock of losing our beloved Mike (affectionately known as 'Slim' to my husband), we will be in touch in the coming weeks/months to find another 'brother' for Thomas and Will.

A home is not a home without a greyhound lying on his back smiling at you...

Rest in peace Mikey.. we miss and love you!
Jill & Daryl Vassalluzzo 5/28/0

Sadly for our family, Misty was diagnosed in July 2005 with congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, mitral valve prolapse and related heart problems. With the loving and expert care of Dr. Maribeth Bossbaly and her nurse, Karen, and the emergency room veterinarians at The Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (VSEC) in Langhorne, Misty had three and a half happy, peaceful, comfortable months with us. We were grateful for every single day. But way too soon the time came when her brave heart just got too tired to beat any longer and she died peacefully at VSEC at the age of 12. We know that she is running with the angels but we miss her very, very much.

And while no one could ever take Misty's place, we now have Lilly (Time Share),from Make Peace and she is the delight of our house. As soon as he hears the key in the door, she comes running pell mell and greets you sneezing, snorting and smiling all at once in her excitement that you have, once again, returned home to attend to her.
Michael Randall
2/03/06

She loved her yard very much. She would run along the entire perimeter of the fence each day to survey her property. She had her favorite spot outside the sunroom window where she would lay and just watch the sights and listen to the sounds of the outdoors. She ran along the fence, barking at and chasing our neighbor's little Westies and the Yorkie that ran on the other side of the fence during their through-the-fence games. She checked the groundhog hole under our back porch every day, hoping she could entice one of the residents to come out and "play". Just a couple of months ago, at age 14, she actually caught one and tried to bring it in the house as a present for me, very pleased with her accomplishment. She wondered why I opened the door and just shrieked instead of letting her in with her lifeless prize. She was diagnosed with Laryngeal Paralysis earlier this year, but we decided not to do the surgery at that time. We worried about what the recuperation from an incision through her neck would be like for our front-leg amputee that used her neck for momentum to hop with only one front leg. The LP was not serious enough to have to make that decision immediately, so we just monitored her closely through the summer and she did great with the A/C and her stress-free existence here. Our veterinary chiropractitioner kept her happily adjusted and trouble-free after a few spine-related problems arose a couple of years ago. We had a couple of other medical scares with her this past year, but she always bounced back - and with vigor. We joked that she was really a cat - having nine lives. She had an enormous zest for life that lasted up until the very end. Things went downhill quickly. Initially, she had trouble getting up and down, so we used the lift harness to help her. Hind end pain suddenly became worse despite the joint supplements and pain meds we gave her. After an especially difficult weekend, we realized that things were not going to improve and our vet confirmed her deteriorating condition. She was losing her dignity, her zest for life and that hopeful look in her eyes. She was never one to just sit on the sidelines and watch the action. She had to be a part of everything and that was when she was happiest. She was not able to do any of her favorite things anymore and we promised her that we would not let her suffer if things ever got bad for her. We knew it was time to say goodbye to our special little girl on November 14, 2005. Ed and I talked to her and comforted her, stroking her soft beautiful fur as she relaxed on a favorite blankie with us and was very peacefully freed from her earthly pain.

Even with our 2 other greys still sharing our home, the house is unusually quiet without Sweetie's vivacious bark and her unique bouncing canter through the house. We'll never forget our courageous little senior girl who came charging into our lives full of spunk just over 3 years ago. She is now running free and whole again. We love you and miss you, Sweetie. You will be in our hearts forever. Love, Mom, Dad, Dabney and Reo
Debbie and Ed Lipartito Gwynedd Valley, PA
12/23/2005

Samson (Lonesome Hero, Irish champion)
January 10, 1998 -- October 12, 2005
Toasted Honey
October 18th, 2005
Toasted honey dog,
You shined golden,
A sun to light the horizon of tomorrow,
Brilliant rising to command the day.
Wearing your majesty
Like a burnished robe,
You draped my couch in the luxury trees know In the fall,
Their leaves decorating the branches in richness;
Red, flame, umber,
They set the trunk ablaze in glory.
But, oh, such short-lived glory!
The dance too brief,
The artistry crumbles
And majesty fades to memory.
Even the strong oak gives way to winter;
Even the fiercely flaming Sun succumbs to night.
And rising becomes setting ­
All too soon.
All too soon you are gone from me
And I can stroke your velvet coat no longer.
All too soon your eyes, deep with softness,
rest no longer on my own.
And all of this can happen in a day.
For nothing gold can stay.
But in the night I see you again;
In the night a ray of your light shines through,
Cutting away the murkiness,
And you are whole And we are together.
Again.
Still.
Never having parted.
Never having had to say goodbye.
And I can still pet your thick honey fur
And you can still luxuriate in my touch,
Enjoying the sweetness of Life,
Never knowing that what rises now with the dawn
Will chase you away
So you must retreat to the other side of the glass
That rests upon my wall
Only to be seen in Memory.
Bless me, Samson,
And let me feel that glow that was you;
Come rest upon me now once more
And bring new Life to me
As I gaze into another set of eyes that needs a home.
Wrap me in your majesty
And let me hear the Music
So I may Dance into another love affair
That someday, too, will break my heart,
But before it does,
Make my heart whole again,
So I may give my Soul to the love to come
And thus earn the hurt.
--Michele Krause

(Brittany): As my "sister" she used to sit on my bed and either stretch out or cuddle up in a ball. Even though dogs can't speak, it's really nice to just sit there and enjoy them. When I talked to Valentine, the good thing was if you told her a secret she would never be able tell anyone else. When I fed her she would come right over to me and waited patiently until I got her 2 cups and as soon as I put the dish down, she was off!!! And about 3-4 minutes later she was done! I know it was her time and I know she is running around in heaven with 4 legs chasing rabbits, ha ha, she was the BEST!

(Courtney): Valentine loved going for rides. She especially loved going to Petsmart, parks, and her favorite, Ocean City, New Jersey. As soon as we would step foot onto the beach, she would pull us straight toward the ocean. The water was always ice-cold, but Valentine didn't care. She loved jumping around in it and getting soaked, lucky for me; I was usually the one holding her leash so I got soaked too! Valentine was always a very smart dog. I was the one who taught her "give foot" and "sit" and she caught on very quickly. Even some of the dogs we fostered caught on to her commands when she did them. I loved going for walks with Valentine and I loved watching her run in closed-off baseball fields. Even though she is not with us anymore, I know she is happier now and I know that we gave her the life she deserved. I miss her very much and I'll always love her. She'll always stay in my heart.

We used to call Valentine the "anti-greyhound" because of some of the traits she portrayed that are not typical of the greyhound. She was a good watch dog and barked at strangers, but the people she knew, she greeted with a sniff and a wag of her tail. Valentine always liked sitting in the middle of gatherings we had at our house with family and friends. She was not a leaner and not a kisser. When she wanted affection she would let us know. Don't get me wrong, she loved attention and would scratch the back of my legs as I walked into the house, her way saying "I'm here. Play with me"

Her prey drive was very strong willed and difficult to control. Unfortunately for some unsuspecting rabbits, our hunter cut short their lives.

Valentine became the matriarch of the 3 foster greyhounds that we enjoyed helping. We 'failed' foster parenting when we took in our 4th foster and named her Candi. It was a perfect match, "Valentine Candi". They loved bantering back and forth, stealing bones and toys from one another. They loved running around in the yard together.

Valentine began to limp unexpectedly in April of this year. We thought she hurt her leg while running in the yard with Candi. The limp progressed so we made an appointment to have it checked. We were given some anti-inflammatory medicine and pain pills. This did not help, so back to the vet for x-rays; a mass was discovered in her front right shoulder. The Vet was not sure if the mass was cancer or some other irritant. We were given some stronger pain pills and discussed the options if this did not help. The pain progressed, Osteosarcoma, that devastating cancer, entered hers (and our) lives. The pain persisted so the course of treatment was amputation, May 10th. Recovery was a bit difficult, we think more for us than her. She adjusted well. Soon, she was running in the yard with Candi and being playful again, her pain was removed. As we knew, by the cancer, her time with us was to be shortened.

Around July 1st, we saw she was having difficulty walking and getting up was difficult, her legs were faltering, she would cry at times, we knew the pain was back. On July 4th, we made a call to the vet, which was open only for emergencies. We discussed our options to place Valentine on more pain medication, but as a family we knew this would not help her in the long run. We opted to let Valentine go, in an odd way giving her Independence from the pain. July 4th will not be the same for quite a while.

We were blessed with the time we had with Valentine, unfortunately too short. We are certain that she knew how much she was loved. We are certain that she knew how much she was loved. We are fortunate to have had this beautiful creature as part of our family. She will forever live in our hearts.
Daniel, Joanne, Courtney, and Brittany Coll
Wed July 6, 200

If another greyhound owner reading this, has had a similar experience, I would like to hear from you to help me understand what illness my greyhound was afflicted with. Perhaps, in this way, I can help other greyhound owners whose dogs may have a similar, unexplained and ultimately fatal, experience by giving the local veterinary community a heads up as to what sickness Duffy's symptoms were attributed to.

To offer words of praise and devotion, I would like to say that Duffy was an extremely loving, friendly, irreplaceable member of our family. He even convinced our ornery cat, Buddy, to not only tolerate his presence, but eventually love him and now miss him very much as we all do. Not having his affectionate greyhound hugs (his nose pushing between my resting arm and torso asking to be petted and scratched), hearing him bounding down the stairs when he heard me opening the coat closet, and missing his face peering around the kitchen door frame giving me that "just one more doggy biscuit" look, brings me much sadness.

I would like to say thank you to Duffy for bringing so much love and warmth to our home and lives. It is my hearfelt belief that Duffy is running with friends and family, as we speak, with no leashes allowed, sun-filled days, and giant-size dog biscuits available on demand in a place where we can be together again one day in the future.
Barbara Studer, Pennsylvania Duffy adopted as 'Shannon Duffy' from Make Peace With Animals in '99-2000
Sat Mar 26, 2005

Shortly after Annie's crossing, I went to the Make Peace with Animals site and began looking for a greyhound who might need a forever home. Sometimes I feel that others may think I am trying to replace them, but I know that can never happen. I can only offer another home to another and I consider this an honor to the ones who have crossed.

Of course, I knew that I would find a whole list of them (I would like to take every one of them if I could). I sent Cynthia a note asking her what she could tell me about my list of all of the "cat safe" dogs that were available. I waited to hear from her to see what her suggestions would be. I also told myself that I probably knew who she would recommend as she knew of my recent losses. Her first suggestion was Kimmie and her second was Holly and Willie. I told her I would take Holly and Willie as they were in a kennel and it is hard to place two dogs together since so many of us who do adopt have multiple animals. Needless to say, two new angels have joined the Wetterau clan - they are Holly and Willlie - and have settled into their new family with Candy, Robin and Ruffles - With some minor adjustments - mostly Holly and Ruffles each trying for the same spot on the sofa - things have gone pretty smoothly - it usually takes a little time to work things out - like not eating the hedgehog food, etc. - but all in all - I have already given my heart to both of these beautiful creatures - Cynthia sure has the knack for picking the right homes for them - they fit like a glove.

I have such good memories of every one of my greyhounds - they all hold a special place in my heart - I will continue to do rescue as long as God lets me - mostly age and physical capability will determine that. I often feel that we as rescuers of these angel animals hold a special connection to one another and I am grateful for that. If any one ever feels "guilty" about getting another greyhound after losing one, I can tell you in my heart that they want us to do it as long as we can. Those of you who provide good homes and love are indeed a "special group of people". We all know that we cannot "replace" them, but giving another one a forever home is a choice that I have made because I know they would want us to do it for one of their friends.
Laura Wetterau
Fri, 05 Nov. 2004

Excel was a people greyhound; most times she would go up to a person for a gentle pat instead of greeting the person's greyhound. Excel loved food so the first clue that she wasn't well was her disinterest in breakfast. When her chest was x-rayed the tumor that was consuming her body was huge, the size of a large orange and growing fast. It just wasn't fair to hang on to our greygirl for our own selfish reasons.

The end was peaceful; she died in Kris' arms surrounded her family with the help of the vet. Kris talked and pet our girl right to the end; I love you Belle, I love you my little Excel, its time to ease your pain." Excel is now in a pain free world, reunited with her littermates who passed on before her. There is so much more to be said but for now it will have to wait the grief is still too much to bear. We want to thank both Cynthia Branigan and Jackie Wright-Minogue for the help, support and kindness you extended to us these past 2 weeks, thank you both.
Jan, Tom & Kris Metz
Staten Island, New York
Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:00

Since she was picked for me--read: I don't know what the chooser was looking for-- I am afraid I will never be able to find another match that was so very very perfect. She was very shy and aloof when I picked her up: all the other "adoptees" went up to their owners and did greyhound smiles...Morgan wouldn't even look at me, she ambled over to the door (hoping for escape?) and played with the jingle bells attached to the doorknob. This quiet withdrawn creature grew into a frighteningly intelligent and often bossy alpha female. She never seemed as excited to see other greyhounds as they appeared to see her; sometimes she would sigh at her walk being halted for such ridiculous chatting. Unlike many of her delicate peers she could and would eat anything--dear God, anything--and not become sick. I called the animal poison control hotline 3 times in 10 years; though each time the instruction was only to "watch her." This entailed watching her sleep contentedly on the couch while I chewed my fingernails. Once she unscrewed a fully tightened "Vittles Vault" and ate 10-12 pounds of dog food. She lay on her side, looking bloated, tired and extremely happy. She never threw up.

Like all "mothers," I was inordinately vain about my girl: Morgan was bigger than most female greyhounds (racing at 65 pounds) and she had a classic form from her lovely coat--not even bald the day she left the track--to her perfect rosebud ears and candy-cane tail. For the last six years of her life she had epilepsy, which was controlled with medicine. While seizures were scary, I found that giving her medicine three times a day was another chance to bond and regular vet visits to check blood chemistry kept us on top of any other medical problems. I also discovered that phenobarb must taste awful, because on the rare occasions she did suffer a seizure, 90% of the time I would find that Morgan had eaten whatever goodness the pill was wrapped in and then hidden the pill so it would not be re-introduced. I would find stashes pushed far under her bed or dropped behind the couch.
I expected no less from a canine who shared not only her genius but also her ailment with Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte and Agatha Christie.
Tiffany Mitchell
Sat, 17 Apr 2004 16:34