In Memoriam

January 22, 2012 On the day of the Greyhound Picnic 2 years ago, a gentle black Greyhound named Lily was returned by her owners at the age of 13. I took one look at her, and my heart went out to this sweet dog. Although I knew we would not have much time together, I also knew immediately that she was coming home with me. I left the house with one Greyhound, and returned with two! She was as sweet as she looked, and enjoyed being with General, our Greyhound, our small dog, and the cats. She was even free-range chicken safe! Surprisingly, she spent the next 1 1/2 years with us, until she had a massive stroke on Feb. 25, 2011. She died in my arms, while I gently held her and told her how much we loved her. Nine months later, during the surprise Halloween snowstorm, our other Greyhound, General, became suddenly very short of breath, and his abdomen swelled as the snow piled up. I rushed him to the emergency vet, where I discovered that he had cancer which had invaded his liver, and eroded major blood vessels, causing him to bleed internally. At the age of ten, he had never shown any signs of the cancer that robbed him of his life. I will always remember the peaceful look of love he gave me as his life slipped away. We will treasure his unique personality, his smile, and his ability to "table-surf" no matter how high the table or counter. We have been without a Greyhound since Oct. 30, and the house seems to be missing something important. A certain spark is gone. Our 15-year -old poodle mix (also a rescue) misses her friends terribly, as we all do. It is time to add another Greyhound to the fold, as the house just doesn't seem like a home without a sleek dog running laps in our fenced-in yard, and lounging feet skyward on the sofa!