I have worked with Greyhound rescue for many years and although not as active as in the past, I am and forever will be a lover of these beautiful dogs. Many of them have not had the best life at the track as people would think...and many have been lucky enough to come off the tracks and go into 'forever' homes. My home was one of these and we have been fortunate to be able to foster about 20 greyhounds in the past (not all at the same time!) and also been blessed to have had four of our own. But, like all big dogs, they come with issues. Osteo took the lives of two, along with a little rescue pitbull mix we had found. All of this within the last three years. The latest to 'cross the bridge' was my beautiful Gwennie, a petite little black greyhound only 7 years old. I lost her only the day before last, March 16, 2011....again, to the monster named Osteosarcoma.
Now Gwennie, like many others, came to me with a story. It was her mission to come to my home and fill a void for my solo greyhound at the time, Kari. You see, Kari had lost her greyhound companion months before to an unknown and sudden death. We were in shock over Barbie's death and Kari depended heavily on Barbie. (Barbie and Kari were my two original greyhounds and the the reason i became interested in helping retired racing greyhounds.) So...i needed an alpha type personality for Kari and also a dog that was not so young as Kari was going on 9 years old.
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| Barbie (brindle) and Kari, my first greys |
I contacted my 'group', All Star Greyhounds in Lafayette, Indiana and told the president what i needed. They had a dog haul coming soon from Daytona and she told me she would make a call to see if they could find a dog of my description for me (i should say that most greys coming off the track are younger...so this was a stretch to find one that would be older). A week later, i got the call that a dog had been found, a spirited little black beauty whose kennel name was Gwendolyn and her racing name was 'Lips are Sealed'.
Apparently it took some doing to talk the trainer out of her. She had not raced for 4 years but for some reason they had kept her...perhaps as a kennel pet? It is my understanding that sometimes favorite ones are kept behind. (Don't get me started on how they could treat a 'favorite one' like this by not allowing them to have a REAL home outside of a crate.) Nevertheless, she was put on the truck at the last minute with the other 10 lucky ones that would be coming to Indiana. Indeed, this was to be the start of her life after 6 years of being crated probably more that three-fourths of her life and many times with only one meal per day.
It wasn't easy for her when she got to Lafayette. After her vet visit, it was determined that her tick titer had come back positive for a tick disease. She was flea invested, had to be spayed, and needed 6 black, nasty teeth pulled. The treatment for the tick disease is similar to Heartworm treatment and took several treatments over a 6 week period, i believe. She needed time to heal before she came to me and that was fine...but at least she was coming!
Finally in June '09, she came to our house. Such a happy day! The group president had fostered her personally while she was healing and told me that she was one of the best that she had ever had and that she was beginning to play with toys and stuffed animals...learning all the things that she never got to experience inside the kennel at the track. Even treats are foreign to many of them! Well, this little girl did a wonderful job bringing much happiness to the family...and especially to Kari and myself.
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| Gwennie's last day before 'crossing'. |
Skip to the present, it was only about 3 weeks ago she started having problems with her back leg. If you have ever lost a dog to osteo, you know it is always in the back of your mind. When her leg got no better but only worse, i took her to the vet. X-ray showed a growth on the bone, but not definitive of cancer. I took her home with three types of meds, two of which were for pain. One week later my gut told me it was osteo. She was so much worse, in pain..crying into the night with me sleeping on the couch to be close to her. Her time was too short with me but she had a good life here and got to know what it is like to truly be 'retired' and in a loving home. She got to see her first snow this past winter and wore a bright red coat with a snuggly 'snood' that made her look like Little Red Riding Hood! She got to experience going to the local hot dog and root beer stand. She got to experience laying in the sun in the grass (not gravel). Most of all, she got to experience the love and affection that she so deserved. Oh, how i miss her as i type this!
Now to the cookies.... In my blogs, i have written about foods and recipes... bringing back memories of past years, the focus of social events, sharing with friends and family, and for celebrations and comforts. Well, in my case...these cookies were brought to me today from my sweet neighbors that live across the street. They knew what these dogs meant to me and know how i am grieving now. They were brought to me to comfort me. They were brought to me FOR my heart and not necessarily for my stomach. They could taste like crap (which they don't!) or be the most delicious cookie ever but that really wouldn't matter to me anyway...nothing tastes great right now. What really matters is the thought and love that accompanied these chocolate chip cookies. All of the kind text messages, phone calls, and postings on my Facebook...support from people who understand that these pets we have, no matter what breed...they ARE truly family members. I thank all who have been a positive support for me. And thank you Sherri, Jared, and little Ruthie for bringing the cookies...you have no idea how much it means to me. :-)
I will end this by saying that the only thing worse than losing a beloved greyhound is never having one at all.... not ever having the privilege to experience these beautiful animals. If you are considering adopting a dog, do consider a retired racing greyhound...let them race into your heart forever!
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