A Greyt Commitment

                                                                Only one grey to love

                                                                My heart needed more

                                                                Another was needed

                                                                To balance the score

Taking a dip

                                                                    

Rusty & Kazi in Key West

With the holidays approaching, my husband and I were engulfed in the festivities and the antics of Rusty and Kazi, our two amusing greyhounds, when the unthinkable occurred.  One afternoon, when I was home with the dogs, my large male grey, Rusty, vomited and then proceeded to have an episode that I can only describe as odd.  Backing up suddenly and having no control of his body, his fear was palpable.  After vet visits where no apparent culprit was discovered, death followed at home 48 hours later.  He was 10.  No explanation as to cause was offered by the vet.  We were devastated.  

My Kiowa

Time marched on as it will, and our grieving lessened.  We were lucky to still have our female greyhound, Kazi, and kept her close to our hearts.  In February, we traveled to the Florida Keys as was our usual trek.  Kazi was immersed in her typical Keys dog activities: the dog park, the beach, and visiting Key West.  We all seemed on the mend from our shattering blow.  Our month in Florida over, we looked forward to getting back into our routine.

In March, I got the itch for an addition to our greyhound family.  Upon reaching my favorite greyhound rescue site, a face with a spectacular nose jumped out at me.  His expression insisted that I come and pick him up.  Every four legged wonder had been a blessing to us, but this sweet face spoke to my heart, and I was immediately captivated.  Within a short time, he was home.

Kazi relaxing

One day soon after, Kazi vomited.  Being sensitized to any change in behavior after Rusty’s issue, I rushed her to the vet.  Her blood work was not good, and x-rays were taken.  She had a massive cancerous tumor on her spleen and liver.  Unthinkable!  How could this be happening again?  Nothing to be done, we took her home and loved her.  She seemed comforted knowing we had another greyhound to love and within two weeks, she left us at the age of 9.

Here's Emma!

The sorrow was more poignant this time.  The second loss hit me harder than the first.  Not that my love was stronger, but the loss of two wonderful dogs was hard to bear.  We grieved again.  Kiowa, our new grey, helped fill the void, and we felt blessed to have him especially at that moment in time. 

Almost a year passed, and a need for the balance of two dogs overcame me.  Many beautiful female faces stared back at me when I revisited the rescue website.  But February was again upon us, and our Florida visit loomed ahead.  It was not the time to adopt another dog.  

Kiowa & Emma at home

Back home, my desire renewed, I again began a search.  Finding a little black girl who was just turning 2 years old in May, our search fruitful, we were smitten.  She is delicate and beautiful and a joy.  Easy to teach, easy to love, an easy addition to the family, she was meant to be with us.  We named her Emma, and she, as well as Kiowa, is the love of our lives.  

Each greyhound, we have been lucky to parent, has been special to us.  Starting back in 1991, we had very little choice of temperament, color, etc.  The only thing chosen was the dog’s gender.  We got what we got and loved them in spite of themselves.  Many of our greys have had some type of issue, but all were workable with kindness and caring.  Luckily today, there is much more information available to help you make the best choice for your family when picking a greyhound to adopt. 

Love at first sight

To our considerable surprise neither Kiowa nor Emma seems to have any complication.  They are happy, well adjusted, and play with toys and each other.  They love us as much as we love them.  We have had Kiowa for over a year and know what to expect from him whereas Emma has only been with us for a month. As time goes on, more of her personality will surface and watching her develop will be ours to experience.

My balance

Having eight dogs over our lifetime of greyhounds, each one of them became a unique gift.  No two were ever the same, and their differences, peculiarities, temperaments, strengths made each their own little adventure.  I have been privileged to have been given the opportunity to be their caregiver.  Each one has a piece of my heart, and I know that my devotion for these special dogs was one of God’s purposes for my existence on Earth.