Learning From a Greyhound

One week ago I had to say goodbye to my beautiful greyhound, to let her race over Rainbow Bridge, to a place she will never hurt nor ever fear again.

It was very painful.  She taught me many things.  About greyhounds, about love and devotion, and the true meaning of “couch potato”.

Through a shy, timid little greyhound, she instilled a desire in me to effect a change.  Through a gentle little girl, she brought so many new friends and opened up new doors.

A sweet little girl – she saw things no one should ever experience in life. 

Her foster mom told me of all the dogs they have foster, Berry was the most traumatized they have ever seen.  I believe she was not treated kindly at the track.  Then after fostering, a successful adoption and a subsequent discordant divorce, she was placed back into acrimonious situations.  Ones a shy little girl can’t understand.

A second rescue was mounted by the original fosters and that is where I found her.

A beautiful life, a beautiful girl and a vow from her new mom.  Nothing will ever hurt her again and she would be enveloped in love.  All the things she missed for 6 years.  And I kept my vow until a disease (DM and others) I could not combat took over.

Whether they are forced to race, or fight, or feed themselves on the streets, they want to survive, and they want love.  And they deserve that, if for nothing alone, their pure hearts.

And I will fight to save the Berrys.  These beautiful, loving, lazy kids are not meant to be raced.  They love to run.  But not in those conditions.  In a back yard, with someone who loves them to bring them back inside to eat and lie down in comfort.

Berry crossed the Rainbow Bridge, legs intact, and faced no judgment day.  We can learn a lot from our dogs.