This page is dedicated to the memory of beloved animal companions who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. If you would like to submit a photo and/or small tribute (100 words or less) to your greyhound or other pet, please send it to GREATinfo@great-greyhound.org. Memorials will remain on this page for one month. Out of respect for the bereaved family, no tributes will be posted without their express permission.
Mohican Too
Barney
2/6/01 - 8/26/10
My precious little boy, Barney, has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Barney has been a cancer survivor for 1 1/2 years and a great representative of being a disabled dog. He didn't know he was disabled! I don't regret for a minute the surgery last year that extended his life. A year and a half in a dog's life is a long time.
Barney touched my heart 4 1/2 years ago when we picked him up at the farm. On his way to Tampa in Liz Lynch's SUV, he rested his head on my shoulder and pressed his face against my cheek.
He lost his battle Thursday, August 26th. My vet, Dr. Ricci, came to the house to help him cross over. The pain medications weren't lasting and it was time. The cancer metastasized to his chest as bone cancer usually does. Two weeks ago Dr. Ricci found a lump on his only rear leg. He was losing the spark and spirit in his eyes from the pain. It was time. He still ate like the chow-hound he was! He loved to eat and his treats. My pumpkin boy still barked when someone rang the bell. I know he was holding on for me and it wasn't fair to him. He passed away peacefully and quickly.
Jo Ann Copertino
Skyway Angel
Angel
4/3/00 - 8/3/10
Little brindle “Angel-who-wasn't” sometimes, and “Angel-who-was” many times, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 8/3/010 after definitive diagnosis of a fast growing mast cell tumor on her right elbow that was leaking into her lower leg and abdomen. She passed peacefully.
Angel came to our house as a bounce-back after being competitive with the new baby in the home back in 2003. She fit in immediately with the others at the time, Sir Guy and Jolie and Tuesday the Italian greyhound. Smallest of all except for Tuesday, she ruled the roost through several sets of siblings! She herded me around the townhouse, and would hook her leg around mine when she felt I was going the wrong way. Her little "ridge" down her neck was very distinctive and made her look even more mischievous than she was. Her most favorite things to do were lounge on the doggie futon and steal my shoes, thankfully never leaving even a tooth mark!
Angel is already greatly missed. When I texted my son Johnny midday when Doc called with the diagnosis, he said that Bette, Diana and Gaspar had been barking and whining most of the day since we left this morning. Thanks be to the Lord for giving us the pleasure of knowing this sweet little greyhound girl.
Carol & Johnny Chilton
Bette, Diana and Gaspar (the male of the house, an Italian greyhound)
And playing at the Rainbow Bridge, having joyfully greeted Angel are Popsycle, Jolie, Darling, Merlin, Tuesday & Camryn
Kiowa Shawnee Hi
Macy
9/16/98-6/23/10
Macy became part of our family on June 5th of 2004. She was our first greyhound. We always knew we wanted a greyhound and had finally made the decision to adopt. So after 134 official times around the track she made her way into our house and to the backyard where she proceeded to make her own perfectly round track in the newly sodded lawn, lol. She quickly made all couches her personal loungers always positioning herself with a view of the kitchen in case the opportunity of food presented itself. She was living the life she deserved and we were so thankful for her. All family vacations included her. She loved traveling with us. A trip to Georgia found us encountering a second floor room where a lesson on climbing stairs was given at 6:30 a.m. I’m glad she was a quick learner! With her eyes looking up and her head under your arm she would move in on the food she loved the most which included peanut butter, scrambled eggs and bagels. She also loved her afternoon snack of Milk-Bones followed quickly by a nap in the sun.
In May 2010 she was diagnosed with lymphoma. Although we prayed that she would pass on her own, on June 23rd, 2010 we had to make the decision that all dog owners hate to make and we had to put our sweet girl down. We will never forget her beautiful face and the life long impact she made on us. We miss her dearly and will always have a special place in our hearts for her.
Mike, Lara, Kelsie & Kaylee McCay
M's Dodge Runner
Maximus
7/1/98-4/29/10
My sweet boy and best bud left me suddenly after ten years together when kidney failure took away the use of his hind legs. My constant companion through good times and through life's tribulations, his absence has left a huge hole in my life. Run free, my friend. Romulus, Puss-Puss and I will miss you until we meet again on the other side.
A special thank you to Dr. Saavedra, Dr. Morales, and the staff of Wellswood Midtown Animal Hospital for the excellent care they gave Max in his final days and for the great compassion they showed me when it came time to make that most difficult of decisions.
Kiowa Baby Yokel
Yokel
11/15/98 – 5/4/10
The legs that carried her around the tracks over 176 official times and took her to the winners’ circle 46 times quit running. The heart, the spirit, the love never waned. Our Kiowa Baby Yokel crossed the bridge on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
Yokel was our 2008 Valentine Sweetheart and officially became a Freshcorn grey on February 14 of that year. After 4 years of racing, 2 ½ years of being a Mom and a year of waiting for her forever home, Yokel found hers with us. What a nine year old sweetheart she was. We thought she would outlive us.
Yokel was always a young lady. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. She brought and received smiles, tears, hugs and kisses from so many Alzheimer patients, those in rehab, the challenged, senior citizens and care givers who waited for her weekly visits with them. She made so many think that she loved only them. There has never been a better greyhound ambassador than was this little girl. And she was so soft and smooth.
About a month ago Yokel just wasn’t acting herself. Though she still wanted to go visit folks, she wasn’t showing the same enthusiasm. The helicopter tail spin just wasn’t spinning anymore. Several trips to the doctor didn’t help and she sadly deteriorated very quickly. She then started losing hindquarter mobility. An MRI revealed an inoperable tumor on her spine.
She didn’t cross by herself. We were with her and held her hand.
Run, run, run without pain, our little sweetheart. Smile, bark at the birds, taunt the spaniels, cuddle with Addison and do whatever you want. Say hi to Hannah, Taz and Guinness. And when you want to be petted, Mom and Dad will know you are at our elbow. We’ll feel that nose tap.
Nite, nite, Valentine. We love you.
Mom and Dad Freshcorn
Spirit O Betsy
Betsy
4/7/00 – 4/10/10
Our beloved Betsy has moved on. She fell victim to liver failure due to cancer that had also spread into her pancreas and bowels. She went downhill fast... Less than a couple of weeks ago, she was running around the yard, chasing soccer balls, and talking morning walks like she was still 2 years old. She was well known for her ability to knock things over with her whip-like tail, but at the same time bring big smiles and laughs. "Beggy" will be remembered as a kind, sweet, loving, and sometimes crazy pet. We miss her already.
Love always,
Vince & Jessica Collogan
Kaias Fly Away
Fly
1/15/03 – 4/9/10
We lost foster dog Fly today, to heart failure. A fast-moving, virulent bacteria took up residence in her kidney and caused an abscess, and while she came through the surgery and the other kidney looked good, her body was worn out by the infection, and her heart gave out as she was in recovery. We are all devastated by her loss, especially her foster mom, and her soon-to-be adoptive parents, who had grown to love her in just a few days during a foster-to-adopt period in their home.
It's always hard to lose one of our beloved greyhounds, but it hurts more when they never got a chance to be a pet. We are so grateful that Fly did experience the joys of getting to know her new family, even though it was only for a few days. Run free and well at the Rainbow Bridge, Fly. You will not be forgotten.
GREAT, Inc.
TW Trooper
Trooper
6/27/99 – 3/18/10
We are very sad to say that Trooper Fox lost her battle with bone cancer on March 18. She was 11. We adopted her from GREAT on March 10, 2001.
Forever missed,
Christine & Jason Fox
Solitary Vision
Mickey
5/23/03 – 3/13/10
It is with great sadness that we said goodbye to foster dog Mickey today. Mickey was originally adopted out by GREAT in 2005, and returned to GREAT in 2008 when his owner passed away. Since that time, Mickey had continuing and increasingly severe problems with aggression, to the point where he simply could not be trusted outside of a crate or without a muzzle. After consulting with experts and ruling out medical causes, we had to make the difficult decision to let him go.
We pray that Mickey has found the peace that eluded him in life, and we will always remember how sweet he could be when he wasn't caught in the grip of whatever drove him to strike at those around him. Run free at the bridge, Mickey Moo, and we will see you again some day.
Copper Pot
Copper
10/18/99 – 2/2010
They say that time heals all wounds, but Owen and I are not sure there will ever be enough time to heal our broken hearts since Copper Girl has left us. Although she was an asset to our existing family when we brought her into our home in 2001, after our kids grew up and went to college, she became our family.
She was the reason why Owen couldn't wait to rush home from work every morning. He knew his "big girl" would be waiting for him. As for me, Copper was quite aware of what time I was suppose to come home from work even though I was rarely on time. She would start bugging Owen for the treats to do our nightly routine, "3 tricks for a treat". My BBG (that's my pet name for her....Big, Beautiful Greyhound)....was so smart. She learned 2 of these tricks in the last 13 months of her life. First she learned, "Give me 5" by her older sister, and after her older sister retuned to college, it was Mom's job to maintain the newly acquired trick. Last summer I tried a new one..."play dead" which she also did on command of a hand pointing to her with a "bang, bang" from the trainer. Her first trick learned early on in our life together was to "speak". She even knew how to speak when she had to go outside. She also knew how to "speak" so that Owen would get out of bed thinking she needed to go outside, but instead, Copper Girl would jump right on the bed and lay herself down tucked in close to her Mommy. Oh, how we miss her!
Our house feels so empty and not a hour goes by that we don't long to have her here with us once again. She was such a joy. We miss her greytly.
Thank you to Kathy Hoffman who in 2001 said to me, "why don't you adopt a greyhound" and thank you to all of the foster Moms who had a hand in raising Copper Pot during the summer of 2001. Our lives will never be the same; our BBG has touched our hearts forever. We love you Copper!
Mary Frances & Owen Luysterburg
Pot Luck
Luke
1/25/01 – 1/22/10
It is with great sadness that I share the news that my dear, sweet Luke (Pot Luck) passed away on January 22, three days short of his 9th birthday. Since his cancer diagnosis on Christmas Eve, I knew it was just a matter of time.
Luke was my delightful companion for over 6 years, and his absence leaves me painfully sad for losing him, but ever so grateful for having known him. He was a “perfect gentleman” with a gentle disposition and a patient and easygoing manner. He was always a friendly ambassador for GREAT’s Muvico “meet and greets” and a stellar example of the breed to the many strangers who have stopped us on the street to inquire about him.
When people would ask me if I had “rescued” Luke I would always answer, “I’m not sure who rescued whom!”
On Christmas Eve Luke was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma – two large tumors in his abdominal cavity that were aggressive and inoperable. In January when Luke started to show signs of pain and weakness Walt and I took him to our vet - fully expecting to have to make that Dreaded Decision. But Dr. Gregory put Luke on prednisone which reduced much of the inflammation and pain. Although this didn’t change Luke’s prognosis, it did give us three extra weeks together – for which I am truly grateful to Dr. Gregory!
During this time, Luke and I went to a pet photographer so I’d have some mementos of our happy times together. Although he was weary, Luke rallied for the photo shoot and reveled in all the attention! I will always cherish that magical hour we spent in the studio and these joyful testaments to our special bond.
It will take me a long time to get over this loss, but I will continue to encourage people to adopt greys through GREAT. You all have been terrific, and I want to thank you all for the support you have provided to me as I learned how to be a good greyhound-mom.
Thank you! – Liz O’Connell
Tuesday
1993 - 2/16/10
As fate would have it, I met Tuesday at the RV Show while working the GREAT booth with my beloved Breez. He was an 11 year old throw-away, and dachshund rescue (DARE) had taken him in, not holding much hope for his adoption. They didn't know I could hear him calling for me as he curled up in a blanket in their booth next to GREAT's. I heard, "Mom, look for me. I'm here waiting for you."....looked down into the blanket, and there he was.
The next six years introduced me to the world of dachshunds, which I have always lovingly called 'vertically challenged greyhounds'. Tuesday was my special little boy, my shadow, my friend. This morning, he once again talked to me as I left for work, asking me to come back and pick him up one more time for some special cuddle time. He was telling me that he was getting ready to leave me, but I had no idea it would be this soon. He journeyed to the Rainbow Bridge five minutes before I arrived home tonight, still cuddled under the blanket in his bed where I'd placed him this morning.
This 17 year old little man will forever hold a special place in my heart, and, like I promised him when I met him, I will never have another boy dachshund. Rest in peace, Tues...painfree and young. Give Hope a hug for me, ok?
I love you,
Mom (Kathy Hoffman)
