I dont really know Lisa (my cousin) because of family politics but she sent this to my dad to let him know her dog had passed... It is a very nice story that I thought I would share here. Ironically there are greyhounds in this story....
God Speed Shadow
I am so sad to write and let everyone know that we had to put down our
> beautiful, loving Shadow today. Through my broken heart and tears tonight I
> felt the need to write this tribute to her. I hope that you don't mind me
> sharing it with you.
>
>
> DREAM DOG
>
> by Lisa Decker
>
> She came to me first by a voice spoken in a dream, "Someone will call and offer
> you a dog." I woke puzzled about such an odd dream, no vision seen, just one
> sentence heard. An hour later the phone rang. It was Debbie, a woman that had
> brought us together with another animal a year before this call. In an attempt
> to help animals displaced through Hurricane Andrew, we had opened our home to a
> dog from Andrew's Ark. She turned out to be a gnarly, old, bull dog that didn't
> like sharing my attention with my young children. That dog had not worked out.
>
> This time Debbie was calling to offer us a dog that she had heard about from her
> friend, Tim. He had found this dog abandoned on a construction site and he had
> been trying to find the owners through signs, ads and alerting the pound. No
> one had called to claim her. Would we be interested?
>
> Now at the time 10 years ago, I had just recently been diagnosed with breast
> cancer and multiple sclerosis. On top of that, after considering the bad dog
> experience I had with Debbie the last time around and the fact that I was on
> chemo, I really didn't think it was a good time to get another dog. I thanked
> her for thinking of us, but the timing was not right and we couldn't do it.
>
> The very next night, I dreamed of this dog again. Only this time I could see
> her. Running around playfully, was a large black dog with white paws, a white
> chest and a white streak between her eyes. She showed me her magnificence in a
> vision so clear that I knew that I must meet this "Dream Dog."
>
> I called Debbie back the next day and told her I would be interested in just
> talking with the friend. She gave me his number and I called right then. Tim
> was very nice and explained that he couldn't keep her because he rescued grey
> hounds and already had six at the time! He said she was very friendly and only
> had one problem. I thought, oh no, here we go, another problem dog. So of
> course, I asked "What's the problem?" He responded, "The dog never wants to
> stop playing. She really needs a family with children to play with." With 3
> little girls running around at the time, we had no problem taking care of that
> problem!
>
> He offered that he would bring the dog to meet us, no obligation. Tim even went
> as far to say that if she didn't work out, he would take her back and find
> another family for her. At that point, I thought, "What do I have to lose?"
> We set up a time for next week. But I just couldn't stop thinking about her.
> The kids were so excited they didn't want to wait. So I called Tim back shortly
> and asked him how soon could he come by? He was going to be in the area the
> next day so that would be perfect.
>
> Tim came with 2 of his racing dogs and the dog we would soon name, Shadow. The
> racers jumped out of the van first, then we saw the black head of this dog
> peeking out cautiously. She even tried to duck back into the van but Tim coaxed
> her out by showing her a pine cone. "Watch this," he said, as he threw the pine
> cone across the yard. We stood in amazement as this dog took off like
> lightning, running even faster than the grey hounds who ran behind her. She
> came back for more over and over again. Now I understood what Tim had meant by
> needing some children to play with!
>
> We talked a few moments with Tim and then our whole family decided we would give
> her a try. My husband, Ron and Tim kept talking and I took her into the house
> to get some water. Surprisingly, she followed me right in and never looked
> back. I gave her the water and then sat down on the couch. She walked right
> over to me and put her head in my lap, then looked up at me with these
> incredible, deep eyes that said, "Can I stay, oh, please can I stay?!" It was
> instant love for both of us with that first look.
>
> Shadow followed me everywhere I went from that moment on. That's why I named
> her Shadow. Wherever the family was, that's where she was too. This dog
> brought laughter and happiness into a home that had at that point in time been
> filled with so much sorrow and sadness after both my diagnosis'. She became the
> catalyst for healing.
>
> This "dream dog" really did turn out to be a dream dog. Fully house broken, she
> never once chewed anything up, while knowing basic commands and listening like
> she understood every word I said to her. She was fixed and thought to be about a
> year old. A black lab, great dane mix, she was elegant and sleek with a shiny
> coat. She personified beauty in motion. Running after balls and pine cones is
> what always made her happiest. She could actually fit up to 6 pine cones in
> her mouth at one time! Loving, and a gentle giant, she was always very
> protective of our family.
>
> About 3 months after we got her, we were out for one of "our walks". My
> neighbor, Val on the opposite end of the block came out and said to me,"Where
> did you get that dog?". I became uneasy thinking that she might know who she
> belonged to. At this point I was totally attached and I was not giving her back
> to anybody. I asked her cautiously, "Why do you want to know?"
>
> "Well, I got a call about a dog that was abandoned on a construction site from a
> friend of a friend. We went out to this guy, Tim's house to take a look. He
> said had too many dogs already and couldn't keep her." Val continued, "He told
> us she liked to play and chase pine cones, but she wouldn't chase one for us.
> Funniest thing, she looked just like your dog, but that dog wasn't friendly at
> all. Wouldn't even come near us. We said, thanks, but this isn't the dog for
> us."
>
> Amazingly, that dog was our Shadow. Soon after Val saw her is when she came
> into our lives. She had been waiting for us.
>
> Shadow was over now 10 years old. Two weeks ago in her excitement to take our
> walk, she feel down the stairs in front of me and slammed her chest really hard
> into the floor. Although she was stunned, she appeared ok as she stood up and
> shook herself off happy to take our walk. Within a week of the fall she started
> to drool excessively, something she had never done before. Then I noticed that
> when she laid on her side, it looked as though a big, beach ball was in her
> stomach, her chest heaving with slow labored breathing.
>
> We took her to the vet and she diagnosed it as a diaphragmatic hernia. When she
> had fallen the diaphragm that separates the heart from the other organs had torn
> and natural barrier between the organs was no longer there to do it's job. Her
> body was withering as her organs were now crushing on top of each other.
> Because of all these pressures in her body she was growing anemic too. Though
> she didn't appear to be in much pain, she had no energy or appetite and had lost
> over 10 pounds. She passed out in front of me the other day and hit her head on
> the cabinet. She has been getting weaker by the day. At 10 years old it was
> doubtful that she would make it through the risky surgery necessary, and if she
> did, she would have faced a long painful recovery. We just couldn't do that to
> her. And so tonight, because we loved her so, we put her down before the real
> suffering started.
>
> I can't help but think of some of the ways that she will be missed.... For 10
> years she has been my walking buddy, rarely did I ever walk without her... now
> we will have to fix the doorbell as we don't have our alarm, Shadow, to alert us
> that someone is here anymore...and we will all miss the way she howled for
> happiness whenever we would return home late.
>
> I grew up with many, many animals in my life, from snakes to a monkey and many
> things in between! I have had to put down a lot of them along the way. It has
> never been easy or fun. But this old girl was special. There will never be
> another like her.
>
> Because this dog was literally heaven sent, I know that she will always be with
> me in spirit. Those of you who have ever had the privilege of having a that
> strong a connection with your pet will surely understand. Those of you who
> haven't, I wish for you that you do some day.
>
> ###
>
>
> It's been a long time since I sat down and wrote a story. This used to be a
> passion of mine. Maybe losing Shadow has rekindled that spark and this will be
> her last gift to me. Thanks for reading