Shadow

[StridersSis]

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

[Guest Becki]

[Guest greybookends]

[Guest jettcricket]

Run free sweet Shadow....

[Guest ChrissyB]

Goodbye Shadow...........

[Guest jeannejj]

[SAVED2]

[Guest CookieLover]

Job well done, Shadow...

[greypuppyluv]

What a beautiful story about a wonderful pupper.

[patricia]

Run free sweet Angel Shadow...you are among many friends.