Jump to content

Shadow


StridersSis

Recommended Posts

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 :gh_run

 

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

Kim, mom to Reno (Slatex Reno), sister to Daffy (Bally's Flack), Ashley and Sue (racing names unknown), and Bridge kids Strider (7/28/94-4/16/05), RW's Dallas (12/17/98- 06/26/2010), Odd Taylor (aka Lizzie), JC's Curfew (4/6/2005- 4/22/2010), Winnie(Pooh Bear)my heart dog, and Rocky the beagle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

f_yellow:pawf_yellow What a beautiful story about a wonderful pupper.

Paula & her pups--Paneer (WW Outlook Ladd), Kira & Rhett (the whippets)
Forever in my heart...Tinsel (Born's Bounder - 11/9/90-12/18/01), Piper, Chevy, Keno, Zuma, Little One, Phaelin & Winnie
Greyhound Adoption Center ~ So Cal rep for Whippet Rescue And Placement

For beautiful beaded collars, check out my Facebook page: The Swanky Hound

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Run free sweet Angel Shadow...you are among many friends. :grouphug:f_white

Usethisone.jpg

Patti-Mommy of Lady Sophia 7-28-92 - 8-3-04... LaceyLaine 8-2-94-12-5-07...

Flash Gordon 7-14-99 - 8-29-09... BrookLynne...Pavé Maria... and 18 Bridge Kids.

WATCHING OVER US~SOPHIA~QUEENIE~LACEY LAINE~

CODY ANGELO~FLASH GORDON.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...