Apollo

[Guest bigorangedog]

My sweet and brave Apollo,

 

I’ll never know what the first 9.5 years of your life were like, or why you lost your other family. All I wanted was to make you a part of our family, and make you understand that it was really and truly forever.

 

You had a bit of a hard time trusting people, I know. You were friendly and outgoing, but were wary of anyone who got too close to you. I’m grateful that during our time together, you decided to let me in. That in the end, you were able to take comfort from being close to me. That you could lay your head on my shoulder and relax while I rubbed your face.

 

At Heartland, they said you were a “gentleman.” That’s true. You always had a dignified air about you, even when you let go a bit and ran just for the sake of running. The way you sat on your bed watching the household goings-on, your long neck appearing even longer with your missing scapula, you were stately and magnificent.

 

When people came to adopt greyhounds here, I can’t even count how many times the families wanted to take you home instead of the adoptables. Especially children, even though you never particularly cared for children. They were all drawn to you. Families ignoring vibrant 2-year-old females in favor of a big senior tripawd boy. There was just something about you. Always so gentle, so sweet.

 

You were a beautiful boy. And that’s not just a mama talking. The kind of beautiful that made everyone stop and remark upon it whenever we were out. You had that Art Deco silhouette, everything tapered and elongated. Delicate but strong. Soft and sleek. I remember the feel of your neck and chest under my hands.

 

I wish I had known you better when I had to make that life-or-death decision for you. You had only been in our family for 4 months at the time. I have questioned myself, doubted, regretted, reassured, and questioned again whether we did right by you to take your leg. I only hope that you understood, at some level, that we were trying to help you. That every decision was made out of love.

 

You amazed me from the first day after your amputation, when you hopped out of that clinic under your own power and only got better each day after that. I know it was hard on you emotionally, but you were brave and you bounced back. You just kept right on going through everything. I remember clearly the day we took that video of you running in the front yard. It was the day that you realized that you could still run. From that point on, you were yourself again. Having that video of you saves me. It helps me remember that you had joy here.

 

I think that you were happy here, on 4 legs and on 3. You would run in fast from the yard sometimes, just for the fun of it, or take off to the far corner if Brad was barking at something there. You learned to recognize my MNGR shirts, and campaigned hard to go to every event with me. I loved to see you so excited and bouncy, knocking into everyone, wagging your long whip of a tail, even jumping up at me with that one front leg. It broke my heart when I couldn’t take you. I always took you when I could; when it was not to hot, or too far for you to walk. I just hated ever saying no to you, with your sweet expectant face.

 

I knew that you were feeling good when you would hop after me every time I went to the kitchen. I could never turn you down, and I always produced some kind of tidbit for you. I would try to finish up whatever I was doing in the kitchen before you finished eating your treat, or you would be bopping back in there, ears up, to wait for another.

 

I hope that I can always recall the sound of your high-pitched, hoarse but piercing bark. You almost never barked, but when I came home, you would almost always meet me at the gate, barking that silly bark. That was one of those times when I could count on some big tail wags from you. Oh, those wags of your skinny, curly tail made me so happy. I just loved that you loved me, after all you had been through. I’d put myself between you and the rest of the thundering herd, so they wouldn’t knock you off balance. I would lean over you and hug you, rub your prickly new fur under your chest where your leg used to be, kiss your head and tell you how happy I was to see you. The house howl will never be the same without your high bark to get them started.

 

Oh, Pallo. I miss you so much already, my honeybear. You were such a huge piece of this family, our “pack.” The girls love you too, even though you didn’t want to play with them. They were always concerned about you, asking whether you were okay, showing me that they were being gentle around you. They name their stuffed dogs Apollo, and draw pictures of dog-creatures named Apollo. I am so glad that they got to know you too.

 

Thank you for being part of our family. For trusting us, forgiving us, for trying so hard, and for loving us. You have a space in my heart for you and only you. I love you, my baby boy.

 

 

[greyhoundlov]

I am so very sorry to hear your sad news. It breaks my heart each and every time.

 

 

[Remolacha]

I am so sorry

 

 

[luvhounds2]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. What a fantastic creature he was!!!! So handsome - and the wonderful look in his eyes. :

 

Run and get your wings, sweet boy!

Edited August 11, 2010 by luvhounds2

[Tracey]

I am so sorry.

[Guest lovemyhounds]

What a beautiful heartfelt tribute to a very special boy. I am so sorry for your loss.

[Lilysmom]

such a beautiful tribute. I am so sorry for your loss, but boy does it sound like Apollo had a great life with you.

 

Godspeed Apollo

[robinw]

I'm so sorry. Jen, I hope I don't see any threads started by you in Remembrance for a very long time

[Hubcitypam]

I'm so sorry for your loss of your sweet boy.

[Guest greybookends]

[MandysMom]

I'm so sorry. What a beautiful tribute. Godspeed Apollo

[fliggie]

I'm so sorry

[Guest 4rooers]

May God bless you for the love you gave your special boy.

Run like the wind, Apollo.

[FiveRoooooers]

Jen, I am so, so sorry.

 

Godspeed bravest Apollo

[AnneGTS]

I'm so sorry

[Guest greytbookert]

I'm so very sorry! Apollo was a special boy who will be missed!

 

Run free Apollo!

[gazehund]

I am so sorry for your loss. Rest well Apollo, whole and pain free now.

[Batmom]

Godspeed, gallant boy.

[dante2zoe]

Thank you for sharing Apollo with us. What a beautiful boy - inside and out. I am so sorry. I hope your girls are doing okay. Such a hard lesson for ones so young.

[TheFullHouse]

I'm so sad to see Apollo here. He fought the good fight. I'm so sorry for your loss. Godspeed Apollo.

[maryz]

I'm so sorry for your loss. His beautiful face made me gasp when I saw his picture. I can tell how much you loved him and my heart breaks with

yours. Godspeed Apollo.

[Guest tricolorhounds]

I'm so sorry Apollo had to leave... It's not fair, he didn't get to spend enough time with you.

 

 

... run free Apollo, like the wind

[teri_d]

started my morning off with a good cry -- i knew the tribute to apollo would be sweet and moving -- but i feel like i knew him personally now - what a brave and sweet boy - may your memories of him comfort you. yes he took a piece of your heart, but he left a bigger piece of his own heart here for you. hugs --teri

[CaliforniaGreys]

I am so sorry

 

 

God speed to you handsome boy, for you truly know how much you are loved

[Cully]

Run free sweet baby.