About nine years ago I couldn’t get it out of my mind to get a greyhound. I even had a dream one night about a beautiful fawn colored greyhound that made my heart leap for joy.
Soon I found myself online viewing available greyhounds at Recycled Racers in Commerce City, Colorado. One autumn day I visited their kennel to “look” at greyhounds as the famous saying goes.
As I entered the kennel, there were many excited greyhounds. They were turned out into a pen for me to view. They all ran up to the fence where I was standing, and then retreated to play. Only one of the greyhounds remained by the fence. She was a beautiful fawn colored 3 year old female they had named “Sue”. She seemed to want to stay close to me.
They let me take “Sue” for a walk and my jaw dropped at how beautiful she was and she took my breath away. Needless to say, I fell in love with her and soon adopted her.
I always loved the name Rosey so I changed her name to Rosey which became such a fitting name over the years. Her personality was sweet, gentle, playful, and loving.
We developed an unbreakable bond over the next nine years. Her favorite things were going to the dog park everyday to play with her friends, riding in the car with me (her dad), greeting neighbors on our walks in our community, greeting me when arriving home from work, eating all the wonderful dog treats I gave her, laying by my side while I watched television, and her long greyhound naps.
Rosey became a pet therapy dog at Lutheran Medical Center in Lakewood, Colorado and we volunteered at the hospital and hospice visiting patients. She moved to Indianapolis with me when my job transferred there, and then moved back to Colorado with me when by job returned to Denver. She’s been on road trips with me to Montana, Estes Park, Evergreen, Pueblo, and on errands all over Denver.
As Rosey grew older we started slowing our pace and adjusting to her needs. She still got a car ride nearly every day and we’d go to the park for leisurely morning and evening walks.
Soon she developed mobility problems and was experiencing pain. The thing I never wanted to think about started to loom around us. I assisted my greyhound girl as much as I could to adjust to her ever-changing mobility needs.
One morning I took her to the park for a walk and her hind legs began to fail her. We made it back to the car but she couldn’t make her legs work to lay on her bed. I was afraid she was going to injure herself but she finally settled on the bed.
After a previous visit with Stacey from Caring Pathways and phone calls to them during the week, I immediately called them when we had returned from the park. My emotions were in overload and I felt completely numb. I scheduled an appointment for 1130 that morning and Lori from Caring Pathways came to our home. I met Lori in the parking lot and we did all the paperwork in her car before going in to see Rosey. My numb emotions began to fill with tears as I said goodbye to my good greyhound girl. She passed very peacefully in the comfort of our home. Lori let me spend some time alone with Rosey to say my final goodbyes.
Lori and Stacy from Caring Pathways made Rosey’s and my journey through this difficult time more manageable and I’m extremely grateful to them.
I miss Rosey immensely but am so thankful she is no longer in pain. A friend of mine told me Rosey has crossed over the rainbow bridge to heaven. I had never heard of the Rainbow Bridge but it was comforting. Rosey gave me unconditional love over the years and I reciprocated it back to her. It was truly a relationship of love. I thank her for enriching my life and she will forever have a special place in my heart.