Loved Hound

Your hound can be featured as a Loved Hound, too. Just bid in Greyhound Gang's on-line auction (during the first two weeks of every month) for your chance to be spotlighted. Or bid to feature a friend's hound, as a present. Once you've won, you'll email me pictures and text, and the following month, this is where you and your hound will be. Loved Hound. Our wish - love for them all.

Luca - by Susan Swinehart

9/15/1997 - 8/6/2011

LUCA (DEVIE’S ERIN)

My sweet little Luca, may you ‘kick up the wind’ and run on the wings of angels~~

THE GIFT

Luca came into my life in July 2010, 2 months shy of her 13th birthday.

Luca

She became a sister to my two sweet, male greyhounds, Chase and Bear. The three of us welcomed her into our home with open paws . . . and, she walked right into my heart.

Luca loved to snuggle under blankets, never met a dog cookie or special treat that she didn’t like and she and Chase became close buddies. She was a little Houdini who made me laugh so many times with her antics . . . I always had to leave my grocery bags on the floor so that she could inspect each one and she could find her way around and through baby gates, no matter how much I secured them!

Luca

Luca came to me under difficult circumstances. Micky, her former owner, lived in Virginia and we met through our greyhound group, GPA-Northern Virginia, before I retired and moved back to Ohio.

Sadly, she was in a battle for her life with a very serious illness. She and her family could no longer care for Luca and so a new home had to be found for her. I wasn’t intending to adopt another greyhound at that time, but when I heard Luca was in foster care, I wanted very much to make her part of my family.

Luca

You see, in 2003, Micky was a foster Mom for 3 months to the second greyhound that I adopted. I loved her for that and always felt that she gave me such a beautiful gift in loving and caring for Jack. I was blessed with the opportunity to give back a special gift to Micky, by caring for and loving her Luca. Micky didn’t know I was the one who adopted Luca, but when she passed away 6 weeks later, I know she was smiling down upon us. Micky had been such a good friend to both people and greyhounds. Her loss was a big one for her family, greyhounds, the greyhound community and all of her many friends, including me. Luca

I, sadly, had to euthanize Luca on August 6th, 2011 and I wrote the following note to Micky’s sister and sister-in-law. The subject line was ‘Luca and Micky are Together Again’. . . .

Dear Ginny and Maria,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to tell you that I had to let Luca go to the Rainbow Bridge this morning. It is with great joy that I tell you she went running straight into Micky's arms and I'm so happy that they are both together again!

My vet and the emergency vet think she herniated a disc or threw a blood clot. Since this happened, on Tuesday, I have tried everything my vets and I could possibly think of to get her better. Finally, Luca just couldn't handle it anymore and didn't have the strength to continue to fight. . . . and, I knew I couldn't be selfish and try to keep her with me any longer. Her euthanasia was performed in my van at my vet's office. (She's an extremely caring and compassionate vet). I'd given Luca strong pain meds before taking her there and it was calm and peaceful. I had my arms wrapped around her telling her how much I loved her and also told her to say 'hi' to Micky for me.

I'm having Luca's body cremated, will be receiving her ashes and will send them to you, Ginny. I thought you might want to bury some of them at Micky's gravesite or spread them around the beautiful rose bush that you recently planted there. If it's okay with all of you, I was wondering if I could keep a few of the ashes. . . I keep my greys' ashes in my home in beautiful metal containers that I pick out, individually, for each of them. If you'd like to have all of them, I totally understand, and that will be fine with me.

Ginny and Maria - this is one of the hardest e-mails I've ever had to write, as I know you've all been through so much. I want you to know how very much I've loved Luca and how thankful I am to have shared this last year with her......she's been a true blessing in my life. I smile now as I think back to her galloping around me and doing play bows and stomping her feet when she was excited to play with me, or when I'd be fixing her supper or getting her ready to go outside. She was so sweet and quiet and gentle......like a little angel on this earth. I still plan to celebrate her 14th birthday on September 15th - a celebration of her life!

Luca Luca Every night, when I tucked her in, I told Luca that Micky was watching over her and loved her. I want you to know that Luca and Micky will always live on inside of my heart.

Love, Susan