Some of you have already learned that Bob and I had to say goodbye to our precious Evan Friday night. He was our big greyhound who adopted us almost eight years ago after I met him in Dr. Pearce's office. We were so thankful for the years we had with him and were celebrating the fact that he turned 12 Friday! Even though he had been having some health issues related to irritable bowel syndrome, we thought we had more time with him. I got home about 5:30 Friday and as always he greeted me by jumping up like his legs were on springs. After a few jumps he came down wrong. I was putting my bag down so I didn't see what happened, but I heard him yelp. I turned around and saw him on the floor and he couldn't get up. I called our vet and learned that he was on his way out of town, but his staff called the ER vet hospital and told them we were on our way. After pain meds and x-rays we learned that he had a spiral break in his right femur. The staff gave us lots of time to say goodbye and we were with him to the end. So in less than three hours, our big boy who had happily greeted us was taking his journey across Rainbow Bridge. The pain and sorrow of having to say goodbye so suddenly has made this much more difficult than the other times we have been down this path.

The Time was Right

Our first greyhound, Excel, died rather suddenly in July 2005 at the age of 12. Two months later, my best friend, Mildred gave me a check for my birthday. In her card she wrote, “This is for your next greyhound in memory of two special canines…You will know when the time is right.” Her words proved to be true in two short years.

Mildred had been sick for a few years and had asked me if we would take her little dog Prince, if he was still living when she died. We said good-bye to her in July ‘06 and as promised, we brought Prince home with us after her funeral. We loved him for more than a year, but in early November ’07 he got sick. On a Monday afternoon, I took him to see our vet. I knew in my heart it was the beginning of his journey across the Bridge. Prince was 16. I took him back home that afternoon to see if he might bounce back, but by Friday we knew that it was time for his journey over the Bridge to see his beloved Mom and my best friend, Mildred. That Monday afternoon was the day I met Evan (Bd’s Evander) in Dr. Pearce’s clinic.

About Evan

Evan had broken his leg in October while racing in Birmingham, AL. GPA-Nashville had picked him up and brought him to Dr. Pearce in Memphis for surgery, but there were complications and Evan nearly died. The staff fell in love with him and kept him up front with them every day, so that is how I came to meet him on that Monday afternoon. As sick as he was, he had already started the “Meeting and Greeting” that these retired racers do in order to find their forever homes! He may be the first greyhound in GPA-N history to find his forever home on his own.

After I returned home with Prince that Monday in early November, I talked to my husband, Bob. Then I called Dr. Pearce’s office to get a phone number for GPA-N. We wanted to adopt Evan, if possible. I called and talked with someone, but was not too sure we would be allowed to adopt him since we lived in Memphis. When I took Prince back to Dr. Pearce on Friday for his Bridge crossing, I saw Evan again. After I said goodbye to Prince, the staff let me spend some time with Evan. As I loved on him, he willingly caught my tears of grief on his head. I knew the “time was right” and this was the greyhound we were suppose to have. After a few more phone calls, a completed adoption application, and Dr. Pearce’s recommendation (he and his staff were really “pulling” for us!) we were allowed to adopt Evan. Pam Neiman and Ray Wong. picked him up at Dr. Pearce’s and brought him to us on Dec. 5, 2007. We cannot possibly thank GPA-N enough for letting us adopt him! The time was indeed right, as Mildred knew it would be.