On this beautiful first day of summer my sister, Diane, her husband and son said their goodbyes to their beloved Greyhound, Isaiah. Earlier this week, he was diagnosed with advanced osteosarcoma. A bone cancer that frequently strikes Greyhounds and when diagnosed, the prognosis is poor. He is pictured above with his constant side-kick, Peaches. Isaiah raced into his forever home in April of 2000. The entire family fell in love with this dog as we all helped him learn to live like a normal dog. Treats and toys were a complete mystery to this dog, and stairs were a formidable challenge for him to overcome. Slowly, Isaiah stepped out of his shell as he claimed my sister's couch as his personal space, and discovered that kitchen tables are just the right height for him to help himself to the food. His first public adventure was to attend a Greyhound adoption awareness rally during the 2000 Republican Convention in Philadelphia. It was at this rally that my sister and Isaiah first met David Wolf, director of NGAP ( National Greyhound Adoption Program).
Since adopting a Greyhound, my sister has worked tirelessly in support of NGAP and in raising awareness of the inhumane nature of Greyhound racing. Isaiah's lovable nature was an instant conversation starter, Diane credits his behavior as a fantastic way to communicate the message about the plight of racing Greyhounds. Over the years, my sister has uncovered Isaiah's racing record, his parentage (he is half Irish) and the histories of some of his siblings. The story she has pieced together is an anthology of the callousness of this so-called 'sport' of dog racing.
Ttoday Isaiah's family returned with him to NGAP, a place where he is known and loved, to gently release him into eternity.
However, death is not the end of this tale.....
After Isaiah had passed, Diane walked outside to the parking lot to clear her head while her husband made arrangements for cremation. As she was walking , two women walking greyhounds came over and introduced themselves and their dogs to my sister. She was astonished to discover one of the dogs was Santa . Santa is a rescued greyhound who is up for adoption at NGAP and is the same greyhound Diane and her family were considering adopting earlier this year.
Of all the greyhounds that could have been there in that parking lot TODAY, Diane and Joe meet the one greyhound they were looking into adopting. She believes someone or someDOG was sending them a message...
Godspeed Isaiah - you will be missed.
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