November 1999 - August 2008

When I was teaching and a child lost a pet, I would read the "10th Good Thing About Barney" and then we would remember all of the good things about that pet. Here are some good things about Shadow:

She was the sweetest, best dog ever.

She loved her scritches and hugs.

She was a blessing to the nursing home residents.

If there was a gold medal for roaching, she would surely have won. She roached on the grass, the couch, the rug and her bed.

She was a champion hole digger.

She bowed and barked when she wanted to go out. Partly because I give treats when they come in when I call, and partly because she liked the grass and the holes she made in shady places.

Her best friend at the nursing home died last week. I like to think he is pain free and out of his wheelchair and walking at the Bridge with Shadow by his side. We miss you, Sweet Girl.

~ Mommy and Patches

April 2002 - June 2008

From the first time we saw Shyanne's picture, we knew she was the "one" for us. When we inquired about her, we were told she had been adopted out to a family in CT. Three weeks later we received an e-mail saying they found a perfect match for us, and to our surprise it was Shyanne; we were definitely meant to be together. Within two days she was cockroaching on our floor. She was finally home.

Shyanne was the definition of "spoiled." We rarely sat on the couch as Shyanne preferred that we sit on the floor and give her all of our love and attention and yes, we granted her wish. When she got tired of us petting in one spot for what she considered too long, she would turn around and give us a look to let us know, "Move to another spot please." Everybody in the house could eat except for her mom; Shyanne would dig her toe nails into the carpet and bark until she got my undivided attention. This was her way of letting me know it was time for her dog treat.

Although her time with us was too short, only three years, we shared so many wonderful and joyous times with her. We would like to thank Greyt Expectations for giving us the opportunity to share our loving home with such a great dog. She will be truly missed but never forgotten.

The Barboza Family

July 2000 - May 2008

Flash first came to live with my family as a bounce that we fostered. At that time, we thought that he would only be with us until he found his forever home. Who knew he was already there! He was so silly and goofy! Everyone that met him fell in love with him. He was so in tune with his family; it was almost as if he could read our minds. We never had to scold him, raise our voices, send him to time out, etc. He was a gentle giant full of love.

While cooking in the kitchen, Flash would lean against my leg always moving with each step. He was such a Velcro boy! I loved to sing silly little songs I made up to him. He would always try to sing along with me by Rooing or barking (or maybe he was telling me to please stop).

When I was told he had osteosarcoma, I felt my heart begin to break. Knowing how deadly and quickly bone cancer spreads, I began to do everything I could to make him comfortable. When it got to the point that I could sense he was in pain, it was time to free him so that he would not have to endure the terrible pain cancer brings. It was the hardest decision I have ever made, but my love for him overrode the selfishness of wanting to keep him here with me while he suffered.

Our girl, Bobbie, was always a lonely spinster grey until Flash came into her life. She never wanted anything to do with any grey. It took a while for Flash to make his way into her heart, but after about a year of persistence, he finally won her over. She has not been the same since he left. He was definitely her special boy!

Over the years he grew to be my heart dog. I never understood what that meant, until I had to say goodbye to him. You will always have an important place in my heart. Good bye, sweet boy! We Love You!

The Richards Family

Minnie (June 1999 - May 2005) & Sandy (December 1998 - April 2008)

Minnie was our "spook." She would sleep with one eye opened. Sandy was our sweet girl, always giving kisses. Minnie passed away after a brief battle with osteosarcoma. Sandy died suddenly from a possible seizure. Both girls are missed by the Mathers Family.

Nemo (April 2000 - February 2008) & Fry (April 2000 - March 2008)

I have lost my two boys, two littermates that had their ups and downs but were destined to be together, apparently in every aspect - rejoined in life and rejoined again at the Rainbow Bridge. We went through so much with these boys and overcame so many obstacles - it's just too much to say, I could write a book. We lost them both, Nemo first on February 24, 2008, and Fry on March 31, 2008. After a lot of work and diagnoses that were incorrect, it was the underlying cancer that took my precious babies at the end.

These boys changed my life, changed my priorities, and changed me forever. No matter what the challenges were, we faced them head on and would have never considered not making it work, with love, patience and time. You boys taught me that I could even handle your sister Roxy! And it did work... my little pack worked.

I feel that life was cut way too short for these boys and me; I have had my boys taken away from me so soon. I will never get over this; they are with me in my heart every single day of my life. They helped me become active in animal rescues of all kinds. They kept me grounded, they kept me doing what I should be doing - living, and living life in my own house that was so filled with unconditional love - it's a love of animals and the "unwanteds," the throw-aways. That is now my mission and my cause in my life. They made me a better person.

I miss them. I miss Nemo laying his 88-pound self right on top of me on the couch. I miss Fry nuzzling at me and talking to me - he was SUCH a talker, a whiner, a barker... He spoke to me to tell me what he needed! I miss nursing him through his epilepsy, I miss worrying about the next seizure, I miss every single thing about them both. I especially miss their eyes looking right into my soul, and I miss the love I felt from them. I still cannot quite face the fact that when I wake up in the morning, it is not Nemo waking me up - he was my alarm clock. I still cannot deal with coming home from work when they were all at the window watching, excited that I was home and right at that front door waiting for me to come in.

I think the simplest way to put it is that I did not rescue Fry and Nemo - Fry and Nemo rescued me. They saved me, they turned my life around and because of them, I am helping other animals in need. It is all because of those boys. They saved lives. Because of them, I also have Daisy and Roxy, a rescued cat, and many "throw-away" parrots. I never would have gone this way in my life if I hadn't adopted Fry, my first grey, and then Daisy, and then my Neems... which led to Roxy! And then it took off from there with the birds.

Thank you, Fry and Nemo - you boys will remain a part of me forever; you have taught me so so much. I cannot wait to meet you at the Bridge - I cannot wait to kiss you and hug you and tell you thank you, thank you, thank you, for being in my life. I cherish you boys; I cherish every single moment of your lives with me. I love you. Run free, my sweet angels. You have made your mommy a better person and changed me for the better. I owe you my life

The Stermer Family

February 2000 - February 2008

We first met Miss Pearl at 4:30 in the morning when we drove to Aberdeen, MD, to meet the hauler that came down from Seabrook. Back then we did not get pictures of the incoming dogs, and Pearl had been sent down for us as a match for our Greyhound, Onyx. As we stood in the cool October night, I was wondering what she would look like and if she really would be a good match. I will never forget that first encounter when Kenny opened the hauler door, lifted her out and lowered her to the ground. She was beautiful!

We were lucky to have Pearl in our lives for just shy of 4 years, although we never thought we would say goodbye so soon. Shortly after her 8th birthday, we helped her to cross the bridge when she became ill and was diagnosed with a mass on her spleen.

Pearl is buried on the farm with the others that have passed. No doubt they were there to greet her when she crossed the bridge. She did become a great friend for Onyx and later when Alfred came, they became a balanced, happy pack. They miss her too. She loved to meet the people visiting Greyhound Central and welcome the new dogs. She would talk like an Ewok and would carry on an entire conversation with anyone willing to talk back. She was a bit of a clown, and I know that she is making the angels laugh.

The Parran Family

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan." ~Irving Townsend

September 2001 - February 2008

What can I say about Buddy? He was my best friend, a member of our family, my faithful companion, and my shadow. A laidback and easygoing guy, he loved to come up to have his head and neck scratched and even when he was sick, he still let me know that he knew when it was dinner time - he loved his food! He had moments of playfulness, and he and our bulldog Maddie got along great - she now sleeps with his blanket; she misses him so much and she still puts out her toys in hopes that he will come back. He loved to help do the laundry - a pile of clothes fresh from the dryer was his favorite thing to sleep on, and he loved to be told that he was a pretty boy, a good boy, and a sweet boy. He would come and great my mom and me at the door when he would come in with a happy, smiling face and a wagging tail. He gave unconditional love, and we will miss him so much.

The Humphries Family

April 2001 - December 2007

We lost our beloved princess, Sophie, on December 10, 2007. Sophie had begun limping on March 31 after a nice romp in the yard with her two grey brothers and a foster girl we had at the time. We hoped she had just pulled a muscle or twisted something. After a few days of no improvement, we took Sophie to the vet and had x-rays done on her rear left leg, and she was put on medication for a soft tissue injury. I was told to return if she didn�t get better.

Unfortunately, she didn�t get better, so off to the vet we went again. The vet referred us to an orthopedic surgeon. After our consultation, our worst fears became a reality. Sophie likely had osteosarcoma, a dreadful and very painful form of bone cancer. Sophie went through a painful bone biopsy to try to confirm the diagnosis, but the biopsy didn�t give enough information. The next step was amputation so that they could test the whole bone. This was a very difficult decision for us to make, but we had to give our girl a chance. On May 22 Sophie went in for her operation. She was a brave little girl.

After about 2 weeks of waiting, the results were in; Sophie indeed had OS. She was given 9 months at the most to live. Our family was devastated, as our girl had cancer and would never get better. Sophie went through months of chemotherapy and did very well. She was running again and just looked like she was loving life. Matter of fact, in my mind, I really thought she had beaten it. However, in the beginning of December, she seemed to be slowing down, became very depressed and stopped eating. We took her back to the vet where she had chest x-rays, which confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lungs. Sophie didn�t have much longer to live. We took her home and spoiled her like you couldn�t imagine. She continued to go down hill from there.

On December 10, Sophie crossed the rainbow bridge in the presence of me, my husband Greg, her two grey brothers Johnny and Shadow, and my dear friend Tracy (Thank you, Tracy). The cancer had won the battle against a brave little cowgirl Greyhound princess. Our sweet princess is greatly missed every day.

The Arnold Family

February 2002 - September 2007

It is difficult to describe our Jay, he was quite a character. His personality came out a lot sooner than our first Grey. He had a bit of separation anxiety but we worked that through. Jay loved kids; I remember on his very first walk with us, he saw my neighbors' kids on his way home, and he practically pulled Dave's arm off just to see the kids. His tail never stopped wagging. Two very different personalities between the two dogs; Jay was more energetic than our other Grey, and we were very thankful for that. It got Mr. Hunk off the couch and got him playing with dogs his size. My whole family misses Jay. I miss the clicking of his nails on the floors when I go to let them outside. So many little things that we won't have anymore now that our beloved Jay is gone.

I thank GEGR for giving us Jay and letting us share our home with this wonderful, wonderful dog. He will always be in our hearts. Jay, we miss you and love you VERY much!!!!

The Huber Family

October 2001 - January 2007

We lost our beloved Nero on January 6, 2007. He got out and was, tragically, hit by a car not very far from our home. After a heartfelt, tearful and difficult burial of someone so very special to us, we found it difficult to carry on even the simplest of daily activities. Everything, for each one of us in the family, was a chore to get through. Somehow we got through our days and along the way, we found the GEGR website. After speaking with Joan Nussberger of GEGR, I realized that we were not the only family out there who felt so completely lost and devastated without their companion pet. Joan told me it was not uncommon to get another Greyhound shortly after the loss of one so special.

Although Nero was not a retired racing Greyhound, he was a Greyhound mix, with his predominant characteristics definitely that of a Greyhound. His favorite game was to run at us as fast as he could and then dart away at the last moment. If you could manage to dodge him, he would growl impishly and make another pass at you.

Nero also loved to ride in the car, and when that was not a possibility, would sit in the car or truck for hours; sleeping and feeling totally content in his world.

We felt that Nero led us to GEGR in some way, and now after adopting Jupiter (formerly Kenobi), I firmly believe this to be true. Although we only had Nero in our lives for a short 3 � years (after rescuing him from the Charles County Humane Society) he has made a lasting impression on us all. We have been changed and now feel compelled to honor his memory by helping rescue and care for other Greyhounds in need.

The Hedges Family

October 1993 & July 1991 - August 2006

Some of you may know the history of Greyt Expectations. As you might have heard, the original Southern MD Greyhound Adoption Agency was a small group called the Last Lap Greyhound Connection. It started with a pair of Greyhounds, Hayride and Dakota. Their adopters, Russ and Erin Cole, brought them to local fairs and festivals so that the area could be aware of the opportunties Greyhound Adoption presented. Many visitors to the promotional booth wanted to adopt Hayride and Dakota themselves, but they already had a home. So, Russ and Erin began fostering for The Ark for Greyhounds, so that they'd have an available dog(s) to take to events. Shortly thereafter, they began making their own rendezvous with the folks in New Hampshire to bring a few dogs at a time down to our neck of the woods.

As time wore on, more Greyhound friends were made. Deb and George Johnson were among the many supporters. When Russ and Erin decided to plan their wedding, they admitted to the fact that full concentration could not be given to the Greyhound Rescue efforts. Therfore, they enlisted the help of the Johnson family. Then Greyt Expectations was born. The momentum continues and we are all "greytful."

We just wanted you to know that Hayride and Dakota have recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Please read about them here: Dakota and Hayride's Stories.

Hayride was 15. Her back legs were weakening, and her digestive tract was not absorbing nutrients as well as it used to, not to mention that her senses were failing. Dakota was 13 and old racing injuries had finally caused her spine to degenerate more than Glucosamine could compensate for. Both dogs were in pain, and their suffering needed to be handled responsibly. We held them close as they slipped from this world and headed for the Bridge. It gave us solace knowing they crossed together. We hold many memories and sincere gratitude for all they inspired us to do.

June 2003 - February 2006

In a tragic accident, our Bellagio was hit by a car in front of our home and passed away minutes after. Bellagio was the tuxedo boy and the brindle is Johnny. In Johnny's words, here is what made Bellagio so special.

Bellagio was such a good brother to me. When Mom & Dad adopted me I was really scared, afraid and lonely. Mom & dad tried their best to help me come out of my shell and I was slowly doing it. When I heard everyone talking about vacation I thought, "WOW, that sounds neat, I can't wait to go!" Little did I know that I wasn't going with them. I stayed at Miss Joy's house while they were gone and I met their dogs, Buddy & Trey, and their foster, Bellagio.

When I saw Bellagio jumping all around and acting goofy when I was dropped off I thought," Boy, glad he doesn't live with me. I hope he isn't like this all the time." Well, I found out that he wasn't too bad; I tolerated him. Everyone was sure nice to me at Miss Joy's but I sure was glad when Mom and dad came to pick me up. Well, Bellagio started acting all goofy again, jumping around, getting into everyones' faces, especially Dad's. Dad looked like he was having a good time with him; he had a big smile. I had heard about how Dad used to always play around with a Rotti he had before I came along. He tried to get me to play with him but I was just too scared. Anyway I couldn't wait to go home to chill & be with them.

One night Miss Joy brings Bellagio over and I figured it was for a visit. Boy, was I surprised when I found out he just became my brother. I told him how it was around the house, I showed him around, told him where I slept, explained how things went around here. He didn't listen. You know how those youngsters are, they think they know everything but they don't.

Over the next six months, he and I became best buds; he taught me a lot for being younger than me. He helped come out of my shell more; we used to race around the yard together, play tug of war, sleep together, we went to some meet & greets where I met new friends, I could go on and on. All that's changed now, it's so quiet around the house without him.

Everyone is so sad and upset here including me. It's just not the same without Bellagio, I'm hardly eating. Instead of racing outside, I just mosy on out, do what I have to do and come in and lay in my bed. ---Bellagio, why did you have to leave us so soon? We really miss you, you will not be forgotten brother. You hold a special place in my heart. I love you, Bellagio. Until we meet at the Rainbow Bridge, may you rest in peace and your soul run free, brother.

See you in my dreams
Love
Johnny

Oct 1997 - Aug 2005

On a warm June evening in 2003 while visiting our house that was under construction, my husband and I met a Greyhound named Luke. He was being fostered by Art and Janice Pruett, our future neighbors at the end of the street. We had already met their dogs Dancer and Gus and assumed that they had added a third. They informed us that Luke was going to be up for adoption and wouldn�t he make a wonderful new house gift to ourselves?

He was a sweet and quiet brindle looking for love and we were planning on adopting a dog once we moved in. This grey was a very confident dog; nothing frightened him and he would go up to anyone or anything in search of a willing hand to pet him. On our way home that night we were in the car maybe five minutes when we decided that we wanted to adopt Luke. A day after we moved into our house a month later, we officially became his �parents�.

The beginning was rough getting Luke through his separation anxiety, but the love he gave us and we had for him was instant. He really stole our hearts. Over the past two years we have loved Luke like he was our child and we even called him our �son�. Without fail, he�d greet us every time we walked in the door, jumping around and rubbing up against our legs. He was so happy to have a forever home and all the spoiling that came with it. Every morning he had his routine, walking with Daddy and then sleeping on the bed with me until I had to get up and get ready for work. He lived for bedtime because that�s when he got his nighttime cookies; performing every trick that he knew to get those treats. What a silly dog, that Luke, and loveable.

He made friends wherever he went. He made himself such an important part of our lives. We loved taking care of him and spoiling him rotten with treats and presents and unlimited petting and kisses on the snout. We hoped that he would live forever�

We recently found out that he had osteosarcoma, and incredibly malignant and insidious bone cancer. His tumor had grown almost the entire width of his bone and therefore made his leg very fragile. The doctor believed that by the size of the tumor that the cancer probably had already spread and had seen some suspicious spots on his lungs. Because this kind of cancer is so terrible, we did not want to selfishly put Luke through amputation of his leg and chemotherapy just so we could have him around a little longer. Our boy was so special to us that we didn't want him to break his leg or go through any more pain than he was already in.

So, on Saturday, August 20, we took Luke to the vet and let him go peacefully. We didn't think that we could love an animal as much as we loved our Luke; he was our baby. We mourn his loss and have cried many tears, but we are thankful for the time that he was with us and for all of the unconditional love that he gave to us. It�s incredibly hard to walk into our house and not have our boy anxiously waiting at the door, or bugging us for treats, or laying beside us on the couch. While his absence breaks our hearts, we know that his spirit will always be with us, and he will live on in our memories. We just hope now that he is in heaven with an unlimited supply of cookies, cushy clouds to lie on, and bunnies to chase all day.

We love you Luke!
The Paterno Family

February 8, 2002 - December 27, 2004
Joy was a devilishly intelligent girl who loved to get into all things new. She came off the track ready for a new adventure in her foster home as she searched for her forever home. She actually met someone who wanted to adopt her within the week, but unfortunately she took ill on Christmas Day and passed a few days later before she was formally adopted. We suspect that she died of complications related to a tick borne disease, so please don't let her death be in vain - if you have any doubts check your dogs for tick borne diseases.

November 2001 - April 2004 Sarah began limping when she went to her foster home. Fearing a muscle injury had been aggravated while she was climbing a staircase, she was given some pain medication and had her exercise restricted. The limping began to get worse. Her foster family was sure that she was in constant pain that was progressing despite the pain medications. During a medical procedure to ascertain the extent of her injury, it was discovered that Sarah had advanced osteosarcoma and the decision was made to relieve her pain forever. Her foster family, The Nussbergers, has since posthumously adopted her. They wanted her to know that she did find her forever home before she passed on, despite the lag in the paperwork.