by Diane Rustin

We adopted our first greyhound in 1998, after our 16-and-a-half year old shepherd/husky/hound rescue passed away, leaving us with broken hearts. At my daughter’s suggestion I began to research the possibility of adopting a retired racer. Everything I read lead me to the conclusion that the Greyhound would be a perfect match for us. 

Subsequently, we adopted our first Greyhound, a gorgeous male named Hi C Skip. He was SO perfect that six months later, we adopted a beautiful little black tuxedo girl, RC Ride it out. She was wonderful and sweet, but never could totally accept a lot of attention. Hugging and snuggling was just not in her little bag of tricks. I always worried that she didn’t fully understand how much I adored her. When she passed away, at age 8, from untreatable spindle cell sarcoma, I was desolate.

We went back to Greyhound Friends of NC, once again, to find another little girl to give our boy a companion. After meeting many of the greys, I noticed a little boy up in a crate with a little brown greyhound girl with a Smokey mask. I stopped to talk to him and he told me that she was the sweetest hound in the kennel. She was curled up in his lap. When asked whether he would adopt her, he said that they could not take another one. 

After considering several girls, I went back and took his recommendation to heart and took her out to meet our Skip. She ran wagging up to Skip and gave him a kiss, then came over to lean against my legs and looked up at me with “those eyes”. That was IT for me. I was “head over heels” in love.  Mocha Ice adopted us.

She became and remains my heart pup. I have often said that I had never, ever felt so loved by a pup. She helped to fill the awful hole in our hearts from losing Ridey and subsequently our wonderful Skip at age 12, when he left us after battling hemangiosarcoma.  She then welcomed our current boy, Sidney (King and I) 5 yrs. Ago and 1 year ago, a 17 mo. old girl, Becca (Ms. Breakin’ Out).  

Last night, she once again displayed her sweet heart. When the Daddy Dude took her out to potty around 10:00 p.m., she led him around to the front of the house, which she never does, and took him to the front porch. There, huddled in a little ball, in 30 something degree cold, was a very young puppy. We don’t come and go through that entrance, so who knows when we might have become aware of the precious little bundle of puppy love.

Our precious rescue girl had made a rescue of her own. Mocha is the sweetest, most loving pup I’ve ever known. Now she has added to her string of rescued hearts.

She is my heart.

Original article for GAO, January 2013