the long road to my greyhound’s adoption

my name is lee and This is my story of how i met Sabrina the ex-racing greyhound

It was just before Christmas, when I arranged a visit from a local mobile veterinary service offering in-home humane pet euthanasia services for my young and very troubled Doberman Pinscher named Chace.

I had a few telephone conversations with the service about the procedure in terms of how it would work. What to expect before, during and after. The veterinarian who I still refer to as Dr. Leslie would go on to prescribe some pre-euthanasia medication that would help to relax Chace and reduce his fear for when the service started.

After the service was complete, and Chace had crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge, I held him in my arms and told him how much I loved him and asked him to forgive me for not being able to save his life. My husband and Dr. Leslie then took his body out to her vehicle to be taken for a pet cremation.

I was in the bathroom throwing up with both guilt and immense sadness. I was devastated that I took this young life away. But there simply was no other option as his autoimmune disease had attacked both his body and his brain. He had become dangerous to me and others.

Yet we were deeply bonded and I was once again heartbroken at the loss of another Doberman. I was also so depressed and my PTSD was raging.

how a kind veterinarian and her rescued ex-racing greyhound tigger changed the course of my life

It was softly snowing as I headed outside to say goodbye to Dr. Leslie and to thank her for her incredible kindness and compassion in the way she treated Chace in his final moments when she said the oddest thing to me. She said, “Lee you need to rescue an ex-racing Greyhound”.

I was stunned by this statement and further stunned when she asked, “Would you like to meet my Greyhound Tigger?” Before I had a chance to say no, my husband said, “that is very kind of you”.

An hour later she returned with the cutest and sweetest black brindle ex-racing Greyhound girl named Tigger. We played in our big yard and for the first time in my life I got to witness a Greyhound Zoomie. I was quickly smitten with Tigger and Dr. Leslie had somehow successfully planted the idea of rescuing an ex-racing Greyhound in my head.

And this is how this especially sad day became a catalyst for me finding joy in my life again.

And so began my journey of researching and then ultimately finding Sabrina (aka Beanie) who all this time had been languishing in a Birmingham, Alabama shelter for unwanted Greyhounds for five months after suffering a severe injury while running her last race.

You see, in my heart of hearts, I believe she had been waiting for me while I was searching for her.