Rainbow Bridge Memorial

Dearly missed by Chuck and Ginny Cousins

On Oct. 19, 1997 we adopted our 1st greyhound at Petsmart in Puyallup. We had him nearly 9 years as he was born in May of 1996 and was 1 1/2 years old when he came to live with us. On Aug. 24, 2006, Shasta crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He had two seizures – the 1st in July and the final one on Aug. 24th. X-rays, ultrasound, and other tests at the Emergency Center indicated he was full of small cancer tumors and the attending vet believed the seizures probably had been caused by additional tumors in the brain. His heart was quite enlarged & surrounded by fluid. Again, the vet believed this was probably due to tumors at the base of the heart. Based on her assessment of his situation and the distress he was in (i.e. labored breathing and poor circulation), it appeared that any additional testing would only have prolonged the inevitable. We did not want him to suffer any more and made the painful decision to have him put down.

We couldn’t begin to adequately put into words the joy, fun, and richly fulfilling warm companionship he brought into our lives. He romped and stomped for the 3 1/2 years we lived in Port Orchard and since we retired to Ohio in 2001. Shasta gave us so much and we hope we offered him all the love and care he deserved. He spent many hours with our daughters’ dogs – 2 greyts and a lab (a greyt wannabe). So we felt he had the best of both worlds – his privacy and an active social life.

On a slightly different note, in the Volume 06, Issue 02 of the Bark, we read with interest “YOUR GREYHOUNDS HEALTH”. One of Shasta’s health problems diagnosed nearly a year ago was Pannus. He was treated by a veterinary ophthalmologist, who expressed concern that this condition wasn’t adequately communicated to greyhound owners as it is a very serious disease that is prevalent among greyhounds. The Bark would be a terrific way to get the word out about it and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Shasta’s left eye was severely affected and probably most of the sight there was gone. His right eye was affected, but with three times a day saline flushing and ointment treatment, it improved greatly.

After losing Shasta, we both hated to come home. There was no long nose poking through the door as it was opened, and countless other “home without a greyhound” moments. Consequently, last Sat. September 6, 2006, through Central Ohio Greyhound Rescue, Inc., we brought home Shamus. We hadn’t planned it quite this soon, nor to have another red brindle, but with the urging of our kids decided to take a look at this guy and the rest, as they say, is history. After only two days he has certainly made himself comfortable in his new digs and we are adjusting to having a younger dog in our lives who really likes to toss his squeaky toys!

Thank you so much for the work you do for these beautiful animals and for the people who love them.

In Greyhound Love, Chuck & Ginny Cousins