Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
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Never doubt that a small group of concerned
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead |
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REGAP Tribute Page Welcome to MI REGAP’s Tribute Page in loving memory of the greyhounds who have touched our lives. As we take this moment to honor our pets may we also remember the infinite number of our greyhound brothers and sisters who never escaped the racetrack to experience a home full of warmth and love.
Santa Fe Cuyler (Cookie Monster)
In January of 2007, a very special dog graduated from the SCAL program and entered the foster home of Deb Palmer and Chris Turek. From the beginning, this big guy stole the hearts of his foster moms. He was one of those dogs you just couldn't help but love, one that needed just the right home, one that you knew would be with his foster family for a little while. "Cookie Monster" was an extra large male who was not cat safe and was terrified of men. Any man that came to visit would send Cookie scurrying to hide, which made placement a bit difficult, so his foster moms had just about decided he needed to stay with them when in June the perfect match arrived. Nancy Hannan came to meet Cookie with her Shih-tzu, Toby, and it was love at first sight! Cookie wanted to go home right then and there. He loved Nancy and even accepted the fact that Toby was the boss. It wasn't long before the two of them were best buds and even sharing a bed!
Nancy, Cookie and Toby were a happy family for about 4 1/2 months when the unthinkable happened. Cookie became seriously ill. Nancy tried everything, MRI's, blood tests, 24-hour vet care, many meds and holistic remedies, nothing worked. A month later the bravest 4 year old around took his journey to the bridge. He tried his best to stay with those who loved him, but his body just couldn't match his spirit.
Goodbye Cookie. We will all see you at the Bridge.
In Memory of Goldie
I lost my Goldie on Saturday, November 18, 2006. She would have been 9 years Goldie came to me from REGAP in January of 2000. Her racing name was Goldie was an ambassador in every sense of the word. We used to work REGAP REGAP saved my beautiful girl from certain death when she was no longer
The Story of “Angel”
My name was Angel, I was born ‘Eternal Angel’ in Wisconsin on October 20, 1998, and I was bred to race and did so for the first 4 years of my life. Once I was retired from the track, I was one of the lucky greyhounds to have been given to REGAP. There I was put into a foster home until my forever family, Juli and Don Jeffery, adopted me. This is really when my life started. I was so lucky to have found a family that loved me unconditionally and I loved them too. My Mom got us involved in volunteering for REGAP and we worked many Meet & Greets. I even was a supermodel for their fashion show, twice! And at the age of 7, I won the summer picnic race. To top it all off I’ve become a ‘therapy dog’, working at a nursing home every month as well as schools. I love children and all humans; I also love my sister Alley ‘Cat’. I am so grateful to REGAP for giving me my life back. On October 12, 2007 I was diagnosed with a disease called Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and I passed away on November 10, 2007, I was 9 years old. I sure wish my life hadn’t ended so quickly, but I know that I will remain in my family’s hearts forever. Until we meet again. Focus - 1999-2007
At Meet & Greets I tell people that greyhounds don’t take up much room in spite of their size but since our Focus crossed the bridge we’re amazed at how many empty places we find in our house and in our lives. We know he’s chasing squirrels and when we meet again he’ll jump up and down so happy to see us. We love you and miss you Focus. Mike & Vicki Wright Berkeley. July 1997-January 9, 2008
I was only 11 years old when we adopted Berkeley. I convinced my grandma she When we lost him, It was a tragic day. But all the memories we have of our - Lauren Moose
Moose, nicknamed “Moo Moo” died after a long illness. He left us on January 28th 2008.
Georgia
I was born 8/5/2002 and named PA's Georgia. I raced in Kansas and retired My family took me for long walks in the park every Sunday (except during the On 3/2/08, I got really sick and was rushed to the vet were they found Note:
Boss 8/6/1994 – 8/8/2008
Boss came to REGAP under unusual circumstances – we found him listed as ‘free to a good home’ on a popular online ad website. He was 13 years old, underweight, bad teeth that had to be pulled but still a sweet, affectionate boy when we found him that good home. His forever foster parents nursed him back to health and he enjoyed the last days of his life deeply loved, happy with his two greyhound brothers trotting in the yard and nudging everyone’s hand for extra pets. Boss made it to celebrate his 14th birthday which was possible by the love and caring of his foster parents, Laura & Jim, and all of REGAP for their support of our Senior Adoption Program.
Charlie March 2002-October 2008
Dearly loved by Paula and her family. Charlie was the sweetest boy to all who met him…handsome, smart, playful and eager to please. He loved going for his daily walks maybe even more than his special treats. As shown here in this picture, he loved his naps and when in a deep slumber rolled onto his back and cockraoched. His goofy personality, adorable face and affectionate nature will be a part of our hearts forever. Ranger
Ranger was born 5/11/1999 and his given name was "Twilite Ranger" He came to his forever home 5/07/2001, to Dan & Diana Bitner of Jackson, MI than 3 years ago moved to Kalkaska, MI. Ranger loved to run and take walks. He loved all animals but was terrified of storms. Ranger had many family and friends. He made friends with many great greys as his mother fostered for Regap. His friends were Keegan a husky malamute, who belonged to his moms daughter. Mandy a lurcher ,who also was a Regap kid, who had been adoptd by Tina Sanford. Rangers newest friend was a foster from Compassion for Greyhounds, her mane is Trego. Ranger went to the bridge on Friday Dec.5,2008 after a bout with cancer. He will be forever missed Buddy
11 years ago I wanted my very first dog and that’s when Buddy, a Rottweiler-Bernese Mountain Dog cross, came into our lives. He was a big, strong boy with a heart of gold. Kids could lay on him and he was so happy to just be loved and in a family. He had obviously been abused in his former home, but it didn't take too long for him to realize he had nothing to fear any longer (except, of course, for our Chow Kaya! )All visitors would come in and say how awesome Buddy was. He was everybody's favorite dog! Then about five years ago, when Kaya went to the Rainbow Bridge, Buddy was devastated. He wouldn't eat or play and wandered the house crying. Buddy went with us to adopt our first grey, Shadow, and immediately they were the best of friends. This was followed by around 25 fosters, two of which found their forever homes with us. Buddy soon became the largest greyhound. It was so funny to watch him try to emulate the greys and their movements -- he would do the long stretch that our greys love to do in the morning and he would try so hard to cockroach (he was a little too big to pull it off). Buddy was so good with all the other dogs coming and going. He never seemed to mind the fosters. It was like he was trying to tell them "you're safe now, you can have fun and play" as he would show them how to play fetch in the yard. Even in his last couple years he would try to run and keep up with the greys. Though we have our three greys- Shadow, Iris and Angel, Buddy had filled our lives with love and affection. The even funnier thing about him was his size and the fact that my family said I never liked dogs but Buddy taught me that not all dogs are bad but rather very loving. We miss our wanna be greyhound, Buddy, but he will always be in our hearts and those that knew him. Everybody's favorite dog!
Our faithful friend and companion, Sox
Dynamic Rocky We adopted "Dynamic Rocky" 6.5 years ago and they have been the best years of our lives. This dog brought so much happiness to us and to everyone who met him. He was like a magnet, people just gathered around him to meet this special Angel. He passed away yesterday in our backyard while playing with his Milk Bone. He just layed down, wagged his tail a couple of times, looked at me and went to sleep. It was just his time to go. We had the great honor of taking Rocky to the Vet-A-Visit program at Michigan State University last year with my folks and nieces. It was a huge thrill to see the hundreds of people come through and pet our big boy, Rocky, and ask questions about him and REGAP. Rocky was the "child" that my husband & I could never have, so there will be a huge void in our hearts. If he would of met you, he would of warmed your heart, too.
Mira Mira, the former Dewey Donnastar was put to rest yesterday. She fought bravely for 5 ½ months against a debilitating spinal inflammation. She was 5½ years old. She is survived by her sister Mya (Dewey OK Class) and three brothers; one in Traverse City and two in Florida. She and her sister came off the track together and made the three-day trip from Florida to Michigan in a truck with 60 other dogs and no food, laying in their own filth. Mira was adopted immediately, and due to a computer glitch, Mya was fostered another two months until my wife was able to adopt her in January 2006. In June 2006, when Mira was returned to REGAP by a divorcing couple, I adopted her the day she reappeared on the REGAP website. By then, she was in a deep depression, probably from being in five different homes in six months. She didn't want to play, and aggressively stopped her sister from playing. After many months, she finally got her spirit back and became the most affectionate, playful goof-ball; stealing toys from, and chasing with Mya and our other greyhound Candy. She was the fastest of our three, actually having won a documented race. Mira was always a favorite at the greyhound fund-raisers, getting big hugs and donations from everyone. She walked on leash like a machine, never pulling or zig-zagging, obeying my commands and staying right next to me. While lying on her side, she would throw a paw at you if you stopped scritching her until she fell asleep. She was one of the sweetest, most affectionate dogs I've even known. She is dearly missed.
Claire We adopted Claire from REGAP in November 2003. She was a shy dog. With a lot of TLC Claire became more confident and secure. When we would walk into the house she would curl her lips up as if she was smiling and then jump up and give us lots of kisses. She had endless love for everyone that walked through the door. Her gentle nature made her popular to all that met her. Late one night we rushed her to the emergency vet to find out that she had a blood clot in her upper leg. We took her to MSU for surgery. The surgery went well, but as she started getting circulation back in her leg it caused swelling in the rest of her body. She fought as long as she could, but ultimately it was too much stress on her body. Her heart gave out while we were visiting her in the critical care unit. She was a great spunky dog and 72 hours later she was gone. But the love that she gave us over the years has only made us a stronger advocate for the breed. We want to be able to do everything possible so that other greys can find their forever home and people can experience the kind of love that greyhounds like Claire can give. We will miss the “tummy lovin” and that after five years we finally taught her how to “sit”. It is hard to say goodbye. We love and miss you Claire and always will until we meet again. -Rick & Erin
Honey Honey (Sweet Thing) raced in West Virginia for about a year. My husband and I adopted Honey in February 1997 from REGAP when we lived in Royal Oak, Michigan. Honey was such a wonderful companion always wanting to be nearby. When younger, she loved to run laps in our back yard, making the widest circle she could and getting very muddy in the process. Right from the start, Honey began getting daily walks and so loved her walks that she knew when it was time to go. Nothing kept Honey from wanting to walk, even near the end. The last several years, she accompanied me as I walked our two daughters to school in the mornings. Honey was with us through many changes in our life; moving to Germany when we were separated for 6 months, the births of our two daughters, and moving to Indiana. We celebrated each of her birthdays and on her last she turned 15 on April 16, 2009. Honey will never be forgotten and she will always have a special place in our hearts. Thank you REGAP for all the wonderful work you do placing greyhounds in homes for adoption!! Kelly and Sam Geckler
Mozzlee Mozzlee was my first greyhound and my first dog of my adult life. He came off the track later in life as he was a successful racer and was a stud to one litter of pups. I adopted him from ReGAP and he became my velcro-like buddy. Mozzlee's life was full of sniffing scents, chasing unsuspecting cats and squirrels and sleeping on the bed. He loved his car rides, going to nana & papa's house and eating Triscuits! Mozzlee had been ill for over a year with kidney and liver failure and recently developed an intestinal bacterial infection. I did everything that I could and spent many days at the vet clinic to keep him be comfortable and strong. What ultimately took my good dog was a brain aneurysm. It was scary for me but probably even more frightening for him; he fought hard those last 24 hours and we got through them together. My sweet Mozzlee will be missed not only by me but by the many lives he had touched. I want to thank my family and friends for their out-pouring support of this huge lose of mine. He was so loving and patient. I miss him terribly but find comfort in him resting peaceful. Love ya', Moz... Margaret
Norton We had the privilege of adopting Norton (formerly Screwdriver) from REGAP on November 2nd, 2001. He was just under four years old when we adopted him. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge on October 1st, 2009, a little over two months short of his twelfth birthday. Our hearts are broken at the loss of our dear boy. Norton was a gentle soul who was a little on the shy side. Once he knew and trusted you, he was your friend. Norton especially loved other dogs, acting as a protector for Jan’s older Shih Tzu, Shadow. He developed a very special bond with Lamb Chop, our youngest female greyhound. They were devoted to each other with Norton being like her big brother. We felt a need to protect him from a world that caused him a lot of grief, always making sure his interaction with humans was positive and loving. Even though he had this wariness towards some people, he was a total extrovert with other dogs. One of our fondest memories is of him being surrounded by four other dogs and wagging his tail in total happiness. He would trot and prance around, showing us he was as happy as any dog could be at that moment. Norton also enjoyed long walks, even in very cold weather. He always carried himself with grace and dignity. As handsome as he was on the outside, he was even more so on the inside. We will miss him terribly but take comfort in know that he is with our first greyhound, Peka, and Shadow the Shih Tzu, romping in green meadows without any physical limitations. Thanks again to REGAP for bringing this most precious boy into our lives. He will never be forgotten.
Melville Melville died peacefully on December 10, 2009. He was a special-needs rescue who came to us through Regap in 1998 after 6 months of care from foster parents Ginger and Gary. Melville was a cheerful and intelligent boy who smothered Paul and me with affection. Although he came to us scarred and blind in one eye, he was a trusting, active, and outgoing boy. He was the toughest dog imaginable. He survived a near-fatal infection of his jaw bone and tissue. Despite his tremendous post-surgery weakness on his first day home after major oral surgery, he managed to assert his alphahood by bodyslamming our other greyhound out of his way when omega dog Chatty attempted to take advantage of Mel’s weakness and be the first dog out of the door!
Benjamin Our beloved boy Benjamin passed away on Monday 1/25/10. He led a wonderful life and was 14-3/4 years old. April 2010 he would have been 15. I just want to thank you all so much for allowing us to adopt him. He has brought us such pleasure. I know in my heart that he is in a much better place and no longer in pain. Thanks.
- Albert Schweitzer |
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