Tonight I received the horrible news that Booker had passed away.

He was such a joyful boy and I think he really enjoyed the new house, the extra space outdoor and indoor.

Sunday night they got attacked by dog off the lead. Bulldog/Daxen mix. Booker and Tula almost killed it before he got away, leaving a big tear on Booker's left front leg.

Greg took him to the vet where he was put "semi under"(?) apparently while he was stitched up. Greg had reminded the vet about Greyhounds sensitivity to anaesthetics. He had an appointment o come back today.

When he was examined, it was decided that the original had to corrected, this time under full anaesthetic. After the surgery, when they took him off the ventilator he stopped breathing. They managed to revive him, but two hours later he stopped again and this time his heart stopped as well.

I should be home to comfort them. I am flying home during the night so will be there at noon tomorrow. I will go the vet and see Booker and speak with the vet. Hopefully something can be learned from this.

Rest in peace my big boy. You gave us such joy and enriched our lives. After almost three years, I cannot imagine the house without you. It will be empty.

One day we will all meet on the other side.

Our thoughts are with you all at this sad time.

Love & hugs from,
Susan, Moira & Boots (in Fife) xxx

Today I went to see the vet. I can only only conclude that everything was done right and they did everything possible to save him. Almost anyway. I asked the older vet if the there was a mistake made the first time casing the need for the second procedure. He said it was not a mistake, but if it had been him, he would have cut out a bit more of the damaged skin. It had turned black and died, so needed to be cut of again.

Had more been cut off right away, he would not have needed the second procedure. We should know in week or two exactly what went wrong. He was a big dog, maybe an unnoticed heart condition. I don't know. Best not to speculate.

After a long conversation with the vets, I asked to see him. It was so sudden and we never had a chance to say good bye.

He was just laying there, under a blanket with his head uncovered. I folded it back, all the way off. His fur still shiny and soft to the touch. His ears was soft as well, but cold. His lifeless body, now an empty shell just laying there. I carefully lifted up his head and pulled of his collars. I had asked to be alone with him. I cried and I cried and then I cried some more. Still crying...

After a while of scratching him the way I knew he would have liked, I put the blanket back over his body, said my good bye's and left.

It was strange to be welcomed home only by Tula when we got home later. She was somewhat less exited than usual. It is all very quiet in the house. Tula is quiet as well. I don't know if she knows he is gone or just picks up on our mood. I played with her in the driveway with her favourite toy, the tennis ball. All was forgotten for a few minutes. We then walked and I fed her. Again, it was weird just feeding one.

Booker would have been 7 in November. He was full of life and enjoyment. A big teddy bear that loved to be cuddled. All day if he had say. I am sure he loved life and the extra space here for the week since we arrived. It was meant to be a happy move. Partly done because we wanted more space for them.

Here are the first pic we took of them the evening we came home with them. After are the last two.


Booker are in the back. This was 5 min after we brought them in for the first time.



They both love their dental sticks. Once a day, and they know when it is. Already established on new bed.



Last pic. Booker especially loved to lay out on the deck. Especially after sunset. He would lay down outside the living room or the kitchen, subject to what room we were in. He was very attached to us, Tula as well, and we to them.


It's a sad day...

As we said on the 'phone last night we are all so very, very sorry for you.
Think on all the great times you gave him. Remember the good dog that he was and how he loved you both. You made his life very happy.
Rest in peace across the bridge dear big boy.
Auntie Celia and Uncle Jimmy.

We are so, so sorry for your loss.

I did put a message on the forum last night, but just wanted to say that you have been very much in our thoughts today.

I cried when I read how you said goodbye to Booker .. losing a pet is like losing a member of your family - it is so painful, and worse when it is sudden and unexplained. A dog's love is completely unconditional, and these greyhounds give such a lot of love - they have huge hearts.

I'm sure Tula will miss Booker enormously, as will both of you. May she bring you joy and comfort in the coming days, weeks, months and years.

Tula and Booker were so lucky to have found you, and you them - in time, you will be able to enjoy happy memories of time spent together.

Big hugs,
Susan, Moira & Bootsie (in Fife) xxx

Still can't quiet believe it. I love reading your posts about them and your adventures over in a warmer climate. Their pictures always make me smile!

So sorry to hear about Booker. But you gave him a great life... Full of enjoyment and he you.

Give Tula lots of hugs as she will miss him lots.

Hope you guys are holding up ok. Will be thinking about you lots over the coming day.

Lots of hugs and kisses from Jen, Eddie and Wisp

Ive just read your message and have sat and cried over the laptop,you both gave Booker a fab life and packed in so much love in the years you have had him,dont be sad for too long as am sure he is having a ball in heaven and wouldnt want you sad,remember,you will see him again,
Sending you all our love
Jackie n Susie xx

We decided to let the vet do an autopsy. We need to know what went wrong and we hope that something can be learned from this.

After we have asked for his ashes. We need to give him a dignified farewell. The plan is to find a nice place in the forest or on a hill top, maybe both, and spread his ashes there.

last night before the last walk, I let Tula smell Booker's collars and lead. I was thinking that she would smell that he was longer with us as the collar was on him for a day. She just took one quick smell and then carried on, no longer interested.

It was a quiet walk, just the three of us. I walked her first. She kept following Greg, so eventually I let him have the lead. For no particular reason, I would normally walk Booker and Greg would walk Tula.

This morning Tula came in to our bed around 07:30. Normally one of them would get in, take up all the space, and later in the morning, the one that had not gotten in, would start to make noise. At that time would either get up and walk them, or, if it was a bit too early, do some shuffling to make room for both.

This morning was soo very quiet. I got up and walked Tula. Again it was a quiet walk. Tula paid a little attention the places where Booker had marked, but not much. She seems mostly as usual, but everything is a little more mellow, including Tula.
She still carries on with the normal routine, such as wanting a peace of our dinner after we have finished. That was tradition we had established. Booker would always start to make noise as we got close to finish eating, Tula was much more patient. Last night was no different. The house is just a quieter place now...

Here is a pic of Booker that a friend sent me this morning.

Have just read the news - so sad for all of you to have lost Booker so suddenly and at such a young age. Booker had a wonderful life since you took him home with you and you must take comfort in this as his life could have been so far different without you guys in it.

Big hugs to Tula also as she will feel it to, but at least it sounds like she is taking comfort in having both of you around for her.

We have all followed Booker's adventures with Tula and yourselves and enjoyed the highs and the lows with you all and so you are in my thoughts at this difficult time as I know how hard it is to say goodbye to a beloved furry friend.

Run free Booker

Hugs

Joan and Bambi x

Thank you all for all your thoughts.

The truth of the matter is that, as you can read hear, we are not holding it together that well. The reaction has ben much stronger than expected. All we can do is to carry on and allow time to partly heal the wounds.

Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to make the pain any easier. But thanks for all your thoughts, they are comforting.

I will keep posting on their thread. We have chosen to share our grief as this is also part of Greyhound life. We just did not expect it so soon.

It's another day.

Tula spent the whole night in bed with us. That is not unusual as we have occasionally allowed this before.

Again the house is quiet and the walks mellow. This morning I was thinking about how annoyed I would sometimes get over Booker's mad dash, pulling my arm off, to some new exiting smell not to mention the lizards.

We give Tula more attention, but try to maintain the discipline as we don't want her to develop bad habits. I am sure she has realised that her brother is not coming back.. She is quieter, more subdued.

She still wants to play, and when I bring out the tennis ball, all is forgotten and she is just in the moment. What a wonderful ability.

For us, life is slowly starting to come back together as we carry on with our daily routines. I have a couple of more pics of him and of course Tula that I will post on here.

For now here is one that our friend Graham took of his feet while he was resting on the couch, Total relaxation.

We decided to have an autopsy done. We still need some answers and I am hoping that something can be learned from this by all of us, including the vet's.

After that he will be cremated and we will get the ashes. We will find an appropriate place and spread his ashes.

Below is the vet's report after it was run through Google translator. He was born in November 2005, not the the date the vet got.


Medical record

Dog name Booker, gray hound neutered male born 17/02/2007
Owner Greg Moore

The 09/09/2012 is presented at first visit, with wound forelimb area right humeral about 3.5 cm long fight with another dog, did not present any other alteration systemic wound was disinfected and sedated Domtor with 0.3 ml and 0.4 ml of butorphanol. Was applied and Synulox metacam, and prescribe metacam Nicilan

12/09/2012 returned by the reopening of the wound edges were necrotic and had to remove devitalized tissue. We proceeded to anesthetize to perform the intervention of revival of edges and removal of necrotic tissue, as a simple value that would not be enough sedation.
Were premedicated with 0.3 ml of Sedastart IM IM + 0.4 ml + 5 ml of Turbogesic IV midazolam anestesiandolo with 5 ml IV Propofol for induction and isoflurane.

The intervention lasted barely 15 minutes and found that the awakening from anesthesia was still slower than one might expect and was somewhat irregular breathing, so we kept intubated applying oxygen until complete recovery.

Once normalized breathing proceeded to take him to the hospital cage with saline IV. Metacam was applied and tried to bite him who applied, ie was completely restored. About two hours after the nurse tells us who is lying, indolent, breathing is bland, is intubated and ventilation is applied, the heartbeat is weak and tachycardia, cardiac arrest causes, which recovers cardiac massage, seems to stabilize and again 10 minutes after cardiac arrest have another which did not manage to recover.

Moli Elena Navarrete
Vet al 2541
12/09/12

This evening we discovered a new trail that we had not walked on before. It's not far from the house. We walked for a little over an hour and I took these pics:






She is licking her nose. If you zoom in you can see it.









She is holding up ok by the looks of it. As said before, she seems more quiet, but maybe it only appears to be the case as she was always more quiet than Booker.

Here she is looking at us while we are eating dinner, her head resting on the armrest, just like always has. Sorry for the "headlights"




Of course she still wants her cuddles. These were taken 10 min ago. I am not sure if she can be bothered to go out again, but she will have to...





And she still gives lots of love. Constantly licking us.

What I was thinking and forgot to write was how much I miss that nuisance.

Tula was a bit more active this morning. Starting by making some noise and then sniffing lots when we were out. She expects the usual scratch routine after every walk.

I was happy that she seemed a little more lively this morning, even if I still woke up with a tear in my eye. I think I will do that for a while.

Tomorrow I am due back to work. If I get called out, I will be away for the usual 6 days.

I'm so sorry for you all. Tula will cope better than you but you may find her less confident around other dogs. That's what happened with my girl lurcher, Charna, when her 'big brother', Mr Bean, died suddenly.
Time is the only thing that helps the pain and I think you are being very brave to share it with us.
What a wonderful life you gave him and how well he came on in terms of training and socialising. He was such a handsome boy. The fact that you immortalised him on the Forum means that he will for ever be an inspiration to people thinking of adopting a greyhound as well as all of us who already share our lives with them.
Time will mend that awful numbness and, when you are ready, another hound will make your family complete again. Then you will be able to look back and smile.
Marion

Thanks Marion and thanks to all of you.

As predicted, I am away for the next 6 days. Life must go on. Like I said on the memoriam, Booker is now of the starts that lightens the sky and brightens the night. I will forever look up on the starts and remember him for the gentle loving giant that he was.

Again the day before yesterday I let Tula smell his collar, thinking that she would smell that he is now gone. I think she knows. She sniffed it for a few seconds and then was no longer interested. She has been getting a little more active. More sniffing and marking while we are out, not to mention more noise in the morning or when she wants to go out. She has also gone territorial again, running out and barking whenever she hears dogs running by on the street.

This morning after taking me to the airport bus, Greg walked Tula. During the walk, he met the woman who owned the dog that attacked them. They had met at the vet as well that same evening. She asked about Booker and when Greg told her, she started to cry. It was her daughter that was walking the dog when the incident happened. Had she only kept him on the lead...

During my flight to Kiev today, I kept thinking about Booker. His excitement when I would come home, his happy trotting thought the house, always happy, the moment when I was told and when I saw him the following day. I am not ashamed to say that again I contributed to the air humidity. The onboard air is too dry anyway...

I am pleased that Tula is settling. I brought up the subject of another dog today. Don't get me wrong, it will not be anytime soon, but I think I would eventually like to get a companion for Tula, despite the fact that I now know the pain that awaits me in the future. However. It is soooo worth it....

Whenever we are ready. Don't know when, but someday...

You are right Marion. We have already noticed this. Particularly when we walk past yards with barking dogs. With Booker, she would look up with her ears up. Now she tends to lay back her ears and just speed up passed them. Unless it is a smaller dog...

Greg tells me that yesterday and today, she has been a bit more winy. She lays down more and just look around. Then she well get up, walk out and whimper a bit before walking back in. Maybe it is because I am suddenly away as well, or she might still be looking for her big brother. We don't know.

It is less walking now than it has been. Tula never wanted to go out as much as Booker, but she was not being left behind if we were going out.

A couple of weeks ago, Booker was insisting on going out. She refused to get off the couch. Not even when I opened the front door did she come. So I took Booker out. As soon as I was out out she got up and run in to the bedroom to Greg, whimpering until we came back half an hour later. She is clearly the lazier of the two.

I just spoke with Greg and at the moment she is on her back in the couch, getting her belly rubbed.

My colleague on this trip is a dog man as well, so it has been good for me to talk about Booker with someone who understands what it is all about, while gazing out at the view from high above. It always makes me more thoughtful...

Thank you Marion for telling him that.
His pain is my pain and sometime I don't manage to read it.

I have been on stand by today. Spent a bit of time wondering around Tel Aviv. I saw lots of people with dogs, mostly big dogs. It struck me that not were they all on a lead (apart from three), but they all walked behind their owners being very well behaved.

We are still going through the thinking process. As usual I was thinking about my twins. When we brought them home, they brought a lot of sunshine in to our lives as well, triggering a lot of actions that would otherwise not have happened. You all know how it is.

Tula finally got out of bed today around 3pm. She did this yesterday as well. She finally came strolling down because the phone had rang. It has been a bit grey and some drizzles today. Greg told me that they went out for a walk and she did what she had to do. After it started to rain a little. She was not impressed and trotted home and in to shelter. She ate and went back to sleep.

Later when I called, I could hear her in the background, telling Greg to take her out. It had stopped raining...

She seems to be switching between being more quiet and getting back to normal. I look forward to come home and see my family again.

Today I got back home after 7 days away. Greg and Tula met me in town. On the ay home I thought lots about coming home to only one dog.

I was glad that Greg brought Tula to meet me. She was as happy to see me as I was to see her. If I had a tail...

I find that I think just as much about Tula as I do Booker. How is she? What does she know? It's hard to say. She has been behaving more normal through the week. Now she is on the couch with her head in my lap. We have played a little with the tennis ball. She wants to go out I think.

She is hyper, tail wagging, rolling around on the couch...

It is comforting to see her getting back to normal, but even if it feels like we love her even more now, I still miss my big boy... A lot...

Tula slept in her own bed last night. When we went to bed she came around to the bedside as if to say goodnight, Got a lick in the face, she got a scratch and then she wondered off to her own bed. Around 8 this morning she came around again and wanted up in our bed. This is all as normal when I am home. When I am away, the two of them would always sleep in the bed with Greg.

Although I woke up thinking of Booker, I did not wake up with a tear in my eye. However. As soon as I sit down and look through this thread and at the pics, that all changes.

I enjoyed the walk with Tula this morning. Just the two of us. She is a lot easier to walk than her brother, always staying behind me. She is back to marking and kicking and wanting her treat after she does her business.

Still, the walks are a much quieter experience now. For us maybe even a little lonely.

On my last trip away I was lucky enough to spend two nights t a beach hotel on a greek island From my balcony I had a view over the beach, some islands and the Mediterranean sunset. It was very quiet and the only thing I could hear at night, was the waves washing up on the shore. I had lots of time for some quiet reflection and it was good.

There is no question that the twins brought lots and lots of sunshine in to our lives. They improved our lives as much as we improved theirs. Very much a symbiosis. Tula is now fulfilling that roll all by herself. Although it will not be for a while, we have been able to talk about getting a companion for her. And for us of course.

In this we have been thinking that we have to be careful that we don't choose a dog based on any resemblance to Booker. It could so easily happen, but we all know that there is no replacement for a loved one. Just new love and happy memories.

Below are some more pics of the two of them taken in Cascais. I just had not gotten around to posting them yet.

Tula on the balcony.



She is hoping for a treat when we cook. Usually they would lay on the floor and we had to take care not to step on, or trip over them. Eventually we would send them out. Booker would always lay in the doorway with his head and neck through the door.



Tula in her favorite spot. One of many couch pics, I know...



I love this pic of Tula, all perked up at a sound from outside.



Booker as well.



They had both reacted to the same noise.




He was such a big dog. Made our living room look small.






Just call his name and you have his attention.



I always liked the close ups of his face.



I had been out for the day and met them during the evening walk. Always such joy to meet them. Even after only a few minutes away.





The balcony looked small with Booker on it. They both liked to go out and lay on the cool tiles and watch the world go by, not to mention barking at other dogs.





Another couple of head shots...





When we had dinner on the balcony, they wanted to fit in as well. Here at the end. Time for their treat...

As they say, life goes on. Tula seem to get that better than us. Today she has been perky and excitable all day. We just played with her tennis ball, and she has taken it up to bed. I assume ours, but I have not checked.

She was alone for 2-3 hours today. It appears she coped fine, probably spending the hole time in our bed. As soon as she heard the van, she was out on the balcony, before trotting down the stairs to meet us. We walked and fed her. As I said previously, she now sniffs and marks all over the place again.

Earlier she had disappeared for a while. We assumed she had gone upstairs and laid down, but when we checked she was not there. Turns out she was investigating something below and around the pool.

Here are some pics I took of her on the side and behind the house today:

I went to see the vet today. The autopsy is done and we are awaiting the results. They confirmed that he had already been individually cremated and we should get his ashes in a day or two.

I had some more questions as well one of which was if he had pain and fear when he died. This I have thought a lot about over the past week. He said no. When he died he was unconscious and would not have been aware of the attempts to resuscitate him, nor that he was not breathing. At least that is a relief.

The vet has donated 160 pounds (210 Euros) to GRF in memory of Booker.

Last night we got home around 9pm after a trip to IKEA. (they are everywhere) Tula was exited to see us as usual. Then she raised her head to something, moved back and forth along the fence on the deck, before moving towards the corner outside the kitchen. (On the pic where they are both stretched out, it's the corner behind them.)

We did not think much of it as she does this patrolling of the "perimeters" fairly regularly. That was until we looked over and saw here head stretched through the fence and a wagging tail. On the other side of the fence we noticed another wagging tail...

Mad panic as we scrambled to separate them before anything could happen. We grabbed Tula and she reluctantly came inside. I went after the other dog. It got scared and run up the hill behind the house. When I followed it up the hill, it barked a couple of times, but I called it and it came running down towards me. It was a female Dandy Dinmont Terrier. I gave her a treat and she threw herself on the ground, rolling around on her back. She turned out to be a lovely dog. Very friendly. Owners number was on the collar and we walked her up to her home with Tula. It did not seem to be any aggression of any kind when they first met, but we just kept them apart for the whole walk.

The owner told me that she gets scared of loud noises, in this case a gunshot, (hunting season) and run away. Apparently not unusual. I did mention the potential danger with Tula and she assured me that it was not a problem as her dog was already living with 3 other hunting dogs... No comment...

Todays I checked the fence trying to find out where she had come through. I did find an opening far to small for Tula and I though too small for this dog as well, but as it was the only hole I could fine, I plugged it up.

I do not want another accident...

Hey guys and Tula
Glad to read that you are all getting by and lovely to see all the photos both of Booker and Tula together and of Tula making her way now. Dogs are amazing the way they cope and it is so difficult for us to know how they are doing unless they r very obvious in what they do. From what you have said its sounds like Tula (much like yourselves Im sure!) is having good days and not so good days - thsi seems like a prefectly natural reaction to such a loss.
I just so feel for you all cos I know that it takes so much longer than people think/expect to learn to deal with the loss of a beloved animal, and I think its lovely that you talk about Booker being at one with the stars. When I lost one of my dogs, my "sunshine boy" Sam many years ago I went out to walk my other dog just at dusk and oddly there was a huge rainbow in the sky - this is all totally true btw not just a nice story!! - and always always when I see I rainbow I think of my boy - fair enough sometimes it means that I have to " add to the humidity" of the day but hey here in Scotland that is rarely a problem!! The lovely thing is that all of our 4 legged friends stay with us forever in our hearts.
Keep smiling at all ur memories and keep hugging Tula and all will be good!
Joan & Bambi x

Maybe Tula is looking for a doggy companion? Maybe your company is not enough for her She had always been with another dog(s) before Booker passed away...
She did not show any aggression so maybe hunting (racing) in a group "propells" their prey instinct?
Any dog may be aggressive, obviously there are more and less aggressive breeds of dog (generally), but nothing set in stone...

Thank you all for your comments and support. It makes us feel like part of a community even if it is 1424 miles away... A special thanks to Moira and Susan for the lovely article in the newsletter. Again the "humidifiers" were working at capacity...

Last night I received word that Booker's ashes had arrived at the vet. Unfortunately I am away again for six day, back Wednesday, so will pick up his urn then.

We are still awaiting the autopsy report. The vet told me Friday morning. I assumed he meant today, but could be next week.

Stan; We were thinking the same thing, but we had no way of knowing and we are a bit panicky about uncontrolled encounters at the moment, although we had no means of controlling, or prevent, the last one.

It still reaves through our minds if we could have done anything differently to prevent the outcome, but so far we do not think so.

Tula, actually all of us, will get our new companion when the time is right. Tula need some time to adjust and so do we. We believe that if we introduce a new dog to soon, Tula may have a more difficult time to adjust and accept the newcomer. We are thinking next year when I am again off for the full year ad will have the time to spend with and train a new family member. Thats what we are thinking, but at the moment we don't know when it will be.

This morning when I left, Tula could not be bothered to get up, except for wondering over to our bed and take my warm spot... When Greg got back from taking me to the airport bus, they had a walk, Tula got her breakfast and then they both went back to bed...

Here is Tula with the tennis ball. She has no intention of letting it go, but relinquished it in the end..

Over the last couple of days since I left, Greg tells me that it has been raining.

Tula is not happy.... It's hard to believe that she is Scottish. She hates the rain now, even the light drizzle. Yesterday Greg had the raincoat on her for the first time in months. He said she pee'd once and then only wanted to go back inside. All day was like that.

Today it had stopped and Greg told me she was so happy, strutting around, sniffing everything and doing lots of business. Such a change from not really being too bothered about the rain.

Bootsie HATES the rain - he looks SO miserable, and refuses to do anything other than go out for a quick pee in it !!! Once that's done, he hauls us back to the house and stands and shakes himself .... he is like a grumpy old man in the rain - still, guess we have a lot more of it than you guys.

Susan x

You do have a lot, lot, lot,. lot, lot more rain than we do. And thats just it. They used to not be too bothered, but now....

Earlier today Tula was on her back on the couch, getting her usual belly rub. She a little exited, wiggled and moved around, grabbed Gregs hand until rear heavy behind slipped of the couch and dragged her with it... She ended up half way under the coffee table and got a little stuck as her hip kept hitting the edge of the table when she tried to get up.

Wish I had been there to see it...