Papa - Arrived @ Tailends 2nd September 2004 - August 2006

Papa came to us from a kennel in Kent on September 2nd 2004. He is a big strong black boy with a very grey face. The first thing we noticed was that his breathing was noisy and very laboured. He also had the usual foul rotten mouth that is so often seen in these dogs that have been in kennels for so many years. He needed to have 21 teeth removed and the vet found that he had an enlarged heart and one of the worst cases of laryngeal paralysis that the practice had seen. The glands in his neck were very swollen so he was put on antibiotics for a few days. The vet said that his breathing was so bad that he must have been concentrating on it all the time and this was why he was finding it difficult to sleep at night. He needed to have an operation to pin back the vocal chords enabling him to breathe properly. He was slowly suffocating and we had no option but to go ahead with the procedure despite his age. There was also a potential danger of food passing into the trachea and causing pneumonia. We were going to have to be very careful about his diet. He must not have any dry crumbly food or treats.

Papa has become very attached to me, just like dear Lloyd did. He follows me around all day and whether I am standing or sitting he will lie down as close to me as he can get. He sprawls out in the kitchen while I am preparing their meals and I have to be very careful not to trip over him. I put a nice comfortable duvet at the bottom of the bed but he insists on sleeping down on the floor next to me. There is not a lot of room there, as it is in the doorway, but I have had to make up a bed for him where he wanted to sleep. It does mean that I can put out my hand and reassure him if he wakes during the night. However it a bit of an obstacle course getting in and out of bed without treading on him, especially as I have to get up every couple of hours or more, in the dark, to attend to one of the others or let somebody out for an urgent call of nature.

Papa has really benefited from the operation to help him breathe. His heart failure is being kept stable at present using two sorts of drugs and he is getting the most out of his retirement. He sleeps for much of the time and does not appreciate getting up much before 9am and has been known to sleep in until past eleven and then wonder what happened to his breakfast. Once up though he bounces around like a youngster and his quality of life is very good.

Papa is such a loyal devoted friend. He has lived in kennels all his life, prior to coming here. He never had a chance of a home. However I know that he had three things against him being chosen even if he had been in a rehoming kennel. Firstly he is a very big boy. So many people looking for a greyhound as a companion tend to want a small bitch. In addition he is black - the least popular colour. I cannot understand why dogs are so often chosen for their appearance. It is not like choosing a three-piece suite or a carpet. The most important thing when considering taking a new dog home is to find one with the personality that will fit in with your lifestyle. It is a source of such sadness that so many black dogs in rehoming kennels all over the country are overlooked in favour of their pretty blue or multi-coloured companions.

Papa gets so excited about his afternoon walk that he often bucks and rears like a wild horse waiting for his harness to be put on. He nearly falls over in his excitement. I doubt the poor chap had many walks before he came here. Then when he gets back his only thought is for his dinner! He devours a big bowl of soaked James Wellbeloved and fresh chicken or lamb. There is never a scrap left in his bowl. Then he sleeps soundly until it is time to go out before settling down for the night. He is lying next to me with his head on my foot as I am writing this. I am so pleased we were able to help Papa and hope that he will have plenty more happy days with us.

Papa fell asleep forever - 13th August 2006

I miss him dreadfully and the pain of losing such a special friend is very hard to bear. He was a large black greyhound with a grey face - just the sort of dog who is constantly overlooked when people choose a companion animal. So often they pick a pretty little blue or fawn bitch and avoid the big plain boys like Papa. He had lived in a kennel for 12 years before he came to Tailends in September 2004 yet he settled in and became my shadow. He was always beside me whenever I worked on the computer and he lay next to my bed at night on his thick "memory bed" which cushioned his old bones. Papa was a creature of routine and his whole day was governed by the strict regime which he had decided was how things should be. He had a soft croaky bark following an operation to open his larynx which was almost entirely closed when he arrived here, causing him acute discomfort in breathing. I miss his gentle presence and the other dogs are grieving for their friend - especially our frightened little Daisy May who cuddled up to him for protection from the traumas of the human world outside.

Papa had several health issues including an enlarged heart and arthritis but he responded very well to his medication and enjoyed his life here. He had a good day on Saturday and went out for his walk as usual. He polished off his dinner of tuna fish and chicken and gave me no cause for concern. He went out for his last walk to relieve himself before settling down in the bedroom. Half an hour later he started to become stressed and seemed unable to get up or move his back legs. I thought at first that he had somehow trapped one of his legs and then that maybe a leg had "gone to sleep". I eventually made him comfortable and he fell asleep. However during the night it became obvious that his back legs were paralysed and he had to be lifted out into the garden when he desperately needed a wee. He was very clean and would not wet himself although I would have preferred that he had rather than become stressed when trying to move. Alison, our vet, came out to see him in the morning. She said that it was unlikely that he would ever regain use of his back legs and that he had most likely suffered a blood clot. His very high heart rate indicated that he was suffering pain in spite of the strong analgesic which I had given him earlier. His eyes told me what I needed to know and we agreed that he should be helped to a peaceful end rather than putting him through any more trauma. I stroked his big gentle head and spoke to him softly as he fell asleep. He just closed his eyes and left his tired worn-out old body forever. You will always be with me Papa, hidden from my sight and just out of reach but I know you are there. You were loved very much and always will be, my dear sweet boy. I miss you so much.