RIDER
In remembrance of Rider
3/03 - 6/9/11
Run swiftly in heavenly fields, sweet boy!
Oh Lord, you do preserve both man and beast.
Ps. 36:6
He had been in the greyhound adoption kennel
longer than any other dog.
Why, oh why, did no one stop at his crate and appreciate this beautiful dog?
He had been swift as the wind on the race track winning race after race!
When he broke his leg, they had even pinned it
in the hope he could continue winning races.
But, there was he lingering in a crate for over
a year. He had lost hope that anyone would ever
adopt him.
One day, a stranger came to the kennel to take
him away.
Rider felt a surge of hope when he realized he
was being leashed and heading outside.
Freedom! He saw the open doors of a waiting van
and leaped inside. The doors closed behind him
and unknowingly Rider rode to his new life.
The ride was longer than he was used to having,
when he went from the kennel to the track but at
length the van turned to transverse a gravel
covered road.
The van stopped then the strange man urged Rider
to jump out and enter a gate. The leash
was removed.
Rider looked around at the huge expanse of
grass. There was a black greyhound wagging her
tail and heading toward him! Then another grey
appeared and another and another.
The dog could hardly believe his eyes! It was
the largest turnout pen he had ever seen and he
loped off to join the others his head held high,
his tail reaching toward the blue sky and a
rapturous, excited expression on his face. He
thought this must be heaven. Actually, it was
his forever home!
When Gail and
Tom made the decision to take another dog to
foster, they asked Joan Harris for the one who
had been in the GPA kennel the longest. Joan’s
thoughts immediately turned to Lowrider and so
Rider came to the Smith’s as a foster and was
soon being adopted by the Smith’s as they grew
to love him.