By Marlane Bernardo

Devastated only begins to describe how my family felt when we learned of the death of our three and a half year old greyhound, Skyjacker. It was December 23, 2008 and we had just adopted Sky in August. A short time in the grand scheme of things, but Sky had become more than just a simple family dog. He had become my buddy as I went about my day, my walking companion at any hour that I chose, my sidekick as I shuttled my son to school and practice and a trusted friend as he slept by son’s bed at night. Sky was a valued and loving member of our family and  we had just received the completely unexpected and crushing news that our beloved Sky was gone. Our holiday was shattered.

We had already made plans to meet my in-laws in New Orleans so we decided to leave a day earlier. The house was too lonely and too filled with memories of our pup. A six hour drive seemed a better alternative than spending another day at home.

Throughout the next four days we continued to be reminded of Sky. We saw a man walking two greyhounds in the French Quarter. We followed him for a block and as I knelt next to pet these two beautiful dogs, tears ran down my face. The antique shops had many tapestries and bronzes depicting these gentle and noble creatures in aristocratic poses. While walking through the Garden District, we had yet another greyhound spotting. This fellow was sitting quietly on his front porch. He came over to receive scratches thru the fence. The next day on our way back to Houston , we pulled over at a small Cajun restaurant along Route 10.  There on the wall hung a huge painting of greyhound.

Shortly after the first of the year my sister, who had been battling cancer, took a turn for the worst. Over the next three weeks her condition declined quickly. Sitting by her bedside one night, I had a thought that Sky would be waiting for her. Perhaps this dog that I had loved so much had another important job to perform. I believe that as one of God’s creatures, he created dogs as an expression of his unconditional love for us. I was sure that Sky would be waiting for my sister and when I told her this, the most peaceful smile came across her face.

Ultimately she passed away in January   of this year. I still have an image in my mind of my sister and Sky crossing the bridge together. As the next few weeks passed, I found myself bumping along through the days. The house was too quiet and my heart was broken and grieving.

By the first weekend in February, my husband and son were doing their best to sell me on adopting another greyhound. It’s not that I did not want another dog, as I certainly did. Having known Sky, I was hooked on greyhounds. I just needed time to process all that I was feeling. The conversations went on and on. “Maybe we could just foster.” “Sky would want us to get another greyhound who needed a home and for us to share our love with it.” They were really laying on the guilt.  However, their most creative and convincing strategy was talking to and petting an invisible dog. Mission accomplished. I was bamboozled into visiting the Houston GPA chapter just to take a look.

The first thing most greyhound owners will tell you about how they “choose” their dog is that they didn’t – the dog chooses them. Bruno was no exception. We spent several hours walking and playing with each dog that was available. Bruno honed in on our son  early as an easy target. And as any good salesman will tell you, you find the decision maker, ask for the business and close the deal. Bruno was a master at this. He made continuous rounds between us. On our walk he was a complete gentleman. He looked into our eyes and gave gentle nudges for even more attention. The fact that he had practically velcro‘d himself to our son’s side was pure magic. We were all in agreement – Bruno was the one. He came home with us that afternoon as a foster dog.  Bruno was still going through some vetting and would not be available for  adoption until he had completed his dental cleaning. After he was completely vetted we could either adopt him or keep him as a foster for the next few weeks.

The second thing that most greyhound owners will tell you about how they “choose” their dog is that they failed Greyhound Fostering 101. Some have failed several times! Bruno passed his foster dog test with flying colors. He gets along with the cat, rides well the car, walks well on a leash, is housebroken and he’s loving and social with other people. Bruno has taken over the role of all around buddy without missing a beat. He has found his forever home. Bruno’s presence has once again brought laughter, smiles and greyhound antics back into our home.

Although the passing of my sister and Sky will never be negated, our grief for them has been eased just a bit by a wonderful brindle greyhound named Bruno.

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