In Loving Memory of Sterling     1992 – 2005

Dear Sandy and the staff of Recycled Racers, I am sorry to tell you that we lost our beloved Sterling on April 10, 2005.  We had him for almost 11 years and he would have been 13 in June of 2005.  He started having some back pain the week before and wouldn't eat or move around.  This was something that Sterling had dealt with off and on for several years.  We took him in to the vet and got him on anti-inflammatories and he bounced back by the next day.  By Friday he was lethargic and we took him in to the vet and they put him on some meds for the diarrhea.  Saturday he did not do well and would not eat or move around, and drank very little.  We cooked him his favorite meal of hamburger and rice but he wasn't interested in eating.  We couldn't get Sterling to stand up by Saturday evening and he moved less and less.  My husband and son blew up an air mattress for me so I could stay close to him all night.  We were sure that we would have to take him in to the vet on Sunday and make the big decision. We had to put our last dog to sleep and it was the hardest decision I had ever made in my life.  I had been telling Sterling for the last year, "When the time comes, you just close your eyes and go."  He must have understood that I didn't want to go through the euthanasia thing again.  His breathing was quite labored and continued to get quieter and quieter all night.  I fell asleep and when I awoke at 5 am, Sterling was gone.  Even though I knew he was dying, it didn't occur to me that he would listen to my words from before.  I felt guilty thinking that maybe he suffered but the vet said that this way we could be with Sterling when it was time for him to go.  I just didn't expect that he would lay down and die, but he did it in his own way and on his own terms.  For that I am so grateful. Sterling was such a wonderful companion and I will always think fondly of all our times together.  We have so many great memories of trips we took with him and our son, TJ.  We all cried for the better part of a week but now think of the good times we all had together. I want to thank Recycled Racers for the experience of a lifetime.  Without your Greyhound adoption program, we would never have had the chance to experience the gentleness of the Greyhound and the Greyhound community.  Retired racing Greyhounds are truly unique and wonderful animals.  I am so glad that the racing industry has come to understand that adoption allows these graceful animals to enter common households where they can share their great capacity for love.  These thoughts make me misty for my wonderful Greyhound friend.  Sterling, we will miss you. Thank you again for all you do, Tari SG-Mitchell, Jim and our son TJ and Daisy, our little Jack Russell

For info email Recycled Racers at Greyadopt1@aol.com Marnie Grosz is Director/Adoption Coordinator & Toni Davis is Kennel Manager. RecycledRacers.org web site was designed and is maintained by Marnie Grosz. Copyright  ©  2000 - 2008 Recycled Racers Inc,  All Rights Reserved