A Tribute to Bless, the Galga Who Changed My Life

Bless’ Adoption Photo, 2011

Where it all Began

Twelve years ago, I made a trip to Spain to volunteer at the Scooby Shelter in Medina del Campo, and to get my first adopted Galga, Bless. We had her for 12 years, from May 2011, until we lost her to cancer on February 16, 2023. Little did I know at the time, but this trip and this Galgo would change my life forever. My Journey with Bless over the past 12 years is documented in this blog: http://adoptingagalgo.blogspot.com. This is her final chapter.

In 2010, we lost our first Greyhound, Daisy, to Osteosarcoma. We were looking to adopt another sighthound, and I had already decided that I’d like to rescue a Spanish Galgo. I had learned about Scooby from a friend, so I wrote to inquire about adopting. In early 2011, I selected a beautiful Galgo, named Bless, based on her adoption photos and description, filled out the adoption papers and was later approved.

One of the volunteers was going to Scooby in April, and offered to meet up and help me bring Bless home. I booked my flights and everything came together for my trip. I was in Spain for several days, and worked at the shelter for five days. Had such a wonderful experience and was hooked on going back again and again over the past 12 years.

Scooby, My Heart Place

I had never been around Galgos before that first trip. What I learned is that they are the most beautiful and gentle dogs I’ve ever met. The situation in Spain is dire for them, as they are bred and used for hunting, and then discarded in cruel and neglectful ways at the end of every hunting season. From having Bless and my other Galgos, I’ve learned that they make the best, most loving and affectionate pets that anyone could have.

Bless with Her Mates at Scooby, 2011

Bless Was Truly a Blessing

Bless was the quintessential Galgo. She was a beautiful blue brindle, with a sleek greyhound- like body, almond-shaped Spanish eyes, and a very long tail. She was friendly, sweet, gentle, calm and always a lady. She got along well with all people, all of our other dogs, and even two of our cats.

She was an ambassador for her breed, as she was one of the first Galgos brought to the U.S.A. during that time. She attended a few Greyhound reunions and introduced many to the magnificent Galgo breed. Since then, many, many Galgos have been brought over from Spain and adopted into loving homes in this Country, which is absolutely fabulous, and what we hoped for.

Bless, the Galgo Ambassador 

Bless’ Life

She loved to eat. Any time I was cooking in the kitchen, she would show up to see if there was something for her. I called her my “sous chef”. She was the cutest beggar in the World. If you had food, she would come up and gently plop her head in your lap, looking sweetly at you with those sweet Spanish eyes, asking for a morsel or two. Who could resist?

Bless, the Sweetest Beggar Ever

She loved to be outside. She had a way of walking very slowly, as she went out, explored and then came back in. We called her “mosey” because she had no sense of urgency. She would go to the door and bark loudly, beat on the door with her paw, and do a little dance, when she wanted to go out. She especially liked to wake up Dad/Darrell in the middle of the night, when she wanted to go out.

Bless, Her Last Visit Outside

She loved her home and family. In her younger days, she was a good watchdog, alerting us whenever someone approached our home. Her favorite places were our bedroom, in her bed, and in the living room, in another of her beds. She loved to be with us and her pack. Sometimes, she would move her bed to be nearer the action.

 

Bless, Our Guardian 

Losing Bless

On Christmas Eve, 2021, she became very sick, not eating and being sick to her stomach, We took her to an emergency Vet and waited over two hours in our car (during COVID) while the Vet checked her. She relayed that something serious was going on with her, and that we should have tests done to learn more. We opted to follow up with our regular Vet the following week. They did an ultrasound on her and found that she had two large cancerous tumors, one near her spleen, and also Cushing’s Disease. They recommended that we treat her with a prescription and some herbal supplements. They said that the cancer was aggressive, and did not recommend an operation. They could not estimate how long we would have her, but they said three months to one year was likely.

For over two years, we gave her these medications, which we are convinced extended her life and increased her quality of life:  Ursodiol (prescription), I’m-Yunity (herbal), Yunnan Baiyao Jiaonang (Chinese Herbal).

The Cushing’s Disease actually made her hungry, so she seldom lost her appetite. She had a few bad days where we thought about taking her in to the Vet, but overall, she had a very good quality of life for those two years, which was a miracle to us.

Two weeks ago when we awoke, we found her laying by our bedroom door, where she had tried to ask to go outside. She had collapsed. Her back legs had no strength, and she couldn’t stand without help. We continued to help her stand, and she still walked, albeit very shakily. Then she stopped eating, with the exception of a few morsels here and there. She then collapsed few more times and cried out to us. We’ve been through this many times, and we knew that it was time to let her go.

We called the same mobile Vet who helped us with Sara’s passing few years ago, and set an appointment for the next day, so we’d have one more full day to spend with her and say our goodbyes. The Vet came in the early afternoon. He was so kind and gentle with her and us. She laid on one of her beds in the living room. He gave the first shot to relax her, and then gave us time to say goodbye. When he returned, he gave the second shot. She left peacefully and painlessly. We had more time to say our final goodbyes. He gently took her to his car. We had her body cremated and will have a paw print for our memories.

Bless’ bed in our bedroom remains empty. The other dogs avoid sleeping there, as they knew it was hers. Every time we walk into the bedroom, we look for her sweet face, as she was always there to greet us for so many years. She was such a big part of our lives. She gave us so much love and joy, and we feel so very blessed to have had our beautiful little Scooby Galga Bless as our pet for so many years.

Bless in Her Favorite Bed in our Bedroom 

We go on now, missing our Girl, knowing that she is in a better place, pain free and happy. We know that she’s waiting to mosey to greet us when we, too, arrive. We love you and will miss you forever, sweet Bless. Rest well, my Love.

Bless, February 2023

Rest Well, Bless, Our Love

A Tribute to Brody, 9/2014-11/2021

Brody and Bless

This is a tribute to our Greyhound, Brody, who we lost to liver cancer three months ago.  It has taken me a while to write this because it has been so difficult to lose four of our five dogs over the past three years; two in the past year. We continue to grieve.

We adopted Brody over seven years ago, from Greyhound Friends for Life (GFFL), NorCal, in September 2016, after we lost our Greyhound, Wilma, to Osteosarcoma, a few months prior.  Barbara, from GFFL selected Brody for us. He was a big, goofy, sweet boy, rescued by super GFFL volunteers, from the horrendous race track in Tucson, AZ.

Brody loved to fetch

Brody was a big boy — the largest Greyhound we’ve ever had, at 75 lbs.  We called him our, “Gentle Giant”. He truly was.  He had a very excellent temperament, and was so easy going.  He loved to play with tennis and doggy balls, and he loved to fetch. He would hide the balls in corners and behind objects in the yard so that the other dogs wouldn’t take them. He ran like the wind in our front and back yards.  He ate like a horse and loved his treats.  He was such a happy soul.  His favorite place was on our sectional sofa, lying upside down, sleeping with a big grin on his face. As he grew older, sometimes he couldn’t hold it and would go into one of our bathrooms and aim to pee in one of our toilets.  Hilarious!

Happy, happy Brody

Brody became our alpha, and he was a kind one, teaching the others to be patient.  He’d lie on the kitchen floor, as we prepared the food, and the other dogs followed suit.  He was all love, and loved to be pet and cuddled.

Smiling Brody

He started to get picky about his food in October, 2021, and we knew that something wasn’t right.  Later in the month, we took him in for an exam, then to a specialist, thinking something may be wrong with his heart.  The ultrasound revealed that he had lesions on his liver, which indicated the very worst type of liver cancer that a dog can get. We ordered the recommended herbs to help support him, as we knew that this was best for him.  Brody made it until mid-November.  We went out for a bit for dinner. When we came home, he was lying by the Christmas tree, almost comatose. He had been bleeding from his mouth. We knew that it was time to let him go, so we called the emergency vet. They took him in right away and very gently and kindly put him to rest.  We know that he would not have made it through the night.

We cried our eyes out that night and beyond.  We so miss our big boy every day. A few days after his cremation, we received the plaque with his paw print and a few bits of his beautiful black and some white fur.

Since he left us, we adopted a beautiful Borzoi rescue from South Korea, Joy. She has helped heal our hearts from, yet another, loss of one of our beloved dogs.

Brody, we miss you so much. You were taken way too soon. You deserved to have more time here with us. But we know that you are in God’s loving arms, waiting for us to hug you once again, and to throw your favorite ball so that you can fetch it.  We love you forever, sweet Brody.

Rest well, sweet Brody

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog. Bless sends her blessings. Levi sends happiness.

Our lovely first Scooby Galga, Bless

Our handsome Scooby Podenco, Levi

Celebrating My 19th Visit to Scooby - Part Two

Scooby Galgos

So Good to be Back at Scooby

Madrid's Chamartin Train Station

The fourth day, it was time to rise and shine to catch the early train from Madrid to Scooby, in Medina del Campo.  Caught the fast train from Madrid (one hour), then took a cab directly to Scooby.  I cannot tell you how much joy I felt when the taxi drove up to the entrance. The sights, sounds and smells brought me right back to my roots. I took some time to tour the sanctuary, meet old and new friends, and visit the animals.  

Me and my Galgo Mix Buddy

I Wondered How Much Things Had Changed After Two Years

Headed to the Hotel Reina Isabel in Medina to unpack, get some dinner, a few groceries and some rest.  I love that little hotel and the staff.  I was so delighted to see that most all of the same people work there, as they have for years, and that they made it through the virus safely, thus far.  It was as clean and comfortable as ever, and I slept like a rock.

I was curious to see how Medina del Campo would be since the virus struck.  It was very much the same. Most all of restaurants and shops were open, and I was happy to see that a new Gadis grocery store opened and was very close to the hotel. Most days, I bought food there and made lunch and dinner instead of going out. 

Downtown Medina del Campo

The Scooby Animals

Such Wonderful Animals to Love

It was so great to be back at Scooby, as I wondered how things would be after the devastation of the virus.  Lots of improvements, including fences, security cameras, new perimeter paddocks and even a puppy paddock. The staff made it through these difficult times and continues to do their good work of rescuing so many animals.

Enjoyed seven days at Scooby, getting to know the animals, cleaning, feeding, socializing and cuddling with them. I noted that there were several empty paddocks, which is quite unusual. But considering the impact of the virus, so many things have changed.  There were a few dozen Galgos, most of whom were reserved for transport and adoption.  There were also a few dozen Podencos, Bull Terriers, Mastins, and a number of mixed breeds, large, medium and small. There were a couple of dozen adorable puppies. There were many cats and kittens of all sorts.  On the farm, there were horses, a bull, donkeys, goats and sheep.  There were many chickens and my personal favorite, a white turkey, who was very friendly and sweet.


I Loved This Turkey! So sweet

The weather was really warm when I arrived in Madrid, and then in Medina del Campo, it became very chilly and windy in the mornings with gradual warming throughout the day.  The evenings were quite cool and the sunrises and sunsets were stunning. 

Back to Madrid

After my seventh day at Scooby, I caught the fast train back to Madrid. There was some confusion about which station to go to, as I wasn’t able to purchase my tickets online.  But I learned that you can purchase tickets at both stations.  The new fast station has a ticket kiosk and the old station has a clerk at the ticket desk.  The old train is for commuters and makes more stops. The new train takes one hour and only stops once in Segovia.  Ticket price is about 24 Euros each way.  Everyone wears masks on the trains and in the stations.  In fact, about 80% of the people wore masks on the streets, and you could not enter any public building without a mask. The train station employees were kind and helpful. 

The Fast Train Station in Medina del Campo

I stayed two more nights at the same hotel, Atlantico, in Madrid.  It's close to great restaurants and shopping, so I had the chance to visit some old familiar places and discovered some new.

My Cozy Room at Hotel Atlantico, Madrid

It was amazing to see very long lines of people waiting to purchase their Christmas lottery tickets. There we many people out and about, and the Christmas decorations were up.  

Found a Cool New Food Court with Views

The Long Line for Christmas Lottery Tickets

Had to have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before flying.  Was able to get my test, in my room at the hotel, for 45 Euros.  Had all of the necessary paperwork to exit Spain and enter the U.S.

The Journey Back Home

I so wished that I could have brought some dogs back for adoption, but the American Airlines embargo on cargo animals continued. Hoping it's over so I can bring some in the Spring. As it ended up, in the morning that I was to leave, I received a text from American that my flight to Dallas was delayed due to thunderstorms.  I had a chance to sleep in a bit.  Got ready and caught a cab to the airport near Noon.  Had a smooth flight with empty seats next to mine, allowing me to spread out.  Had a three hour layover in Dallas. Caught some dinner at the airport before boarding.  The plane going to San Diego was completely packed and had engine problems, delaying us for 45 minutes more.  We were the last flight to arrive in San Diego after 12 a.m.  I was going to catch a Lyft or Uber home, but no response that late at night, so I called my husband, who picked me up at the airport and brought me home. All of my dogs were so glad to see me, and I them.  Rolled into bed and dreamt about my trip.  It really was like a dream to be back in Spain and at Scooby, and I'm so thankful that I had the chance to go again.

Next trip to Spain and Scooby will be late April through early May.  My husband will be traveling with me this time, and we plan an excursion to Mallorca for a few days.  Hope to bring a dog or two back.  But not sure if we'll be able to.

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog. Bless sends her blessings. Levi sends happiness.
Our lovely first Scooby Galga, Bless
Our handsome Scooby Podenco, Levi

Celebrating My 19th Visit to Scooby - Part One

Madrid

Can I actually go?

It had been two years since my last vacation anyplace, except one weekend in San Diego. I so wanted to go to Spain and Scooby again.  Made reservations in the Spring, always watching how things were progressing with fighting off the virus. I checked in with some friends who had recently traveled to Spain and other parts of Europe, and they assured me that it would be safe to go.

So, with some trepidation, armed with double Pfizer vaccines and annual flu shot, the days inched forward. I had to make a final decision to go or not. The still small voice inside told me to go while I had the chance.  I decided that I would go and started doing research on what I needed to do to prepare for the trip.

Spain issues a QR Code for Entry

Preparations for the Trip

First task was to check airline requirements. I wanted to bring a couple of dogs back for adoption, but American Airlines still had a cargo pet travel ban in place, and it seemed intimidating to deal with getting myself to Spain and back, let alone bringing dogs too.  Next I had to find out what was necessary to enter Spain.  I learned that you have to go to the Spain immigration site, register, enter your passport, flight, where you are staying and whether or not you’ve been vaccinated. If not, they require a negative COVID test within three days of your trip. They then send you a confirmation link. Then two to three days before you leave, you have to complete your registration. If successful, they send you a QR code that you show after you pass through immigration.  I also used the VeriFLY app that American recommended, which made it easier to check in at the San Diego airport.

Yay! Flying into Spain

Traveling to Spain

The first leg flight to Dallas was completely full, and a three hour flight. They served soft drinks and biscuits. Masks are mandatory during all flights. There was no entertainment, save using their WiFi to view movies and listen to music.  None of us could connect though to use it. Had a short layover, then boarded the very large plane to Madrid. The flight wasn’t full, so our middle seat mate was able to move to an aisle, giving me and my aisle mate extra room in the middle to stretch out.  The plane had onboard entertainment, with individual screens for each passenger. During the long nine hour flight, saw a couple of good movies, “The Father” and an intriguing documentary, “The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52”.  They provided a full dinner and breakfast service. The attendants were steadfast in enforcing the mask mandate. No one made any trouble on either flight.

Landing in Madrid

Good to be Back in Madrid

Arrived in Madrid a bit early, around 9 a.m.  Easily moved through immigration, health check, where they scanned the QR code, and then to collect my baggage. Caught a cab to the very excellent Hotel Atlantico on Gran Via. Thankful that they let me check in early. Got settled in and took a much needed nap. Got up and did a good walk about to some of my favorite haunts:  the Azotea del Círculo rooftop bar, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Mercado San Miguel, among others.  The Hotel Atlantico also has two beautiful rooftop terraces that overlook the city. They even have turn down service, which is rare. What a lovely first day!

Lovely Madrid

Wonderful Excursions

Up early the next day for an 11 hour excursion to Salamanca and Ávila.  We traveled by bus, with a tour guide.  Both cities are so beautiful and have  rich histories, landmarks and architecture. 

Salamanca

Avila

Up early the next day for another 11 hour excursion to Toledo and Segovia. Again, traveled by bus with two tour guides, one for English and one for Spanish.  Both of these cities are breathtakingly gorgeous and rich in history and architecture.  It was yet another very excellent day. 

Toledo

Segovia 

Part 2: Back to Scooby (Stay tuned for more!)

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog. Bless sends her blessings. Levi sends happiness.

Our lovely first Scooby Galga, Bless

Our handsome Scooby Podenco, Levi

Hasta Luego, Sweet Sara

Sweet Sara

Sara's Story

In May, 2013, I received a call from my local Greyhound Rescue group, Greyhound Friends for Life, asking me if we would be willing to foster a Galga, named Sara, who had been rescued from the streets of a small town near Seville, Spain.  She was left to die -- emaciated, weak and unable to get up or walk. A group of wonderful volunteers rescued, fostered and brought her back to health. They think that she was used as a brood mom.  She had scars all over her body, the worst of which was a "Z" brand carved into her forehead. My friend, Mora, fell in love with Sara from afar, and brought her to the USA, for which we are forever grateful.  

We never know how old the Galgos are, since so many are dumped or left to die, but we think that she was at least 6 1/2 years old.  We wondered how she had endured so much; but after adopting her, we realized what a strong, resilient spirit she had. She was a very proud, strong Galga, whose spirit could not be broken. Here's her rescue and adoption story.  

We fostered Sara for a few days and very quickly and decisively knew that we wanted to adopt her forever.  It has been 7 1/2 years of pure love and joy with beautiful Sara.  

Our hearts are broken, as we had to let her go yesterday, and we will grieve forever. 

The Gift of Sara

Sara was one of the most intelligent, stoic, proud and loving dogs I've ever known.  She was beautiful, inside and out.  Her eyes were sad and soulful. Her fur became bunny soft, once she ate the good, healthy food we provided.  She was the alpha of our pack of five dogs, three Spanish Galgos, a Spanish Podenco and a Greyhound. She was always much more of a people person, preferring people to other dogs. She tolerated the other dogs, but loved all people. She was always a perfect lady and a skilled huntress.  Even just last week, when her health was failing, she caught and killed a rat in the backyard, and was prepared to bring the prize in to me, before my husband caught her and took it to the garbage.  

She loved us, and was especially close to me over the past several months. She always had to know where I was. She visited me in our sun/workout room, and we spent quality time together, she watching me and relaxing on the futon and me doing the elliptical and yoga and sneaking in pets and kisses here and there. Sometimes, we would share a little snack and watch a good show together on the TV.  She loved sneaking past the other dogs to come to the sunroom so that we could be together -- just us.

She loved our bed and sleeping with us.  It was her favorite place.  She and I would stay up late and sleep in together every day. She wouldn't go to bed until I did. In the morning, after Dad got up, she'd take his spot and we'd sleep in. She always had to cuddle, touch or hug. She slept under and stole most of the blankets.  She would tell the other dogs off if they jumped up on the bed, as though she owned it.  She loved to play with stuffed animals and relished her treats.  She could jump two feet straight up in the air when she was happy.  On our mostly sunny days, she loved to bask in the sun for 10-15 minutes each day. She sat in our chairs that dogs would not normally sit in, often taking our chairs when we got up.  She was a force!

Saying, "Goodbye"

Over the past year, she has had labored breathing and some other issues with tumors on her chest and tummy area.  We recently had three emergency surgeries to remove the tumors. They determined that they were cancerous, but not the type that metastasizes.  We also had a cardiologist do a echocardiogram in early September, which revealed fluid around her heart.  He said that there was a good chance that it was cancer, and if so, she'd have about 1-3 months.  He was right.  She still ate well, but she kept losing weight.  She became much pickier about what she would eat, but we still were clever enough to think up dishes that she would eat, and hand-fed her.

She was doing quite well over the past few months, until yesterday.  She had a restless, sleepless night. My husband woke me up early to tell me that he thought she was dying.  She was listless and we could tell something was wrong. He put her on the bed next to me, and we didn't sleep, but we rested together. He kept coming in to check on her.  When I got up a few hours later, I noticed that the base of her tongue and her neck were starting to swell and fill with fluid.  Around Noon, her tongue looked so awful, and it was blocking her drinking, eating and breathing. I was afraid that it was going to burst, and it was bleeding.  I said to my husband that I knew she was going to suffer, and that I had promised her that I would never, ever let her suffer. So we agreed to call a mobile vet to make an appointment to give her rest, which was set for 6 p.m. The waiting was intense.

Her tongue and neck became worse and worse, and we almost took her to our vet at 3 p.m. because it was so horrific, but we feared what the car trip might aggravate.  She was very alert, so we decided that we could spend a couple of additional hours with her, comforting her, hugging and kissing her and telling her how much we loved her. We always wanted her to pass at home with us, her favorite place, so we held on and so did she.  We played her songs, "Sara" by Fleetwood Mac, "Sara Smile" by Hall and Oats, and the beautiful song that reminds me of her life, which I played for her every night lately, "Clair de Lune".  There was an exceptionally beautiful sunset, in honor of the exceptionally beautiful Sara.

The vet came precisely at 6 p.m. He was a very gentle, kind and compassionate person. He knew we had been through this before, but still explained every step.  She was on our bed, resting comfortably. "Clair de Lune" played in the background.  He gave the first shot, and she finally relaxed her breathing a bit.  But she was strong and determined enough that she lifted her head several times to make sure that she saw both of us.  After about 15 minutes, he came back in and prepped her for the second shot.  Everything was very kindly, carefully and gently done. After about two minutes, she was gone.  We were right in front of her, looking into her eyes, the whole time.  She went so peacefully and it gave us peace.  My husband bundled her up and took her to the vet's car. She was cremated and we will soon have her paw print to add to our shrine of other paw prints and collars from our other beloved pets who have passed.Yesterday was a very difficult and emotional day.  Now we face the emptiness and loss knowing that we have to go on without our sweet Sara.  She was such a presence and we will miss her every single day.  We continue to cry our tears and look for her in her favorite places out of the corners of our eyes.

Sara, we will love you forever and ever, and look forward to the day that we will be reunited in Heaven. Rest well, my love!