Guiscarda

The story that follows was written in tribute of Guiscarda by her devoted dad Ron. Rest easy girl, race with the wind until the day you meet again at the bridge.

On July 28th 1989 the Detroit Free Press ran an article about The Michigan Greyhound Connection and I was so excited and touched. I had wanted a greyhound ever since I was a small boy and now it seemed that A greyhound needed me. I sort of brushed off the possibility of pursuing this , yet when several friends brought me their saved newspaper clippings, I decided to do something about it.

In Those days the Greyhound Connection was a fledgling and free wheeling sort of operation; Dee Freese, from Kentucky was my liaison. It was surprising that I had to be interviewed three times over the phone at about 45 minutes a crack but it made me realize how committed and caring the organization was. Dee finally informed me that she had a blue female for me. I asked. "Aren't they a rare color?" Dee told me that blue greyhounds were sometimes a bit strange and since I already had a Saluki she felt that I would be a good match. A problem arose in that the fellow who usually brought the greyhounds to Michigan was unable to pick up my greyhound. I called Dee and we agreed to meet half way between her home in Kentucky and mine in Detroit. It was the first Sunday in November of 1989 when I drove to the rest stop in Wapokeneta.

This was how Guiscarda came into my life. She was born in September of 1987 making her just over two years when I picked her up. She was not feeling all that well because the stitches from her spaying had not been removed yet but she was a sweet girl who laid down in the back seat and slept peacefully on the trip to her new forever home. I was already in love with her. That night she became best pals with a big lug of a Saluki named Abelard. She had to discover what stairs were all about. This was mastered in less than 24 hours when Guiscarda realized that a king size bed waited at the top of those stairs.

She was a faithful and loving companion for over 12 years. She experienced swimming in Lake Michigan, camping, road trips, being my date on a trip to the Meadowbrook Festival (nobody said a word), the Renaissance Festival and lots of attention while sitting next to me at sidewalk cafes in Greektown and Royal Oak. This sweet girl was also the consummate hunter and constantly amazed and horrified me with her velociraptor like precision in taking down game. Squirrels quit visiting my yard and I don't eat rabbit!

Guiscarda only slowed down about six months ago and started to loose her hearing - except when food was being poured into her dish. When she started to loose weight, in spite of the always ravenous appetite, my 20 odd years with sight hounds prepared me for the inevitable. A week before she died I could still catch her raiding the garbage pail that had been "dog proofed".

On January 18th I knew that I must do the humane thing and set up the euthanasia for Monday the 21st. On Sunday morning, January 20th, Guiscarda would not eat her cookie. This was a first. At about 3:30 pm she went to sleep forever on her cushion surrounded by her "pack" in the kitchen. Even at the grand old age of 14 years and 4 months the loss made for an overwhelming sadness.

Guiscarda will always be a definitive epoch of my life. She is survived by my 10 year old Saluki "Gentian" and a five year old greyhound "Badger".