Nike Memorial

Nike came into my life very unexpectedly and a little bit different than the normal foster process. Susie McQuade contacted me and said that GALT was getting a dog returned to GALT from his adopter, he was 11 years old and would I be interested in picking him up and fostering him. I said that I would be and she was going to let me know when they could meet me to release him.

I looked him up on the GALT website and was very touched by his pictures. What a cutie! I anxiously waited for the call to meet the current owners. Long story short, it was about three weeks of me bugging Susie and trying to set up a time for me to get him. During this time I was feeling more and more anxious and desperate to get him. I cannot explain my feelings and I think that Susie thought I was a little nuts, but when I finally saw him for the first time I knew why I was so anxious and I also knew he would never leave my house. He was twenty pounds underweight, very frail and weak. His mouth was sore and his teeth rotten.

I picked him up in September 2006, so I have not had the privilege to spend very much time with him yet – but I am looking forward to years to come. In those three weeks of waiting, it was like he was somehow letting me know he urgently needed help.

I am writing this for him to help celebrate his twelfth birthday this Sunday, 06/24/2007. He is an awesome boy and literally bounces up and down when I come home or call him to come in from a potty break. He only has a couple of teeth left and will probably lose them, but that does not bother him at all. He is a bit weak in the rear-end sometimes and limps once in awhile from arthritis, but he still is a happy boy who loves to go for (short) walks and loves to eat. He is aging very gracefully and not getting very gray at all.

I am SO GLAD that this ol' man came into my life, he is very special and I love him very much.

In loving memory of the dog of my heart!!

Nike came into my life on 9/23/2006 and he left my life exactly 2 ½ years later on 3/23/2009. It would never have been long enough, but I am so grateful for the time we got to share our lives! Until meeting him I was never sure what a 'heart dog' was. Nike was my best bud who followed me around just keeping an eye on me. I will miss those soulful, loving eyes watching my every move!

My dear sweet Nike boy, I will miss you always and forever, but in letting you go I know you are now pain free and are not tired and all worn out. Run free my sweet boy, run free!! I will love you forever!!

Barb Bray