Mandy (2000 - 2012)

The only near-relative I have ever met of any of the four greyhounds that we've adopted over the past 20 years was Mandy (racing name Bb's Luv), a half-sister of Sadie's. I met Mandy and her owner Beverly in Gettysburg, outside of the Travelodge, near the end of my first visit to GIG in 2010. It was so cool to actually meet a greyhound that shared a sire of one of our pups. (We have yet to meet any littermates of our hounds, so a half-sister will more than suffice.)

The next time our paths crossed was later in the year at Dewey. I was standing near one of the carports on Dagsworthy where some of the vendors had set up shop, when in came Mandy and Beverly. I asked Beverly if I could take Mandy outside in the shade and take a few pictures. Beverly was happy to oblige, and Mandy posed for me.

I love her ears. I went away happy to have seen the both of them again.

2011 was the first year I started doing photo sessions. When I posted that I was going to GIG Beverly asked if I could do a session with Mandy. I was more than happy to do so. We met on a warm Saturday morning at Sachs Covered Bridge outside of Gettysburg. Beverly explained that Mandy's hind end had been getting weak over the years so my friend Aimee and I worked quickly to get some shots in before Mandy tired:

Mandy is...well, it was hard not to spend a little time cuddling with her:

Even though the session was supposed to last an hour, Mandy was pretty spent after 30 minutes so we called it a day.

We met again this past April for another session in Gettysburg. The morning was much cooler, which suited Mandy just fine. We spent some time in the bridge:

We turned around and walked back towards Beverly's SUV, but then detoured and instead stopped at a grassy bank. Mandy sniffed and looked around while I took a few pictures:

I will never forget her ears: they were the best.

Yesterday, when Mandy passed, I received a request from a veterinarian at OSU GHWP (the Ohio State University Greyhound Health and Wellness Progress) for a picture of Mandy so she could write a memorial page for her on their website. I understand that Mandy played a large part in her being a part of GHWP. Mandy must have been an amazing greyhound in the years before I met her -- and still was amazing after I had.

We were planning on another photo session at Dewey Beach in a few weeks, but she collapsed late Monday night and had great difficulty using her hind legs. It was a sign that her time had come, so later the next morning Beverly let her go.

Before we parted ways at the bridge for what turned out to be the last time, I asked for a chance to bury and rub my face in her neck fur because it was so bunny-soft. It reminded me so very much of how soft our second greyhound Nikki's neck fur was. So I had my friend Meredith take a picture of me while I planted my face in her fur, and gently moved it back-and-forth, back-and-forth. Then I was done and bade Mandy goodbye.

It is a good memory.