Quilty, “Quiltomatic” 4/1/96 – 5/18/10
With heavy hearts, we helped our proud old lady to the Bridge yesterday. She has been in declining health in the last couple months, with her diabetes getting harder and harder to control. Though the xrays looked ok, her breathing was getting more labored and her heart sounds were not great. Her spark and fiery personality waning. She was getting tired. Ken and I had been having “the talk” for a couple weeks now….we knew her time in this life was approaching an end. We’ve been through this too many times before. Monday night she became unable to stand on her own and walking was tremendously difficult, with one leg just not working properly and knuckling under. An x-ray yesterday indicated a collapsed disc. Considering all things and after a discussion with our vet, Ken and I made the decision to let her go.
I will never forget meeting Quilty that fateful day in June at the adoption kennel in Birmingham…She had been found wandering as a stray a the age of 13! Emaciated beyond description, the sight of her literally took your breath away….and not in the good way. But, pity soon melted away as within minutes you could see that Quilty was not a victim of her circumstances. She was sassy and spritely and full of life. I fell in love instantly. A week later, Melony called and asked if we were still interested in adopting her….and of course, we were! At the time we already had a full house at 17 hounds, plus a mama dog we were fostering that had just given birth to 7 beautiful puppies. But there was never any doubt. Quilty was our dog. I knew she’d fit in just fine.
And she did. Our vet discovered she was diabetic, so with twice a day insulin shots she started putting on much needed weight. She helped us raise those puppies. She ruled the pack with a not-so-velvet paw. She pretty much did everything she wanted to do, when she wanted to do it. She would simply have it no other way…if she wanted outside, she would bark until we let her go outside. If she wanted to hang out in the kennel building, she would bark at the kennel door until we let her inside. If she wanted a snack or a meal, she would bark until we fed her. If she wanted on the sofa with us, she’d give us “the eye”….and then bark until we lifted her up. After a couple months we started to learn what different barks meant and we happily obliged. She took full advantage of her “old fart privileges” :lol She would even remind us to give her insulin shot if we delayed.
All greyhounds are special…but Quilty was extra special. I don’t know what the 13 years were like before she lived with us, but I have a feeling, they were spent ordering other humans around. She came to us doing it too well for it to have been a newly acquired skill 
So, while I celebrate a life well lived (it certainly was with us!), I am sad that I don’t get to see my Q today or tomorrow. But, perhaps one day our paths will intersect once again.
Coming home last June
She loved to lay outside…she did so nearly every day.
She loved to run and play…
Being bossy :lol
Beautiful and proud
Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search or struggle. Just Be. –Thich Nhat Hanh
This is Quilty. This is what she taught me every day.
