24 Tribute to an Angel: Calvin 1/7/01- 18/11/09   Unlike any other dog I’ve owned, I’ve not been able to talk about his loss until now, two months later.          Calvin was a tall gangly galgo, rescued initially by     Bartolome in Cordoba, Andalucia,  and known previously by his coursing name, Curro, and by the name given to him by the   kennel girls in Spain, Mus, because his little face resembled a mouse’s and they spelt it wrong! Under that misspelling, he was imported to the UK and quarantined in Nottingham where I first met him. He was homed for 5 years with Debbie in Bridlington until illness hit her family. I took him on in March 2008 and he lived here on the Isle of Wight with me and my three other greyhound/galgo bitches.   Life was bliss for him here. He loved the beaches, chasing a ball, racing round my garden, bravely jumping against the fences terrorising the neighbours’ dogs, and embarrassing my elderly genteel females with his over-enthusiastic behaviour, like lunging at other customers’ meals in pubs…Unlike other greys and galgos, he loved men. He would excitedly approach and examine every new man we met on our walks, as if look- ing for someone……..I guess it was Bartolome! I know Bartolome, and I’m not surprised he longed to greet him again!   In early summer of 2008,  he started to show signs of weakness of his back left foot as if the tendon in the hock area could not fully lift it. He still ran after balls and loved his walks despite the cumber- some task of dragging his back half along behind him. It didn’t seem to bother him though it bothered spec- tators.   To cut a long story short, he was referred to a specialist canine orthopaedic centre in Godalming where a scan revealed a seriously protruded cervical  disc causing increasing paralysis and general muscle wasting.  Now I realised why in spite of his excellent appetite, he was so thin. A greyhound with a metabo- lism  naturally  low  in  fat,  relies  almost  entirely  on  muscle  for  flesh  and  his  muscles  were  wasting  due  to nerve damage. I was faced with the decision to have him euthanased or allow the surgeon to try to repair the disc. He was only 8 years old and his bones appeared healthy and frankly it was the only chance he had so we went ahead.   The six weeks following surgery were not easy as he had to be confined, and monitored 24/7 , but with the dedicated help of my sister and friends, we managed it and he remained happy and comfortable through- out,    unaware  of  the  seriousness  of  his  condition  or  its  possible  implications.  But  the  paralysis  was  not improving and tragically it was found on follow-up X-ray that the repair was not holding and could implode on the spinal cord itself.  We took him home and he was euthanased later on my sofa here at home,leaned on by his best friend, Taz .I can say hand on heart that he did not know pain and suffering. He was happy with his lot to the last. That is what I found toughest. If he wasn’t bothered by his paralysis, why should we be?                              I still ask myself that question…..                         Anne TRIBUTES I am sad to have to tell you that I had to have my lovely Nero put to sleep on Saturday.  He had deteriorated greatly in the last month and had    stopped eating.  His back legs were going and he     had lost interest in going out.  When he collapsed on   Friday I knew it was time and my vet came to the house and put him to sleep.    His ashes will go in my garden where he had such fun digging enormous holes!  I got him from you in May 2004 when he was  7 years old and my days have revolved around him  for 6 years.     Vera Bain In January we lost our beautiful Spring (alias Paqui) she was nearly 14 years old. She had major surgery on her neck about 5 years ago and never fully recovered.   When we got Pipo 3 years ago we thought Spring was on her last legs then...how she proved us wrong! she was "my girlie" she was my best friend and my "spring ding" and because of her fabulous ears was also called Dobbie (the house elf, from Harry Potter). God Bless my girlie.x                                                        Sue