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Eli
1984 - 1993

Jezebel, my blue-black afghan, had been with me since she was two months old. She was now ten years old and was used to being the only child, and in her older years was becoming very intolerant of other dogs. When I fell in love with greyhounds, and knew I had to get involved in saving them, Jeze was still my first concern, so I had to adopt just the right greyhound.

I pulled into the greyhound adoption kennel in Plainfield, Ct., hands shaking. I could barely be courteous to Paul, the kennel master, with my anticipation of seeing and choosing from over twenty greyhounds. I'd explained to Paul what Jezebel was like, and he told me he had a guy for me, Eliminator, a four-year-old brindle boy. Well, Eli was very hesitant when I met him, wanting to stay in the back of his cage and I insisted that Paul show me every single other dog. But I left with Eli, and I have never regretted it.

Jezebel approached Eli with all her scorn blazing. Eli stood still, and kowtowed to her from that first moment. She was in charge and he reiterated that to her at least ten times daily.

Eli was a bit spooked those first weeks. I lived in a very small three-room apartment, and he chose to sleep in the bathroom, it being the smallest room in the house and most like his crate environment. The first day I took him to a fenced field, he plastered himself to my leg and refused to move a step if I didn't. The first time he saw me come out of the shower with head turban and towel, he ran in the other direction. But his curiosity got the best of him and he did return to investigate.

He had a thing for men. And not a good thing. He'd growl at any man, my dad, my friends, my landlord. My poor dad tried his best to be friends. He'd offer him succulent meat tidbits and Eli would just growl and back up. Not that Eli would hurt a flea, he was just terrified.

By the third week though, he'd become my buddy. Everywhere I went, he went. He was my quiet, but constant, shadow.

When I lost Jezebel in her fifteenth year, Eli was nine and I was glad to have Eli to console me. But within two months he developed bone cancer in his shoulder from an old racing injury, and within two months he was on his way to Jezebel and Doggie Heaven, and I was alone again.