Parker finds his family

I had finally persuaded my husband that we needed a second dog. We already had a wonderful Staffordshire terrier, Duke, and a black short-haired cat, Miles, but I felt it was time to add to the family. We decided that a rescue dog was the path we wanted to take, and so the search began. We had always had a greyhound in the back of our minds, and when Parker popped up in a search, I was immediately taken in by the story of his broken leg and long recovery.

The moment Parker was at our front door for the meet and greet, I knew he was our dog. My kids could not believe how big he was and how much of a sook! He immediately lent into us for his favourite scratch behind the ear and when we stopped, came back for more. He towered over our Duke, but they appeared to get along, and he was relaxed and calm around Miles. My husband told me later that he knew I was sold and so were the kids.

Unfortunately, around the same time as meeting Parker, we found out our dear Miles had bone cancer. We made the decision to not introduce a new pet, and instead, spend precious time with Miles and to make his time left with us as comfortable for him as possible. Throughout the next couple of months, Parker stayed in the back of my mind and the kids kept asking me about him. Janette and I stayed in contact, and I could not shake the feeling that Parker needed to be with us.
In late January, we had to say goodbye to our Miles, and the wonderful vet who came to our house to help with Miles, we discovered, had also supported Parker through his recovery. I remember coming home the day after Miles passed way. I had dropped the kids at school (my daughter had just started kindergarten) and I came home to a house that felt empty…even with our energetic ball of fun Duke at my feet, it did not feel right and Parker snuck into my thoughts again. 

Over the next couple of days as we got used to our house without Miles, we all started talking about Parker again. We had a family vote a few days later, and I rang Janette asking her if Parker was still available. By 5.30pm he was with us, and I knew he was not going anywhere else. During the hand over process, Janette and I discovered we had other connections as we both grew up in the same area and her sister was even my kindergarten teacher! It very much felt like our paths were meant to cross and Parker was always to become part of our family. 

Parker has now been with us for five months and we could not imagine life without him. Everyone who meets him, LOVES him. He is the largest lap dog around and loves snuggling on the lounge or jumping in bed with the kids. He follows me around the house and is always looking for an extra pat, snuggle or bite to eat! He has won us all over, and I tell everyone I meet that they need to rescue a greyhound as they are the most amazing animals and need our support. 
Thank you FOTH for all that you do for these amazing animals and thank you Janette for nursing Parker back to health, so he could be a part of our family. 

Thanks for this sweet story, Kate 💜