Sad News: Leaf the Rescue Greyhound Is Gone

The dog who spent her life breeding puppies at a dog-racing track crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

Today is a sad day for us at Dogster. A rescue Greyhound named Leaf, who bred puppies at an Oklahoma dog-racing track for years and whose dog mom, Teresa King, we talked with just last week, has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Teresa lives in California, and she fell in love with Leaf,who had spent her entire life in the racetrack kennel. For Teresa it was love at first sight when she saw a picture of Leaf online. She spent the next three years adopting three of Leaf's puppies, but never forgot that mama dog whose picture she had fallen in love with. Finally just this summer Tereasa was able to bring Leaf home to California.

As Leaf was settling into her much deserved retirement, and for the first time had a home of her own complete with walks, squishy dog beds, and peanut butter, she was diagnosed with cancer. This morning Dogster got the sad news that Leaf had peacefully passed away. It seems impossibly cruel that this story of faith and love could end so soon. But maybe it hasn't. Although Leaf didn't live long after rescue to enjoy her newfound freedom, she made the most out of every moment she was given, and her story and legacy continues to live on.

All of us here at Dogster want to express our condolences to Leaf's mom, Teresa, the rest of her canine pack, and the dedicated folks of Golden State Greyhound Adoption, who worked tirelessly to save Leaf, her puppies and countless other Greyhounds.

About the author: Sassafras Lowrey is a dog-obsessed author based in Brooklyn. She is the winner of the 2013 Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation, and the editor of two anthologies and one novel. Sassafras is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, and she assists with dog agility classes. She lives with her partner, two dogs of dramatically different sizes, and two bossy cats. She is always on the lookout for adventures with her canine pack. Learn more at her website.

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