Finn, our whippet, doing what he does best, meditating and looking elegant
Before we had twins boys, my husband and I peacefully spent time with a beautiful and athletic whippet named Finn (pictured above). We spent over eight years with this stunning and enlightened being, and we are fortunate to still have Finn as the wise pillar of our family as he turns twelve years old this August.
Finn REM dreaming
Having a whippet around you all of the time is a dreamy and expansive experience. Strict rules about no dogs on the bed, in the bed, or on every holiday with you shift to the back burner. Whippets want to be with you all of the time – not in a clingy manner, but rather as a trusted confidante or soul mate during both the celebratory and the tough times. I did not have children for close to ten years, and there was not a moment when Finn was not there with me after every doctor's visit and challenging moment in my journey to motherhood. For this, I will be indebted to him forever. He has been my solid rock and my touchstone for compassion.
Finn taking a nap in Bulgaria
I wanted to share these personal sentiments for my Cruelty Free Friday post, because even though Finn was not a rescued whippet, he was spared a life as a traveling show dog and litter misfit of sorts. People approach us all of the time about whether he was rescued, and this always brings a glimmer of hope that folks are indeed aware of the plight of retired racing whippets and greyhounds. I was looking through some of the photos on Jo-Anne McArthur's amazing site, We Animals, last night, and the images of greyhound racing brought tears to my eyes. Their lives are certainly far from the life that Finn has led.
As mentioned before, Jo-Anne McArthur is involved with the extremely vital documentary film and multimedia project, The Ghosts in Our Machine. The team has met their fundraising goal, but any contributions made during the remaining eighteen hours will go towards, We Animals. I will be making a contribution on Finn's behalf, as he has indeed been central in our lives and not for a moment invisible. I wish that this was the case for so many other beings we share the planet with. Finn, we love you.
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