Ralph was a black & gold (German Shepherd & Greyhound/Whippet mix, we think)

Here is how it all started.

I was coming back from work on Oct 9, '18, when I couldn't fill gas in my van from my usual 76 station. So I decided to go to a Safeway station on the other side and while driving near Celebration Park in Federal Way I noticed a black & gold dog on the loose. I tried to catch Ralph (as he was named later) but I couldn't. At one point he even started walking in the middle of the traffic as if he was a car. I got out of my van, parked it and started trying to run after him but I couldn't. I texted my brother and he came over and we both tried but Ralph was too quick. A couple of times he ran into a ditch and then across the parking lot. He eventually ran into the Russian Orthodox church and we lost track of him.

We gave up on Ralph and I went and filled gas. On the way back I decided to give it one more try by taking the same route back home and I saw an animal control van in the area and I knew it must have something to do with Ralph. Sure enough, they had managed to 'capture' Ralph but I was too late.

Per the regulations they now had to take Ralph with them and then check for him being chipped and then list him for 2 weeks on the county website. If no one claimed Ralph then he would be listed for adoption. I petted Ralph and he was super friendly and nice. The county animal handler was quite rude and I hated the whole scene of him being loaded into a kennel but we had no choice and we left.

While normally we would have let it go at this point but there was something about Ralph that kept us interested and we decided to stay involved.

Ralph eventually got listed on the Pierce County Humane Society's website but he wasn't available for adoption. This is where they just gave him the name Ralph. I called every few days to check on his status and there weren't much updates. One time I was told he got into a fight with another dog and needed a minor surgery (we jokingly referred to it as Ralph getting into a prison fight).

This kept going on for more than 2 months and I was getting impatient. No one was sure what was causing the holdup. Sometimes it was health issues and sometimes behavioral reasons (it all turned out to be BS later on).

One day Faraz & I just decided to visit the place and try and visit Ralph. We took some treats & toys for him also. We weren't allowed to see Ralph but the girl at the front desk assured us that the gifts would make it to Ralph and that she would alert us soon as he became available for adoption.

December came and finally towards the mid of Dec we were told that Ralph was available for adoption. We couldn't get Ralph right away since we had 2 vacations planned in the next 3 weeks and we would not be able to give him the attention he would need but we vowed to get him once we were back. I personally secretly hoped he wouldn't get adopted but if he did that would be great also. Our plan was to find Ralph a home since we already had 2 dogs but for now we just wanted to get him out of the shelter.

Finally, on Dec 28, 2018 me and my brother Faraz went down to the Humane Society in Tacoma and we adopted Ralph. He was very nice and happily got into the car. However, once we arrived at our place and as Faraz opened the side door Ralph took off like a rocket. I ran after him but he was too quick. I threw the car keys towards Faraz while running after Ralph. Faraz chased him in the car and finally was able to corner him at a house on a cul-de-sac.

We brought him home back and I walked him around the neighborhood for a little bit. After we came back my two other dogs growled at him a bit but it went smoothly. It was a Friday so we all decided to go out to eat, and since I wasn't sure about Ralph, I left him home. When we came back we discovered that Ralph had raided the kitchen counter and eaten a whole thing of bread and Irish butter (this we later discovered was his favorite thing). I loved Ralph for doing this but was worried the butter might upset his stomach. My mom commented that at least he got the combo right - bread & butter. Ralph did fine that night and his stomach was also OK.

The next morning I walked him again and he was just normal. I went to the gym and when I came back I learned that he had tried to escape again but my older brother Farooq had managed to 'capture' him again.

Things went smoothly after this. Ralph settled into our daily routines. He was pretty house trained and I would walk him daily approx 45 mins. I also used to take him to work with me several days a week for the Ist few months.

Around Feb 2019, Faraz found an older lady, Jane through a friend who was very interested in
adopting Ralph. I wasn't very happy when I first heard about Jane coming over to meet Ralph. I had gotten too used to Ralph and couldn't imagine not having him anymore. However, after meeting Jane I was completely at ease.

The Ist time Jane came to our house, her & I walked Ralph together for a short while. She told me about some of her previous dogs and the most recent one she had lost to cancer. She always adopted only older dogs. The only caveat was that she was in the process of selling her house and couldn't adopt Ralph till she moved. We were all OK with this. I was in no hurry to 'get rid' of Ralph and Jane seemed like a perfect match for Ralph.

Things fell into routine. I would take Ralph to work many times, walk him a little bit before going to work, sometimes very early in the morning around 5AM and the rest later in the afternoon. One thing about Ralph was that he hated getting up very early in the morning. I always used to get this look form him that 'what the hell are we doing getting up so early in the morning'. The only slight problem we had was that Cooper (our other dog) and Ralph sometimes didn't get along. I think it was some kind of 'doggy politics/Alpha Male' kind of thing but we learned to keep them separate some times. They got into a few fights but nothing serious.

I would also take Ralph in a separate car on Fri & Sat evenings when we went out. Ralph was always a little anxious whenever he was left alone in the car. I learned to calm him down by just using the key FOB to lock/unlock the car. In a way giving him false hope that I was coming. He would of-course go crazy when I would come back to the car.

Jane kept visiting us regularly and she would take Ralph out for a walk each time and bring lots of treats for him. In this way we all realized that when the time came for Jane to adopt Ralph it would be an easy transition for him since he would already be familiar with her. Ralph was always very happy to see her and it seemed like a perfect match.

Ralph was always a happy dog with us. We did everything we could to spoil him. I would walk him everyday. He ate a lot. Lots of treats, and all kinds of food. Doggy food and human food. He loved hamburger but he also loved pizza. Bread & butter being his favorite.

Ralph was treated in a slightly more privileged fashion over our other 2 dogs. For example come dinner time we put both of them in the room so they wouldn't eat from the table with us so that their weight could be managed better. Ralph however was always roaming around free and ate his own food and our food. My mom made special sandwiches for him. These were just chicken sandwiches with some mayo, butter and bread but Ralph loved it. Of-course now that Ralph had had extra food the other dogs also started eating these sandwiches.

In fact even now our other dogs have an additional evening meal after their regular meal because of this tradition started by Ralph. Ralph also loved pizza. One time Faraz was giving him pizza and he kept eating. Then he dipped it in some ranch and Ralph LOVED it. He then gave him a bite without ranch and Ralph REFUSED to eat it. He wanted ranch. It seems Ralph had a thing for smooth, creamy, buttery type stuff like butter and dressings.

Ralph also used to steal food from the counter a lot because he was quite tall. Our other dog (Cooper) actually learned this behavior from Ralph and continues this even now. It reminds me of Ralph every time. One time Ralph stole an entire slice of pizza from the counter and Cooper saw him do that. Cooper started barking and actually came to us barking & yelling literally pointing at Ralph. He was basically telling us that "look he just stole pizza". Of-course Ralph didn't care and he finished his pizza quietly. I replay that scene in my mind quite often.

Ralph had his moments of laziness and extreme activity. In typical greyhound fashion he would be inactive and lazy for long periods of time with bursts of energy at other times. He would jump off the deck, skipping 4-5 steps when the back door was opened to let him into the yard. In the morning when Faraz came back from the gym he would also come running from my room upstairs and jump 1/2 a flight of stairs to greet him in excitement. He would sometimes crash into the wall but never injured himself. I remember every evening after dinner he would go upstairs to my room as knew my evening routing. If I didn't join him upstairs in my room he would get impatient and start spying on me from the top of the stairs and look at me suggestively as if to say 'when are you gonna be coming to our room?'.

Another one of Ralph's favorite things to do was to go into the other room upstairs, part the curtains and spy on everyone in the neighborhood. He would also spy on us from this vantage point if any of was leaving the house or if we were gonna leave him alone in the house. Whenever any of us came back we almost always looked automatically at the window in that room and sure enough you could see his cute face looking down the street spying on all our moves. He would then come running down the stairs in typical 'Ralphieeee' fashion many times crashing into the front door.

Ralph was also very prone to sneezing. Like 10-12 times in a row. Sometimes just to have fun I would slightly pinch his cute nosie and then he would sneeze a lot. I was just trying to have some fun.

He also had some very unique features. Ralph was extremely flexible. He could bend his joints and his entire body sideways in a very curious manner and he would sit in those positions. Almost looked like he had practiced yoga at some point. He also had a very unique way of sometimes crawling across the carpeted floor while laying down. I have a video of it and its very cute.

Ralph was a very non-confrontational doggy. He was extremely easy to walk and in fact he could be walked off leash. When walking he would just walk straight and not look sideways or get excited upon seeing other people or dogs. Even if some other dog started barking Ralph would simply ignore and just keep walking. I would walk Ralph usually 40-50 mins a day and I would break it up. About half early in the morning, sometimes as early as 5AM or 7-730AM and the rest in the afternoon after coming back from work. He hated getting up early in the morning but always complied. After his morning walk my mom would give him breakfast which was usually 2 slices of toast with some Irish butter & raspberry jam. In fact Jane also later confirmed to me that Ralph indeed hated getting up early in the morning. I think this behavior was typical lazy greyhound style.

This type of routine continued and everyone loved Ralph. We all loved him dearly and he became a part of our family. Jane kept visiting and finally let us know around Aug that she would be adopting Ralph permanently after her trip from Germany in September. I was happy but also anxious. Jane also had Ralph's medical done by her own vet and everything was good.

Finally in Sep, Jane adopted Ralph. I was very very heartbroken to see him go. When Jane actually showed up and put him in her car, I actually cried but I was very happy for Ralph also. I knew she would give him a better, quieter home and her undivided attention. She had a decent sized fenced backyard. He would no longer have any confrontations with Cooper.

Jane stayed in touch with us and kept us updated. The very day she adopted Ralph she texted us a picture of Ralph sleeping peacefully on her bed. Jane's husband, Joe was also getting along very well with Ralph. In fact he was not normally a dog person but for some reason Joe & Ralph clicked really well. Joe started walking a lot with Ralph.

Ralph was finally home.

Things seemed to be going well and a few weeks later in October Jane asked us if we could keep Ralph for a few days as she was going out of town and it wouldn't be possible to take Ralph with her. I was overjoyed with this and she dropped Ralph off. I was looking forward to spending some time with him.

She did point out that Ralph had apparently injured himself and was limping. His left leg seemed to have a slight problem but no one thought it was anything serious. We assumed the Dr. who saw him knew what was wrong and it was all under control. We gave Ralph the medicines Jane left for him with us. Overall he seemed to be fine but I did think he was a little low energy but I dismissed it thinking he was just perhaps missing Jane. I walked him as usual everyday and he was eating normally and slept in my room. A dew days later Jane picked him up and he was very happy to see her.

Jane sent us occasional pictures of Ralph but his leg didn't seem to be much better. Then we didn't hear from her for several weeks. I was a little anxious but just dismissed it thinking she must be busy.

Then in November about a week or so before Thanksgiving on Nov 21st, I received one of the worst news one can get. It was a forwarded text by Faraz from Jane basically informing us that Ralph had bone cancer in his left leg. This news was very devastating for me. As I stated above, I had had a bad feeling and that's why I hadn't contacted Jane for an update on Ralph. Everyone in our family was very upset. We also canceled our planned ferry trip that Friday to Vashon Island. Jane informed us that the cancer was very aggressive and Ralph had about 3 months to live but so far was walking and eating normally and seemed relatively pain free.

I started reading up in Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in dogs and learned that it was very common in large breeds and especially Greyhounds, German Shepherds and Rottweilers. I also looked into possible treatments and options for Ralph and even contacted some Drs.

I looked at some Chemotherapy options like fidocure and informed Jane about it also. Jane didn't show much interest and to be honest from everything I read there wasn't much hope. There were options for possibly extending Ralph's life but no cures. I don't know if amputation of the leg was ever presented as an option but from what I read even that would only extend his life by 1 yr. Jane was strongly about Ralph's QUALITY OF LIFE and I didn't necessarily disagree with that. She made it absolutely clear that she would keep him very comfortable and take good care of him but when she felt that his quality of life was deteriorating she would have to make the right decision. I was completely in agreement with that.

Jane did visit us several times with Ralph around Thanksgiving. Ralph was always happy coming over and we gave him lots of food. His favorite sandwiches, and Danish butter cookies. We also took lots of pictures with him. Overall he seemed fine but the leg definitely looked abnormal. Almost like a lump over the hip joint but he didn't seem to be in much pain. He was walking with a slight limp but was eating and behaving normally.

This carried in through the Holidays into Jan 2020. We visited Ralph a few times and Jane also visited us with him. He was still acting normal and seemed pain free. He was even going on walks with Joe (Jane's husband). We would always take something for Ralph. Like sandwiches and cookies.

Almost as a miracle all of a sudden Ralph's leg seemed to improve. The lump seemingly disappeared and everything looked good. We weren't sure what was happening but later on around Feb Jane did say that her vet stated that after all Ralph might not have had cancer. It was probably arthritis and many times arthritis could be confused with osteosarcoma. We couldn't believe our luck. This was a HUGE break for all of us. And Ralph certainly seemed to be doing great. Jane was also overjoyed. She also asked me & Faraz if we could keep him with us for a week or two later on in April when she would be going for a trip somewhere.

Things seemed normal for a while and Jane just kept sending us regular updates on Ralph. In February/March the whole Covid19 outbreak happened and that disrupted everything. We didn't get to see Ralph for a few months almost. I did exchange a few texts with Jane and all seemed to be going well. She had postponed her trip as well due to COVID.

Then on May we received a text from Jane informing that Ralph was doing very bad and he had cancer. How and when all this re-surged, I have no idea because Ralph was doing great just a few weeks ago and I thought we had put the whole cancer episode behind us. This was a complete shocker for me. I clearly remember it was a Sunday night and I felt like someone literally smashed my head with a giant rock.

Jane told us she would like us to meet Ralph and she would bring him over later that week but we insisted and she bring him over the next day. Ralph looked visibly weaker and his whole leg/hip joint area was swollen and had a huge lump. He wagged his tail but it wasn't like his old self. We all took lots of pictures with him and he was still eating but reluctantly. He did eat some sandwiches and cookies.

I got Jane's permission to take him to a vet to atleast see and diagnose him properly and she agreed. We took Ralph for a same day appointment to Dr. Manguat in Algona. Right away he was worried when he saw the big lump and took Ralph inside with him. Due to Covid restrictions we weren't allowed to accompany him. Faraz and I just waited outside. I knew the news would not be good but I wanted to hear it for a fact from a doctor. It took about an hour and it was extremely miserable waiting outside.

Finally the Dr. came and this time he allowed us come inside. He had done X-rays on Ralph and while he wasn't 100% sure he was quite confident it was osteosarcoma and there weren't too many options for Ralph. It had spread in a way that even amputation of the leg was not an option. The doctor just told us that all we could do was make Ralph comfortable, which is a pretty typical standard line that I have heard many times over. He prescribed pain meds for Ralph like gabapantene. We took Ralph back to Jane and she promised she would make sure he took all the meds regularly and would keep us updated.

We kept getting updates on Ralph from Jane almost daily and also visited him many times. There were lots of ups & downs. The pain meds seemed to be working overall and if Ralph took then he would feel better, appear relaxed and eat well. Jane started forcing Ralph into taking the meds. She would sometimes put the meds in his mouth and just shut it and force him to gulp them down.

On a few occasions Jane did 'panic text' me that Ralph was not eating at all. We visited and took different foods for him like Caesar's etc and he ate. The whole approach was whenever he took his meds he would start feeling better after a few hrs and then eat. I would also take his favorite food sometimes such as chicken sandwiches.

On Sunday June 7th Jane dropped off Ralph at our place. She had to visit family elsewhere and wanted us to take care of him for a few hrs. I was very happy to have the opportunity. Ralph wasn't feeling so good when he first came and wasn't interested in eating much. I was however somehow able to get him to take his meds. A few hrs later though he ate a LOT. From sandwiches to regular doggy food he seemed really good. We all played with him a little bit and took lots of pictures. Jane had been worried about him not eating. I texted her a video of him eating a whole bowl of food and she was overjoyed.

Later on that day I dropped Ralph off at Jane's. This was the last time Ralph ever came to our place. Even when I was putting him in the car, the depressing thought caught my mind.

That night I researched some peanut butter treats for Ralph. The whole idea was as long as he was taking his painkillers he was doing good. I dropped those off at Jane's place. I visited Ralph during the week several times. He wasn't really eating the treats I had ordered for him but he was eating fairly regularly and seemed to be doing alright.

The next week I visited Ralph. I think it was Tuesday and Ralph seemed to be fine. He ate a lot that day. He ate sandwiches and some doggy food and seemed well. I left fairly satisfied as he seemed to be doing good. Little did I know that this was the last time Ralph ate much.

On Thu 6/18, it had been 2-3 days since I had heard from Jane. I swear that as I was finishing up my last job I had a very uneasy feeling about Ralph. I was gonna text Jane but when I came back (I had left my phone in my car), there was terrible news from Jane. Ralph was doing real bad. He had stopped eating completely, wasn't interested in anything - not even car rides - Jane basically was asking me if I would take care of him on Sunday (Father's day). She also stated she was sure he was very near the end and it would give me an opportunity to spend time with Ralph (probably for the last time).

I wasn't particularly thrilled with this news or with the idea of Ralph visiting on Sunday when he was so miserable. It would just be miserable for both of us. A happy, jumping playing dog is very different from one who's miserable, in pain and not eating at all. I told Jane that it was time we gave it a serious thought about doing the right thing for Ralph. He was in pain clearly, had stopped eating a few days ago and wasn't interested in anything at all. Jane did not resist at all and she agreed that it was the right thing to do. It was Thu 06/18, and Jane arranged for this horrible event for the next morning around 1030AM.

I had several job appointments but I told Jane me & Faraz would be there to be with Ralph. That evening all three of us visited Ralph. He seemed OK but it did seem like he was ready to go. We petted and kissed him a lot. Took lots of pictures. Everyone was just crushed. We did take food & Ralph's favorite sandwiches but he showed zero interest. We all left with a heavy heart. I couldn't believe this was happening all over again.

The next morning Fri 06/19, was a tough day. I went to work with a heavy heart, finished everything up ASAP and then texted Jane & Faraz to coordinate everything. We all decided to meet at the Burien Veterinary around 1030AM. I got there a bit earlier and felt sick. A few minutes later Jane's car pulled into the lot and I went out to meet her & Joe. Ralph was sitting in the back seat. He was panting but seemed peaceful. I confirmed with Jane and he had not eaten at all. I petted and hugged Ralph.

They walked Ralph inside. Due the COVID protocols only 2 people were allowed at a time in the room. I went in after Jane & Joe. We all spent sometime petting and hugging Ralph. Faraz also arrived. Everyone was just crying. The Dr. administered a relaxant/drug first to get Ralph a little high. We all took turns going inside and spending sometime with him. The room was in a corner so even when outside I could look into the room from the window. The Dr. administered the final injection to Ralph and also asked me if I wanted some of his hair/fur which I did. Actually, I have this from all my dogs. Ralph was gone very quickly and the Dr. verified this for us. Everyone was just totally emotionally destroyed.

We spent some time talking and then Faraz & I decided to leave. Jane & Joe had decided to bury Ralph at their daughter's place and asked us if we would like to join them. We politely turned it down. To be honest this meant nothing to me. Ralph meant a lot to me but only when he was alive & DOING WELL. I just wanted this to be over.

In all honesty, I was relieved after Ralph was gone peacefully. It may sound cruel & selfish but since his diagnosis this was like a sword hanging over me. I was constantly worried about his 'bad days' when he wouldn't eat and always question if we were doing the right thing keeping him alive. Atleast now there was a final resolution. No more bad & good days, no more texts from Jane about him not eating.

Over the next few days & weeks I started gathering my thoughts and memories related to Ralph. One my most non-favorite things to do is create a Rainbow Bridge memorial page for my deceased dogs. But I always do it. I did it for Juju & Barley, and Ralph would be no exception.

Jane also visited us a few weeks later and she gave me Ralph's ID tag. I had had it specially engraved for Ralph when he was about to go with Jane to his forever home. Many months later in November I also visited Ralph's grave.

As with all my prior deceased dogs I am hopeful that there is more to life than just this material existence. While I am not a huge believer of the supernatural, I am hopeful for Ralph.

I hope he is still around in some form and maybe even looking down upon all of us from time to time. I hope he is in a happy place. I hope he is free of all disease and other emotional & physical ailments and worries. I hope he gets to eat lots of his favorite foods and plays with other beautiful furry creatures. I certainly hope I get to meet Ralph again. I hope I get to call him 'Ralphhhhhhhh' like I used to in an immature low loving voice and then he would wag his tail and I would pet and kiss him. I hope..................

06/23/2021: Hello Ralphie. More than a yr has gone since u passed away. I still remember that horrible Friday morning. Time may make things better but its certainly no healer. We all miss u a lot and talk about u almost everyday. Jane's doing great and everyone here is well also. I hope u r out there somewhere and doing well. I hope u ran into Juju & Barley also.

I hope to see u again someday. Take care - Waqas -

06/19/2022: Hello Ralph. My baby. Its ur 2nd death anniversary today. Ofcourse I remembered. How cud I forget? V discuss u a lot. Jane also talks about u a lot whenever I see her. I hope u r somewhere out there and having a great time. Take care. - Waqas -

06/19/2023: Hello Ralph. Today is ur 3rd death anniversary. Was Such a sad day for all of us. V all miss u so so much. Jane visits also sometimes and v endup talking a lot about u.

Buppi passed away 03/27/2023 and Coops isn't doing too well either.

Wish someday I cud get together and have all of u with me. Life can be so sad. I hope u r somewhere and having lots of fun. Take care - Waqas -

06/19/2024: Hi Ralph. 4yrs today since I left us. So much has changed since u passed away. V discuss all ur antics a lot still and everyone misses u. Jane also talks about u whenever I see her. She's doing great. She adopted 2 homeless dogs from Pueeto RICO and they r doing great.

Anyways, just wanted to drop in for ur 4th anniversary. I hope u r getting these messages. Take care - Waqas -