Ch. Hiswill's Nafisah Shawali, F.Ch.

Jade was my second Saluki. Her name means "precious one having fascinating eyes". They were a soft hazel, beautifully shaped, with heavy black mascara. They were "knowing" eyes that bespoke wisdom and secrets from ages past, and I was captivated by them. At the age when a puppy's eyes turn from blue to the eventual adult color, hers went through a brief phase that reminded me of a green jade, hence her call name. The color changed, of course but the name stuck. Jade's parents were the full brother and sister to Sandy and Sheba, but from an earlier litter.

Jade never produced any puppies, but her contribution to Aijalon was nonetheless significant. As my first field champion, she afforded me an introduction to the sport of lure coursing and expanded my circle of friends to owners of other sighthound breeds who I would not have met otherwise (or at least not until later). She was gentle and peaceful and graced us with her presence.

Jade was euthanized in my arms at 13 years of age due to an inoperable malignant tumor on her upper jaw. I don't know if she was in actual pain at the time, but she had not eaten in a couple of days, and I saw no reason to wait for her to be in pain when I had the ability to spare her that inevitable phase.

Aliases: "Jader, Jader, Couch Potater", "Taterhead", and just plain "Tate"

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