President’s Message-August 2026

Our SA Greys family got smaller this month with the untimely passing of Rudy Lopez, longtime volunteer and husband of our Foster Coordinator Anne Lopez. When it came to SA Greys, Rudy was a man of many talents. Past president, Santa stand in, transporter, spa day dog dryer, event set up and take down; you name it, Rudy was there in the mix of it all. He was a husband, father, and veteran.

I met Rudy when I first started volunteering with SA Greys in 2019 as he was the President. Always a champion for the hounds, he was one of the first to say “yes” to working with the Irish and the Australians after it was hit and miss and not many greyhounds were coming through the Southwest. He was with us when we headed to Los Angeles for the first group of Irish hounds and made several more trips to Phoenix as well. If it involved the hounds, Rudy was there.

To me, I will remember him always with well-thought-out advice, his subtle laugh, as an avid bicyclist whom I could never keep up with, and a gentle soul who made the world a better place.

Please keep Anne and her sons Noah and Joshua in your thoughts and prayers and join me in remembering Rudy and all he did for SA Greys. There will never be another like DeBear.