Henry, my avatar, died of a fungal infection in his lungs. I took him to the vet as soon as he showed a sign of illness, but he was dead within the week. When the vet called and told me, I said, "I've always had a hound." He said, "I can fix you up with one."
He gave me Leila, a registered black and tan coonhound. She had gone on a hunt by herself and gotten hit by a car. Someone found her and took her to the vet. He found her owners who didn't want her back because she was going to have her leg amputated because of nerve damage. The girls (they are girls and not women) in the vet's office and the vet didn't want to put her down. He amputated her leg, spayed her, and gave her to me. She is a real sweetie.