Jason

This is Jason. Isn't he beautiful? Emily and Ron adopted him in October 2000, right after their first trip to Chicago on Route 66. Jason is a retired racing greyhound. He takes his retirement very seriously -- he sleeps about 18 hours a day!

People think greyhounds must be really hyper because they can run fast, but that isn't true. Greyhounds can run fast, but they don't like to do it very often, and they get tired really fast. In fact, they make great pets if you live in an apartment or have to work long hours, because they're quiet and well-behaved, and they'll usually just sleep whenever you're away from home or too busy to play with them.

Jason loves to go to "camp." Jason's camp is really a boarding kennel where Emily and Ron take him when they go on vacation. Jason doesn't like to ride in the car, but he likes going to camp, because the girls who work there love him and give him lots of extra attention. He also likes to go to the vet's office, the pet store, and anywhere else he can meet new friends.

Even though Jason doesn't like road trips, he has a Route 66 connection: Emily and Ron found out about retired racing greyhounds when they went to a Route 66 festival in Edwardsville, Ill. Retired Greyhounds as Pets (REGAP), a nonprofit group that finds homes for retired racing greyhounds, had a booth set up there, and some of the members brought their greyhounds along. Emily and Ron fell in love with the quiet, regal dogs' good manners, sweet personalities, and incredibly soft fur, and a few months later, they decided Scout needed a big brother ... so they adopted Jason.

Unfortunately, there aren't enough homes for all the greyhounds who retire from the racing industry every year. If you would like to provide a home for one of these sweet, gentle, beautiful dogs, please visit REGAP to learn more about adopting a retired racer. If you have any questions about our experiences with Jason, please e-mail Emily.