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 was a retired racing greyhound. He took his retirement very seriously -- he slept 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 loved to go to "camp." Jason's camp was really a boarding kennel where Emily and Ron took him when they went on vacation. Jason didn't like to ride in the car, but he liked going to camp, because the girls who worked there lovee him and gave him lots of extra attention. He also liked to go to the vet's office, the pet store, and anywhere else he could meet new friends.

Even though Jason didn't like road trips, he had 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. Jason passed away last year. He was a good dog. If you have any questions about our experiences with Jason, please e-mail Emily at redforkhippie (at) gmail (dot) com.