Euclid is ideal community for retired racers
What is 75 pounds and usually found snoozing in the sun or on your sofa? In my house, it’s Jethro and he’s a retired racer who has earned his naps.
Jethro, aka Myers (his race name), was raised to race other greyhounds, specifically in Florida. Lucky for us, he wasn’t very good on the racetrack, so at the ripe old age of three, he ended up at the Greyhound Adoption of Ohio. This Florida dog arrived in the middle of a Cleveland January, and when we met him, he wasn’t happy about the weather. My husband and I took an instant liking to Jethro and were able to adopt him a few weeks later. We overcame a few small challenges with Jethro, and he’s turned out to be a lovable and good companion. We are very glad we made the decision to bring him home.
Euclid is a great community to have a greyhound. Contrary to what many may think, despite a greyhound's size, they need very little room. Jethro navigates around all our furniture without breaking things. Our fenced backyard is an average size for Euclid, and he has plenty of space to run a little and stretch his legs. Since most of Euclid is residential, we can walk him anywhere. Plus, the Euclid Creek Metropark is so close, so we can walk him there, too.
There are a few peculiarities that make greyhounds unique. We learned the first when we adopted Jethro; we had to teach him how to use the stairs. We also had to house break him. As greyhound puppies grow up to be racers, they live in kennels and crates, with fairly regulated schedules. Having full run of the house is a new concept for these beasts. It took a little more than a few weeks to house break Jethro, and as for the stairs, he figured those out pretty quickly, as he likes to follow us around the house.
For all they have going for them, greyhounds don't have as strong a sense of smell as other dogs do. Since dogs usually rely on smell to find their way home, if a greyhound gets loose, it will run off and may get hurt or lost. This is why they are ideal for families with fenced in yards. A chain is not enough, because when greyhounds get the urge to run after something, their natural speed could put enough force on the collar to seriously injure their neck. Also, because of their unique physiology, owners need to find a veterinarian who specializes in treating greyhounds.
The wonderful folks at Greyhound Adoption of Ohio operate the largest and oldest greyhound rescue organization in Ohio. Linda Perko is the director, and there isn’t anything she won’t do for those greys. New dogs come in almost every week and there are a number of things she ensures are taken care of prior to the adoption of any dog. All new dogs visit the vet and are wormed and brought current with vaccines. They are also spayed or neutered. Perko, and her volunteers, watch the behaviors of the dogs so they can match the right dog for each family. Since so many potential homes have cats, dogs and children, she carefully notates any behavior that might be problematic in a home with other animals or children.
Those interested in adopting a greyhound must complete an application and interview. They also get their choice of available dogs, as the goal is to find the best forever home for each rescued greyhound.
To get more information regarding these beautiful animals, visit the GAO website at http://www.greyhoundadoptionofoh.org/ or call Susan Anderson, Adoption Coordinator at (216) 256-7544, to set up a time to visit the kennel, located in Chagrin Falls.