I moved to Michigan in 1999.  I had spent more than a few nights at Gulf Greyhound Park (just outside of Houston, TX) in the few years before I moved, and I knew I wanted to adopt a greyhound, but it wasn’t until I arrived in Michigan that I actually pursued an adoption.  After looking at greyhound adoption websites for a few months, I finally decided to contact Second Chance for Greyhounds (http://www.scfg.org/) about adopting.  Within a few days I was on my way to a foster home to check out A’s Taipan.

Taipan had a troubled past. When he couldn’t make the grade on the Texas tracks he was sent to Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, Mexico. After a short career he was retired and returned to Texas. His first adoptive family moved to Michigan, but returned him when their jobs forced them to move, ironically, to Mexico. Caesar’s second adopters returned him quickly with an “aggressive” label after he attacked their small dog. His third adopters returned him with the label “needs constant companions” after he didn’t adapt to the their crating methods.  I’ve always been good with dogs, so I figured I would be able to handle such a troubled case.

When I arrived at the foster home, Taipan was too shy to approach me.  But a new arrival – RJs Parsberg – was more than happy to greet me.  She had arrived the day before my visit, a three time bounce herself.  Her latest bounce was caused by her dislike (and subsequent lung-puncturing) of the family Yorkie.  After a few minutes of giving her the attention she demanded of me, I was determined to meet Taipan.  The easiest way to handle it was to let both of them out to the backyard.  Parsberg ran around the yard like a track star; Taipan sullenly moped about as though his purpose had long since passed.  So I did what any dog-lover would’ve done.  I offered to adopt them both.

Taipan became Caesar.  (For the uninitiated, the name is pronouced like Kaiser.)  I believe that dogs will let you know their real names if you just listen hard enough.  Caesar was telling me from the moment we arrived home that he would someday rule a great pack.  And in time, he would.

Parsberg became Kali.  Truly the goddess of creation and destruction.  A true alpha, a divine spirit, and a destroyer of socks left on the floor.

Some people adopt their first greyhound and takes months or years before adopting their second.  I adopted first and second on the same day.  And from that moment I have always known that greyhounds were my true calling.

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