Could you have refused that face? We certainly couldn’t! So, a couple weeks later Ken drove from NC to SC on Christmas Eve to bring home two special greyhounds…Erin, a 12 year old brood mama, and Mr. Santa himself, Grandpa. Grandpa seems like a strange name for a dog, but that’s what he was called at his old stomping grounds. And though we changed his name to Champ, he always still answered to Grandpa. I think our neighbors thought I was crazy at times calling out “Grandpa, quit eating sh*t and get back in the house!”

(adoption day photo from Greyhound Crossroads)

Grandpa has a very special story. He raced at JCKC. And during his career, racked up 81 wins. That’s good enough to get him on list of the All Time Top 100 Race Winners. He may have been competitive on a higher level track, but his owner loved to watch him race so much he kept him nearby at JCKC. Grandpa’s trainer said that Grandpa would have raced even if there were no lure on the track…he simply loved to run and he loved to win.

(article from Greyhound Review)

When his racing days were through, Grandpa retired to the farm to be a stud dog. He fathered a couple litters, but he was never really happy there. So, they brought him back to the track. Not to race…just to hang out. He spent his days in the racing secretary’s office and his nights in one of the racing kennels. He even figured out how to open up the crates and let some of his lady friends out to party at night….which led to a handful of oopsie puppies! Grandpa was escorted around the grounds on a golf cart and loved to meet and greet with the fans….he was sort of a track mascot. On his 10th birthday, his owner decided it was time for Grandpa to find a home and a family of his own. So with the help of Pam (onrushpam) and Lynn (LynnM), Grandpa made his way to SC to start his new life.

A couple years after we’d adopted Grandpa, Ken returned to the track to pick up one of Grandpa’s sons (and a few other hounds) and stopped by the track to see if anyone remembered him…and they did. There was still a framed picture of him in the racing secretary’s office. And everyone Ken spoke to was happy to hear Grandpa was being loved and spoiled…finally retired.

I’ll never forget Grandpa’s foster mom telling us how her animal communicator had told her that Grandpa was a dog that would change lives….and that he had a mouth like a sailor. She was spot on with the first part (and knowing Grandpa, probably the second part too!). That cute & funny post on Greytalk with Grandpa’s picture led us to contact his adoption group, Greyhound Crossroads. Through GC we became friends with his foster mom and learned about a property in SC that was for sale that had a kennel building on it. Well, we bought that house and moved to SC. And our kennel has housed over 100 greyhounds as they have moved from the track to an adoption group. Many of them hounds from JCKC.

We’ve also been fortunate to have fostered or adopted many of Grandpa’s kids…and anyone who’s met a Grandpa baby will tell you they have the bestest personalities. Just like their daddy. The first of his kids that we brought home was Echo (Dana’s Black Ink). She didn’t do much on the track, but proved she inherited the heart of a champion when she debuted on the lure coursing field, earning her field champion title quite easily.

Then we adopted Rocky (Tame Rocky)…one of Grandpa’s last kids to leave the track. His kids raced for the same trainer that Grandpa had, and that trainer did her best to help Rocky succeed. But, apparently, he only inherited the snuggle and poop eating genes from his dad and eventually came home to us and took up residence with his littermate and dad.

All because I opened that one post and because we adopted that one dog.

I don’t think there are enough words in all the languages of the world to describe what a perfect greyhound Grandpa was. We called him The Champ when we adopted him because he was one. A champion on the track and a champion of our hearts. He was virtually unflappable…even shocking our vet once by roaching in the middle of the exam room floor. The only thing that ever rattled his nerves was thunder. He was cat safe, bunny safe, bird safe, kid safe. The dog could not be flapped. Always moving at an even, steady keel. Living every day on his own terms. He walked by your side in the yard and on leash and when he ran. Wow. Greyhounds love to run…but they don’t all run from their soul. Grandpa always did. Filled with Exhilaration and joy whenever he got to really stretch his legs…always running just fast enough to be ahead of the other dogs. Over the years, he’s battled with painful arthritis in his toes, an autoimmune condition secondary to his Ehrlichia which had been untreated for many years before he came into adoption. Most recently he struggled with laryngeal paralysis…which slowly robbed him of the ability to run and even just enjoy wandering around the yard. He lost most of his teeth when he came off the track…and the rest of them about a year ago. But despite all his challenges, he never slowed down.

The last few months have been really hard. We knew he was reaching the end of his days. He finally was slowing down. As much as I did not want to face it, I knew that his quality of life was falling below what he deserved. When I think about how much I love that dog, my heart feels like it’s going to burst into a million pieces. And without Ken, I’m not sure I’d be able to endure losing him. Though I know it was the best for Grandpa and I know that he was ready, I was and am far from ready. I can’t even bear to think that he’s only with us in spirit.

Grandpa has dropped down on that Top 100 list over the last few years…and his track records have been bested by another. But his legacy is one that will live on in the hearts and memories of so many who knew and loved him. He will always be our Champ The most perfect greyhound.

One comment in his racing lines has stuck in my mind all these years….Still the best.
Godspeed, my sweet Champ. Run free and breathe free at the Bridge, buddy. We miss you.

We submitted our application for adoption and were approved to adopt not only Champ, but Erin as well! So on Christmas Eve of 2004, Ken drove from Raleigh to South Carolina to adopt our new family members. Champ’s name before we adopted him was Grandpa. It was what they had called him at the track and to this day we use both names interchangeably. We decided to give him the name Champ to honor his remarkable racing career: 81 wins. Good enough to be 118th on the All Time Race Winners list.

I can not believe Grandpa wasn’t snatched up by another family. I thank God every day for putting this special hound in my path and into our life. His foster mom’s animal communicator once told her that Champ has a mouth like a sailor and I believe it! He’s gruff but loveable. His years at the track taught him how to work a crowd and how to love the ladies. He gets along with everyone – human and furred. And when he runs…Oh, when he runs you can see the joy on his face and you can understand why he is a Champ.

Adoption Day: Ken, Champ and Erin