Retired greyhounds bring joy to Wonderlab

Retired racing greyhound Tanner went from training for races on the dirt track at Dairyland Greyhound Track in Wisconsin to taking leisurely laps around the bed and down the stairs at the apartment of Erik and Christine Shaver.  

When Tanner did not place for money in any of his six trial races at the track, he was retired. But instead of being euthanized, often the fate of too-slow racing dogs, the Indianapolis branch of Greyhound Pets of America rescued him and found him a new home.

The organization sponsored an event Saturday at WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology for National Dog Day.

Tanner, along with six other retired greyhounds, was brought into the lobby to greet children and adults as they entered the museum.

“Can I pet your pony?” said a toddler named Tracy, staring one of the dogs directly in the eyes.

Steven Vaughn, the owner, laughed and said he has also been asked if his dog, Chase, is a wolf.

“They’re big, but they’re good,” Vaughn said. “They learned to be obedient at the tracks, and now they’re used to other dogs. They seldom bark. They’re gentle, and they’re very well-behaved.”

Christine Shaver, an IU graduate, described her dog as a couch potato that can run fast.

“It’s a joke around the greyhound community,” Shaver said. “They’re just 40-mile-per-hour couch potatoes.”

Erlene Sichting, a volunteer with Greyhound Pets of America, helps coordinate adoption efforts. She said there are many misconceptions about greyhounds because of their association to racing. While greyhounds like to run, Sichting said they would rather sleep 20 hours a day and let out their small spurts of energy as they please.

Sichting currently owns four greyhounds but has had as many as eight in her home at one time. She often fosters the dogs and helps them adapt to the environment of a loving home.

“Last year, we placed over 100 greyhounds,” Sichting said. “There are currently only four available for adoption, but there is a truckload coming in early next month.”

The dogs will be coming from Daytona, Fla., one of the few locations where greyhound racing is still legal and practiced.

Sichting said Greyhound Pets of America has volunteers in Florida who pick the healthiest of the retired greyhounds and rescue 300 to 400 of the dogs at a time. The dogs are then dropped off at adoption centers around the country.

Twenty to 40 dogs make it as far north as Indianapolis, where they are fostered until they are ready for adoption. Greyhound Pets of America charges an adoption fee of $200, which covers a veterinary examination and a round of vaccinations.

During the event, one of Celia Hartley’s five greyhounds named George, laid down to take a nap amongst a group of curious kids.

“Once they’re home,” she said, “they take retirement seriously.”