"His introduction to life on the couch was a seamless transition"

An Open Letter to FTH Thunder's Greyhound Village

This week has brought a delightful change to my pack here at the Miami Hound House. The journey to this place has been in the making for almost four years and has been an exciting trip from gaining new family all the way through an inside look at the total life of a Greyhound from birth to retirement. I had waited for 1,334 days since he was born and it had been the longest "pregnancy" ever!! but so well worth it.

This journey started with an long distance online friendship with Janet Shaffer. We met in person at Sandy Paws and my friendships multiplied exponentially over time to include the FTH family of hounds and their adopters. This new family became my biggest support and cheering section as I began this trip of following "my" hound, FTH Thunder (Zee) from birth, growing up, through training college and on to his career. It afforded me the opportunity to meet and get to know the owners, trainers, handlers and the many other people within Zee's Greyhound village who had a hand in making him the most delightful, well-adjusted and loving hound that he is. It has been an education that has changed my view of so many and so much of the greyhound community that could never have been changed by words alone.

Preadopting a Greyhound is something that I didn't think I would ever do when my life with hounds started in 1997. I did not know the background of most of my pups as they came home to me. Their lives were a mystery. It didn't change my love for each of them, which was total and unconditional. Preadopting, however, has given me so much more.

I sat up the night the pups were born, following the progress. I got to watch as he grew up with his sibling and mother, learning his social skills and his place within the pack. I got to play with him and smell his puppy breath and rub his belly as he scrambled around Cathie and Bill's house, simply enjoying his "puppyhood." I got to watch him grow older at Mike and Tony's farm, becoming a teenager and running with pups his own age, splashing full speed into the pond with his brother, gaining more social skills and getting him ready for racing college. I was thrilled with his progress reports from Keota Oklahoma as he progressed through racing college and graduation with honors, sending him back to Jacksonville for the beginning of his career. I was as thrilled and excited as any parent would be watching the success of their "child." I was able to see him race at the track on several occasions and followed all his races watching them as replays or live and online. I never missed a race. They made my heart pound with excitement every time the hounds shot out of the box, and win or lose, he was my boy and I was proud of him. And throughout this life of his, I have taken and been given hundreds upon hundreds of pictures taken by so many people who knew that I would appreciate them. Thank you, Stacy, Brianna, Laze, Tom, Cathie and all the other friends who photographed him and shared with me all his wonderful pictures. Because I was able to pre-adopt him, I know him better than most people will ever know their adopted hounds. For this I am blessed.
Zee came home to me on Saturday July 5 and was welcomed by his two new sisters. His introduction to life on the couch was a seamless transition and within 15 minutes he had chosen his couch and his place there on. He is happy, friendly with everyone who walks in the door and has made himself a part of my life with hounds. This transition could not have happened without the help of so many people.

Thank you Cathie and Bill for including me in his life and raising him through puppyhood with love and care and making him a confident and loving hound. You and Bill made me a part of your family and I can never repay the kindness you both have shown me and the great gift of knowing that Zee would come home to me. Thank you Mike and Tony for getting him through his teenage time, giving him the structure, care and instruction to make him the exciting racer he has been. And thank you both for allowing me personal farm and kennel time with him. Seeing and touching him made me a very happy parent-to-be. You and Tony also gave me my toddler hound Fave. He flunked racing college, but that's OK. He is a valued and much loved "forever a toddler." Thank you to Cathie and Jenn for driving the boys to Oklahoma and dropping them off at college. A very large thank you to Mike and Judy for picking Zee up from Oklahoma and bringing him back to JAX. There would be no haulers for him. You are his most wonderful godparents and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you to Janet for being the best houndie mother-in-law one could ever hope for. Knowing Zee's mom Grandy was with you and was so very loved makes my heart laugh. Thank you Lynn for being the other best mother-in-law and sharing Zee's dad, Dale, with me. Your support and shared excitement has been the best. It's nice to know that Zee's mom and dad were happy and healthy with you both. Thank you to Robin and Laze for being the best "other" mothers and for keeping me well up to date on Zee's brother Lightning. And to all of you, Lisa, Janet, Vicky, Judy, Molleigh, Michele, Laze and Robin and everyone else for sitting up at night with me online as we cheered Zee on as he raced. It was away more fun with a crowd. A special thanks to Laze for running away from Sandy Paws with me for a quick trip to see the boy race at the track. I loved it! My FTH family is the best and I adore you all for the love and support you have given to me and the delicious Zee.

It took the Greyhound Racing Village and my FTH family to raise this boy and it was a job well done. I feel that there are so many others to thank still so please know that I am forever grateful to all of you.

Leslie Glynn
July 2014
Updated June 2018