10. Clark
Pet name: Clark
Interesting story behind your pet’s name or nickname: He’s named after Justice Thomas Clark, a U.S. Attorney General and the first Supreme Court Justice from Texas (where I’m from).
Pet’s date of birth: 3/31/2018
Pet’s gender: Male
Is your pet spayed or neutered: Yes
Pet’s breed: Greyhound
Physical description: Fawn colored, 80 lbs., getting a bit grey (but aren’t we all), and skinny!
How long have you had your pet? Since March 2019
If adopted, how did you come to adopt your pet: I was volunteering to promote Yes on 13 (the amendment to end greyhound racing) and one of my volunteer duties was to clean the kennels of Clark’s breeders. When Amendment 13 passed, we were planning to adopt one of the older dogs but the breeder liked me and knew that I worked from home and that Clark needed someone to Velcro to so I reluctantly agreed to take on a puppy.
Favorite food/treats: When we make white rice as a side for dinner, we give the extra to the dogs in their bowls. That was the first photo I posted. He kept going back to the bowl and I couldn’t figure out why until I realized he had rice stuck to the end of his nose.
Tell us about your pet’s personality: He is an absolute love bug. He’s huge but he thinks he’s 10 lbs. He loves to run but loves to sleep as well. We call him our 60 mph couch potato. He is just an absolute goober.
What makes your pet happy: People! He loves attention. Also, he loves his big brother (a 10-year-old mutt). They are thick as thieves.
What is unique about your pet: In general, greyhounds are an interesting breed. They are not formally AKC registered because the racing breeders didn’t want vanity breeding. So, the breed is not actively growing. There are still many greyhounds available for adoption now that Florida (the largest number of racetracks in the U.S.) has stopped racing but there are still active races in other states and abroad. They are usually friendly with other dogs and are even good for small spaces. Unique to Clark, we adopted him before he went on the track, so he has both normal dog qualities as well as the greyhound quirks. He’s super eager to please and just loves to be included.
Please tell us about any of your pet’s unusual characteristics or special talents: He loves to sleep in crazy positions. He naps on the couch on his back like a roach, digging his face in the couch to avoid the sun, or (to the chagrin of his brother) on top of his brother. He’s incapable of laying normally on a dog bed as my social media can attest.
Please share a heartwarming story: I took my dogs to visit my family and meet their dogs. They had a six-month-old puppy. The puppy grabbed Clark’s leash and started leading him around and he just went with it making everyone laugh. He also gets the zoomies and runs in circles in the front yard. Finally, I have a really cute video from the snowstorm where I throw him a “ball” but its snow so he’s confused as to where it whet. His boarding/day camp facility (Pet Paradise) adores him and has many more stories to share.
What makes your pet special to you or your family: Living with Clark is like living with one of the three stooges that likes to cuddle. He’s a noodle, not a dog in control of his body.
Why should your pet be Tally Top Pet: I think it would be great to showcase Greyhounds in general as a breed because people don’t know much about them. They are almost exclusively adopted and not one of the “cute” breeds. Clark specifically is a model Greyhound citizen. He loves everyone, especially children. People love to stop us on the street and ask us questions about him. He’s a fan favorite at Hummingbird Wine Bar where he enchants our neighbors and the staff from his spot on the porch. He loves to greet our UPS/FedEx delivery team at the gate where he is almost tall enough to meet their six-foot gaze but is gentle enough to play with a baby Chihuahua.
