There are plenty of terrific stories to come out of greyhound racing. And one of those includes a wheelchair-bound lady by the name of Sandy Pearce from Murray Bridge – and a dog called Jack.

Now, Sandy did have some idea of what greyhound racing was all about, having previously lived near the Angle Park track in Adelaide.

But when first looking for a companion dog she was the first to admit that she wasn’t really interested in a former racing dog.

“Despite this, my husband Alan was adamant that a greyhound, due to its size, would be ideal for me, given my situation,” Sandy said.

“Anyway, in the end I did opt for a greyhound. And I have to say the first time I saw Kelly my heart just melted. And when the dog passed away after eight wonderful years together I knew I had to get another greyhound.”

A week after the passing of Kelly, David Peckham and Christine Yourgules of Bourne Kennels at Allendale East had hit the highway to Murray Bridge with a couple of retired greyhounds on board for Sandy to check out.

In another life one of the pair had raced as Lochinvar Cahill, a white and black dog who won the 2022 Winter Classic at Mount Gambier and the following year was runner-up to Titan Blazer in the Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup.

All told Lochinvar Cahill, who answers to the name of Jack, raced on 34 occasions for 10 wins and prize money of more than $26,000. But it’s probably fair to say that Sandy wasn’t really interested in the dog’s statistics.

“You know, the first time I met Jack he just stood there and never took his eyes off me,” Sandy said. “And I said to Christine and David, that he was the dog for me. Really, he chose me and I’m now at a stage that I actually feel better when he’s by my side.”

Sandy also relates a remarkable story in which Jack features prominently.

“On this particular occasion I came out of the bedroom after experiencing great difficulty in breathing. Jack simply looked up at me, put his head on my lap and then raced up our passage, barking all the way and waking up Alan.

“Really, that was quite remarkable in itself given that he rarely barks. And when he returned to where I was he simply put his head back on my lap and left it there until an ambulance arrived.

“The episode resulted in a stay in hospital although obviously the end result could have been somewhat different had it not been for Jack.”

And such is Jack’s laid-back nature that he now also spends time frolicking in a yard occupied by a dozen or so of Alan and Sandy’s chooks.

All things being equal, Sandy is now looking forward to many more wonderful years with her latest former racing greyhound.

An initiative of Greyhound Racing SA, Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding homes for both retired and non-racing greyhounds and also educating the public about the gentle nature of the breed. Contact can be made on (08) 8243 7124.