Keota came into our lives in November 1998. We had never had a dog together, but we both had dogs when we were kids. Then Rhonda saw her first greyhounds at a fair in Orland Park and liked how quiet they were. Joe wasn’t keen on getting a dog, let alone a greyhound. So we filled out an application with Midwest Greyhound. It was the only group we knew about. Of course we asked for any color, but brindle that was cat friendly. We waited and waited still no word from Midwest. We called every week. Then we heard that one of the foster parents was bringing in a cat safe greyhound to the Petsmart in Downers Grove. It was Keota (he was called Ron then) we were told we couldn’t have him because he was a brindle. Joe said: No he‘s tiger striped. So with much help from Charley and Jan Smart, we had our first greyhound. Keota was so great that six months later Joe wanted a second one, so Keota would have a buddy. Now Keota had a little brother, Checkers.

What a greyhound Keota was. No one told us how smart of a hound he was. We had put a dog door in our basement and he learn how to use it after only being shown two times. It took Checkers a couple of hours. When Charley and Jan’s dog-sat, Keota learned how to open the cabinet and pull out a very heavy wood bin full of dog food. Charley learned to move the dog food whenever Keota was coming over to stay.

He had a little of the devil in him too. Like when he ate a whole citronella candle. He ate Joe’s glasses twice and of course our favorite, when he ate the night light out of the wall (we never did fine the bulb). He had learn to open the latch handle on the front door. Which made Rhonda think she was loosing her mind at first. When it happen Rhonda was coming home from dropping Joe off at work, then she noticed the front door was open. Rhonda was afraid someone had broken in. She thought it odd that Keota was still there if someone broke in surely they would chase the dog out the door. The next time Rhonda thought that she just wasn’t closing the door tight. The third time, we were bring home groceries when we saw Keota’s head in the small window in the front door, when watched the front door open. We bought a dead bolt for the door next day.

Keota had his fun side too. We would put one of his toys on a rope and swing it over his head well after the first couple of times of running in a circle chasing it, he would change directions and run towards it and catch it in mid air. He also loved to chase Butterflies at the dog park. He would flip young puppies on their backs when playing with them. This would always freak out the owners of the puppies. We would have to explain that Keota was an Alpha male and this was his way of letting the puppy know who was boss.

It was Keota gentle nature and loyalties that was his greatest feature. He was Checkers’ rock. Checkers was a very timid and space defensive. It was Keota’s calming ways that turned Checkers around. Whenever Checkers was afraid he was never far from Keota. Keota also was a big help to the family. If Rhonda fell Keota was right there to help get her up. When Rhonda and Joe lived in Chicago, Rhonda and Keota went to the park. Rhonda’s knee popped out of joint. Keota helped her get home, a two block walk. When a friend came over with her son who was just learning to walk. Keota would follow him everywhere and if he started to fall Keota would stretch out his neck so the child would fall on the back of his neck and not onto the floor. For never being around children that we know of, we found this to a unusual trait. Keota worked as a therapy dog at a local nursing home. A job he took on with a gentle and understanding nature. When we moved in to take care of my mother, Keota was ever by her side making sure she was OK. He seem to think it was his job to take care of weaker pack members.

When we moved out to California Keota was truly happy. He loved going on walks in the canyon near our place. He would have his ears up the whole time. He loved looking out over the canyon towards Laguna Beach and the ocean. It was coming back from one of our canyon walks when we noticed a small walnut size lump on the inside of his right hind leg near the hock. This happen in August. We took him to Vet and they thought it might be a fungal infection. So we put him on antibiotics and pain killers. The blood test came back negative on a fungal infection. The tumor kept growing. And Keota was now on two pain killers. The leg under the tumor was swelling from the blood pooling in his foot. We tried everything to get the swelling down , but nothing worked. We joined a greyhound group out here that walks a mile around a lake. Keota refused to sit out on the walks. So even being in pain Keota led the pack of greyhounds around the lake. He would not give up no matter how much pain he was in. One morning we noticed a open sore on the tumor. Keota was not sleeping well at night, it seem hard for him to find a comfortable position. The morning we found the sore on his leg, we noticed he was shaking when breathing. We called the vet to see what else we could do for him. When we took him in the Vet said that there was nothing more to be done and that it would be a good time to let his suffering end. We knew it was the right thing to do. So on 10/13/06 at a little after 12 noon Keota went over the rainbow bridge. We will miss him forever and know there will never be a greyhound or any other dog like our Keota.

In his past life surely he was one of King Solomon’s hounds. For he was full of wisdom and patience. And as he crosses over the Rainbow Bridge where other hounds have gone, playing and running while waiting for their masters, Keota will be lying under a shade tree, watching the butterflies at play. Content to be ruler over all he surveys. Waiting for us to join his “Kingdom of Solomon”.

Keota we miss you!

“Keota”

October 2, 1995 – October 13, 2006