Elusive Greyhound Captured by ACPD Animal Control Officer

When Erica Petry accepted her new role as Animal Control Officer for the Arkansas City Police Department in April, she expected plenty of unusual calls. But nothing prepared her for the saga of Wade, a shy greyhound who had been living on the fringes of town for nearly two years. 

It began like any other call: a report of a stray dog lingering behind Walmart. For months, the sleek greyhound had been spotted by several employees and vendors at the big box store. 

“When I first heard about her, I thought I'd be able to catch her, pick her up, and take her to the Humane Society. I quickly realized it was not going to be the case,” Officer Petry said. 

Far from routine, Petry quickly realized this stray — later identified as Wade — was no ordinary dog. Cautious and clever, the greyhound had managed to evade nets, leashes, and countless well-meaning hands. 

“She was super scared of getting close to people,” Petry said. “She would come pretty close, because the vendors and employees would toss her scraps, but she always stayed just far enough away so you couldn’t actually grab her.” 

Day after day, Petry showed up with food, earning Wade’s tentative trust. 

“She’s really smart,” Petry explained. “She realized sometimes I’d get another call and leave the food, so she started waiting me out.” 

Greyhounds are rarely abandoned, so Petry suspected there had to be more to the story. A dive into Facebook confirmed her hunch. In an old post, someone had spotted a greyhound loose in the area, and a man replied, “That’s my dog. Where is she?” 

Petry reached out to the man and learned that Wade had been purchased as a hunting dog from Texas. But within days of arriving at her new home, Wade slipped her leash on a hunting trip and vanished. Too skittish to recognize her new family, she had been surviving on her own ever since. That’s when Petry discovered that Wade hadn’t just been wandering for a few months — she had been surviving on her own for close to two years. 

Not sure how to move forward, Petry turned to her supervisor, Captain Jason Legleiter, who suggested bringing in professionals. That’s when Beauties and Beasts, Inc., a volunteer-led rescue group based in Haysville, stepped in. 

Together, they tried everything — standard traps, a Snappy Snare, and finally an open-panel pen designed to feel less threatening. For weeks, Wade would dart in just far enough to grab food, then retreat. 

“She was so smart,” Petry said. “Every time we thought we had her, she figured out a way not to get caught.” 

Patience finally paid off. At sunrise on September 5, Petry and two volunteers from Beauties and Beasts positioned their trap, then took cover — two crouched beneath a semi-trailer while another watched from a nearby hill with binoculars. Minutes felt like hours until, at last, Wade stepped inside. The call came through: “Got her.” 

The moment was both exhilarating and terrifying, Petry said. Wade thrashed against the panels of the trap, desperate to escape. 

“We just tried to keep her calm,” Petry recalled. 

Slowly, Wade crawled toward Petry, recognizing the woman who had fed her for weeks. 

“It was surreal,” Petry said. “When I finally slipped a leash on her, I could breathe again.” 

That same day, Petry was finally able to reunite Wade with her family. No longer destined to be a hunting dog, she is now settling into her new role as a house pet — one with plenty of dog siblings and a family ready to give her the patience she needs. 

For Petry, the rescue was more than just another case. It was a crash course in determination, teamwork, and the quiet bond between people and animals. 

“It was kind of weird coming to work afterward,” she admitted with a laugh. “I’d spent so much time every day sitting out there with her. Now I drive past Walmart and think, ‘Oh, I don’t have to stop anymore.’” 

The employees and drivers who fed Wade for months say they’ll miss seeing her perched on the hill behind the store, waiting for a handout. But they also know she’s finally where she belongs — home. 

“She’s a lucky girl,” Petry said. “To survive two winters on her own, and to finally get back to her family—it’s pretty amazing.”