This Ultra-quick Whippet Is Illegally Fast—No Really, I Swear
Reas was the top dog at Fastest Dogs USA this year, surpassing the speed limits on your local neighborhood roads. By Austin Cannon September 26, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print 
very fast Whippet Credit: Courtesy of the American Kennel Club
Reas the whippet has illegal speed—as in laws prohibit him from running at full speed on most of this country's residential roads. The 25- and 30-mph speed limits are simply too slow.
The hound is the fastest dog in the country for the second year running, earning his crown at the American Kennel Club's 2022 Fastest Dogs USA. The event was held earlier this month in North Carolina, but the broadcast premiered Sunday afternoon on ABC, around the time my favorite football team was laying a massive egg.
Reas's event is the Fast CAT, which is a funny name for a competition featuring exclusively dogs. The CAT stands for Coursing Ability Test. A simple explanation: The dogs run 100 yards as fast as they can, chasing a fluffy lure.
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"He lives to chase those bunnies," Reas's owner, Lindsay Manetti, told the AKC.
No kidding! Reas's average speed came in at 34.98 mph while his average 100-yard time was 5.847 seconds. Pretty sure I've had farts last longer than that.
For his mind-melting speed, Reas earned a post-run snack of cheese and sardines along with a steak dinner, said Manetti, who I have to assume has some excellent doggy toothpaste.
"He does it. He pulls it out. He loves this game, and that's all we ask for," she said as a pooped Reas laid down by her feet.
Whippets, along with contemporaries like greyhounds, borzoi, and salukis, are considered one of the fastest breeds on the planet. It makes them perfect for sports like Fast CAT, flyball, and dock diving.
Finishing behind Reas—whose registered name is Wildtucks Momentary Lapse of Reason and lives in Indiana—was another whippet named Winston. Any dog can compete in Fast CAT competitions, even floppy-eared basset hounds like Angelique, who was the fastest in her breed this month, running the 100 yards in an average time of 11.812 seconds.
