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And Leave The Loving To Them

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By RONNIE BLAIR, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - John Agresti first encountered his pal Sammy eight years ago at a meet-and-greet event sponsored by the Tampa Bay Chapter of Greyhound Pets of America.

Sammy was a retired racing dog ready to put his days at the track behind him.

Agresti was a former German shepherd owner in search of a new pet.

The two hit it off.

In a sense, Sammy became more than a pet. He inspired Agresti to become an active member of Greyhound Pets of America. Initially, Agresti fostered dogs awaiting adoption. Then he took charge of the organization's Pasco and Hernando chapters, recruiting others to foster dogs even as he continued to do so himself.

He also handled greyhound emergencies, ready to answer a pager to help find a lost greyhound or deal with other needs that might arise.

"They are such good dogs," Agresti said. "They deserve to have homes."

Last month, Agresti faced the moment most pet owners do eventually.

As the 13-year-old greyhound's health declined, Agresti decided to have a veterinarian put his old chum to sleep.

"I'm in a little bit of a transition," he said. "I'm down one dog."

Agresti's home is still an active place for greyhounds, though.

He owns Diddly, also 13. He's taking care of Smiling Sammy, 10, whose advanced age makes him a "foster for life" because most people prefer to adopt younger dogs. Over the holidays, Agresti was babysitting Nero, a 5-year-old who belongs to a friend.

The Agresti household also includes Gio, short for Giovanni, a 3-year-old Italian greyhound who is much smaller than his retired-racing brothers.

He's also more active. Gio is the dog who keeps leaping, sniffing and interacting with visitors long after the racing greyhounds lose interest and settle down on their pillows.

'45 Mph Couch Potatoes'

The greyhounds may have once trained as athletes, but they require little exercise, other than an occasional walk around the neighborhood or a quick romp in a fenced back yard.

The world's fastest dog breed usually is content to just chill out. "We call them 45-mile-an-hour couch potatoes," Agresti said.

Despite their names, greyhounds come in a variety of colors. They can be black, white, brindle, fawn or a combination of those.

Greyhound Pets of America is one of several organizations in the Tampa Bay area that handle adoptions of retired racers. Unlike some of the others, it has a direct relationship with Derby Lane in St. Petersburg and has kennels at the track for dogs that are in transition between their racing careers and the move into a foster home.

"We always need foster homes, because if we had foster homes these dogs wouldn't be in the kennels," Agresti said.

The dogs live in a foster home at least briefly before they are adopted, Agresti said. Greyhounds spend their early lives at the track and need to acclimate themselves to a home. In most cases, that's not difficult, he said. Greyhounds usually are easy to train.

Potential adopters can get to know the dogs better by attending one of the organization's meet-and-greet events. The next one in Pasco County is noon to 2 p.m. today at Petco, 16248 State Road 54, Odessa. The group also has meet-and-greet events planned from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at three PetSmart locations in Pinellas County: 3993 Tyrone Blvd., St. Petersburg; 7777 Dr. Martin Luther King St. N., St. Petersburg; and 2626 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater.

Adoption Information

Information about adopting or fostering a greyhound is available on the organization's Web site at www.greyhoundpets.com.

Agresti, a single father, has two daughters, Brandie, 19, and Anna, 15, who have helped with the greyhound organization over the years.

Anna, a sophomore at River Ridge High School, is using her volunteer hours with Greyhound Pets of America to meet the community service requirement for a Bright Futures Scholarship.

Anna said she was about 7 when her father adopted the family's first greyhound, so she has spent more than half her life around the dogs. At meet-and-greet events, Anna walks the dogs, fills water bowls, hands out information and answers questions.

Although a house with a fenced back yard is nice, it's not a necessity for a greyhound, Agresti said. The dogs live comfortably in apartments and condominiums. Although greyhounds are large - weighing between 50 to 90 pounds - they tend to curl up and occupy minimal space.

Most of the greyhounds available for adoption are 2 to 5 years old. The adoption fee is $175.

A member of the organization visits the home of a potential adopter. Agresti said the goal isn't to judge housekeeping habits. The greyhound group wants to make sure the home is a safe place for a greyhound and as escape-proof as possible.

Typically, greyhounds are known for their gentle, laid-back dispositions, but the dogs are sight hounds and can spot prey at a distance. They race by chasing a mechanical rabbit, and if let loose, their prey drive and training can take over when they see a small animal.

A reminder of the importance of keeping the dogs secure happened in Seminole last month when four greyhounds escaped from their home and killed a Yorkshire terrier that was on a walk with its owner.

One of the greyhounds bit the terrier's owner as he tried to rescue his pet.

"You want to make sure they are secure in your house or on the leash," Agresti said.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

This story appeared in one or more of The Tampa Tribune's semi-weekly community papers. To read more community stories, go to community.tbo.com. This story appeared in one or more of The Tampa Tribune's semi-weekly community papers. To read more community

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