Sophia’s Story – A New Life After Greyhound Racing

Sophia is a female dark brindle Greyhound with a racing name of Ozzies Girl. She was born in Kansas City on August 6, 2014 and at one year old, she started racing at the Flagler Dog Track in Miami, Florida. Her racing number is tattooed in each ear. As Ozzies Girl, she was entered in 114 races; won 14 and placed second 23 times and was also subcontracted to race all over Florida.

Greyhounds are considered to be the fastest dog breed – they have long legs and lean bodies - and with just three strides, these dogs can reach a speed of up to 40 miles-per-hour. At four years old, Ozzies Girl was ready to retire - but what’s life like after the dog track?

Florida was considered a dog racing mecca for 95 years but in November 2018, the Florida Legislature passed a Constitutional Amendment making betting on live greyhound racing at Florida tracks illegal starting 2021. On December 31, 2020, Florida ended Greyhound racing.

Tom and Hale Venturi adopted Ozzies Girl in January 2019 and she started her new life in their Chicago home as Sophia. That winter Chicago was in a deep polar vortex and Sophia hated the cold. Greyhounds have a very short hair and lack an undercoat. During the winter they need a sweater to help keep them warm. Now Sophia is loving the warm Florida weather in her new home in Marco Island.

According to her adoption papers, Sophia is a “little girl learning to live a life away from the track environment. She is somewhat shy but affectionate and playful, very good on a leash and she loves silly noises (squeaky toys) and needs an owner who will instill a feeling of confidence in her and she will blossom with the encouragement.”

Tom and Hale always wanted to help the retired greyhound racers. They knew all about the abuses and exploitations of the dogs. Tom added that racing dogs are not well fed; they are raced every three days; they are put in kennels with hundreds of other greyhounds - some at pens too small so they would sleep in a sitting position with muzzles on with their heads bowed down. 

Tom and Hale are dog rescuers. They’ve rescued three dogs with the last being a racing greyhound who lived for 16 years.

A retired racer has never been in a house before and will feel confused, tense and will exhibit some stress behavior. Sophia would stand like a statue, tail down and stare and seem unresponsive; sometimes she might whine or cry.

Sophia has never seen children, women or other animals. Her life at the track was very structured. The dogs were trained to wait for the trainer or feeder to turn them out three to four times a day. This was the only time Sophia socialized with the other dogs.

Sophia’s racing diet consisted of raw hamburger and when she came to live with the Venturi’s she had severe digestive issues. It took the Venturi’s a year and half to get Sophia medically stable.

Sophia bonded with Tom, but there was a point in the beginning when Tom had to dig deep. With spring came warmer weather and Sophia became more comfortable going out for a walk where she discovered green grass for the first time.

For the Venturi’s there is no going back – they’ve opened their hearts and home to Sophia – and for the first time in Sophia’s life it is not about how fast she can run. She deserves a second chance.

Almost cat-like, sleeping is now Sophia’s favorite activity. She also loves her daily walk at Leigh Plummer Park where she scouts for lizards and scans the lake for anything that moves. But Sophia is always on a leash as their prey drive remains strong.

Greyhounds are laid back and sweet natured but if you want to adopt a former racer, “make sure to do your research and commit to their slow transition into domestic life” is Hale’s advice.

What happened to the thousands of Greyhounds with the closure of Florida’s greyhound racing? Some greyhounds were transitioned to other states where greyhound racing is still legal. Others found loving homes in Florida and in other states.

For a list of Greyhound adoption organizations by state, visit the National Greyhound Association’s adoption page.