Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series that delves deep into the reality behind a German Shepherd’s astonishing fortune, Netflix’s ‘Gunther’s Millions’ can only be described as equal parts gripping and absurd. After all, it comprises not just first-hand accounts of those directly involved in this matter but also archival records to really shine a light upon the titular canine’s assets, roots, as well as pedigree. Amongst the individuals to thus feature in this production is dog breeder Alarico Sgroi — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about him and his current standing, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Alarico Sgroi?
It was ostensibly back when Alarico was a young boy, and he fell in love with both dogs and the craft of breeding/rearing, driving him to turn it into his whole profession almost as soon as possible. The truth is he’d gained extensive knowledge of the industry by the time he was 18 and had even begun specializing in the rare canine infant disorder of Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS). It hence came as no surprise when he decided to start seriously participating in exhibitions or competitions from 1969 onwards, although he bred solely under the affix “di Casa Sgroi” till the late 1980s.
“[German Shepherd breeding] is all my life,” Alarico said in the Netflix original before adding, “I try to be a good breeder. I have in my life many, many championships. I was breeder two times on the podium at the world show… Many people think we take two dogs together and sell the puppies [but that’s not the case]. This is business, normal business. But a breeder with a heart wants more; they want to see a dream.” In other words, the once-national SAS manager of farms essentially implied he belongs to the latter category because he brings about life with the intention of spreading joy and care.
According to Alarico’s own accounts, his dogs are of such pure pedigree that their cost matches the fact his work goes beyond any form of artistry — possibly in the range of millions. “I can’t say how much in dollars,” he elucidated. “But I can make an example. For a dog like this [bred by me], you can buy a villa like mine… or two, three Ferraris.” Therefore, when the time came to ensure Gunther’s bloodline continued as the world’s wealthiest dog, he was the one hired under the Trust’s/Corporation’s business, Forteriva. The primary goal of this organization seemingly was to promote dog breeding.
Where is Alarico Sgroi Now?
From what we can tell, Forteriva was established in 2012 to maintain Gunther’s legacy in the form of heirs, which was reportedly going really well thanks to Alarico, that is, until 2020 rolled around. As per reports, the German Shepherds had been neglected to such an extent in terms of hygiene as well as kennel sizes in the past few months that it led an employee to approach the authorities. They thus executed a raid, rescued 52 canines, and made it known the blame lay on expert breeder Alarico and Gunther’s handler Maurizio Mian as they held 10 and 90% land shares, respectively.
The Forteriva farm in Vecchiano subsequently shut down for good, yet it appears as if Alarico has still managed to retain his career — the only difference is it’s elsewhere in Italy at the moment. We believe so because the Germany Championship 2004 as well as 2005 title holder said in the docuseries that for him, there are “no holidays, no other things, only training with the dogs, only show with the dogs. There are good days and bad days. This is the life of the breeder.”
In his mid-60s, Alarico spoke up about breeding recently as well, stating, “The German Shepherd has his properties and characteristics that in the past must be respected by a selection driven by humans and not the environment. If there is a selective protocol that determines the psychophysical unicum of the race, to maintain its appearance and behavior, it must be respected like any rule in any ordered context. The rest is to climb on mirrors or observe at your own convenience.”
