These canine athletes will leave you howling with laughter – it’s the Anastasini Soccer Dogs, led by Luciano Anastasini!

 The name Anastasini is synonymous with circus, and eighth-generation performer Luciano is no stranger to the circus world. He has spent his entire life immersed in high-flying, daredevil acts that date back hundreds of years to his family’s roots in the Old Country.

 While his father was a wing-walker daredevil, his mother’s specialty was animals. As he put it, “you name it, she worked with it – elephants, lions and even baboons in South Africa!” Luciano thought at first he would follow in his mother’s footsteps, teaching stray dogs from the neighborhood to do tricks in his backyard. But the high-intensity daredevil acts called to him – before long, he was driving motorcycles across high wires, 13 stories in the air.

 Later, after a devastating accident stunted his daredevil career, he once again found his purpose in training man’s best friend to flip, jump and roll – something he hadn’t done since he was a boy. He decided he wouldn’t train just any dogs – he would work with “second-chance” dogs, ones that no one wanted any more. It would be a second chance for both Luciano and the canines.

Now, with a hoard of hounds ready to please, we invite you to sit back and enjoy the Anastasini Soccer Dogs!