These Major League Teams Give Their All for Animal Advocacy
To kick off the 2024 baseball season, we honor some big players in the animal-rescue game.
Share Article
When thinking of American professional sports, rarely does animal advocacy come to mind. Instead, one of two images tends to appear. There’s either the standard visual of yoked-up millionaires competing for supremacy in their perspective league or an all-too-familiar sight of less-wealthy individuals, let’s say, passionately encouraging these strangers from their couch. Despite any preconceived notions about jocks or drunken fanatics, American sports do a lot of good for animal rescues and shelters.
The MLB’s contributions to animal rescue
Now it’s officially spring, which means it’s time to turn our attention to America’s favorite pastime (and no, that is not tracking various members of the British royal family’s whereabouts). Today is Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, and thus, the start of baseball season. That means peanuts and cracker jacks and your annual excuse to watch A League of Their Own.
On this Opening Day for Major League Baseball (MLB), I should acknowledge that American professional baseball has also produced its share of animal advocates. Three-time Cy Young Award opens in a new tab winner and two-time World Series champ Max Scherzer opens in a new tab is a long-time adoption supporter with four rescue dogs and two cats in his family at the moment. He’s appeared in several Humane Rescue Alliance PSAsopens in a new tab to promote animal welfare and previously covered the adoption fees for pets enduring the longest staysopens in a new tab in the org’s care.
While Scherzer’s stint in New York was short-lived, a former teammate is picking up the slack, at least off of the field. Recently, The Mets’ Pete Alonso opens in a new tab and his foundation pledged to donateopens in a new tab $1,000 to animal rescues for every home run he hits this season. It’s a move that Alonso has stated is largely inspired by hopes of getting dogs out of kill shelters and into loving homes.
Thankfully, it appears these individual pro-rescue attitudes have trickled up to front offices, as teams are beginning to install their own advocacy initiatives. Below are MLB teams — and professional football, hockey, and basketball teams, because we can’t give baseball players all the credit — who work hard to help animals find loving homes.
The MLB
New York Mets
New York’s, er, less successfulopens in a new tab MLB team is promoting pet adoption on a few fronts. First, the team partnered with America’s VetDogsopens in a new tab to support an in-training service dogopens in a new tab that’ll be placed with either a disabled veteran or first responder. The program was initiated by the Amazin’ Mets Foundationopens in a new tab, the team’s wide-reaching charitable foundation. Additionally, last season, the Mets hosted a Bark At The Parkopens in a new tab at Citi Field. This event helped raise funds for North Shore Animal League Americaopens in a new tab, the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world according to its siteopens in a new tab.
Cincinnati Reds
Last season, the Reds hosted a quartet of Bark In The Parkopens in a new tab games that supported the SPCA of Cincinnatiopens in a new tab. Before each event, adoptable dogs were available outside the gates. Fans were also encouraged to bring their pups in the stadium for the game.
Detroit Tigers
Similarly, Detroit is rolling out its rendition of Bark in the Park for four games this seasonopens in a new tab. Depending on the night, pet parents in attendance will be gifted a Tigers pet bandana, poop bag holder, food mat, or rope toy. Most importantly, however, proceeds will go to Michigan Humaneopens in a new tab.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Last year, the Pirates partneredopens in a new tab with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogsopens in a new tab, an org that rescues and trains service dogs before connecting them with veterans or others dealing with disabilities. The team trained their dogopens in a new tab, Bucco, throughout the season and in September, he found his forever homeopens in a new tab. Pittsburgh also hosted nine Pup Nightsopens in a new tab games last season, during which fans could bring their dogs to the stadium. While these games didn’t directly benefit shelters, seeing a couple of Westiesopens in a new tab decked out in Pirates jerseys should encourage locals to adopt and become pet parents, in my opinion.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks seemingly can’t wait to show their support for pet adoption; they’re hosting a fundraising event barely a month into the season. On April 24, the National League Champions will be taking on The Chicago Cubs in a dog-friendly gameopens in a new tab at Chase Field.
For this Bark at the Park event, the team invites fans to not only bring their dogs to the game but also participate in a pregame puppy parade. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Joyboundopens in a new tab, a California-based animal rescue, and its Shelter-to-Serviceopens in a new tab program.
The NFL
Los Angeles Chargers
The 2023-2024 season certainly didn’t go as planned for Justin Herberopens in a new tabt and the Los Angeles Chargers, ultimately finishing in last place of their division and missing the playoffs. While this inspired a recent coaching change due to their unpredictable play, the team maintained some consistency off the field. For the third straight season, The LA Chargers sponsored a trainee service dog.
This year, they partnered with Paws for Life K9 Rescueopens in a new tab, an organization that connects service dogs from shelters with military vets and first responders. Along with Lazy Dog Restaurantopens in a new tab, the team provided training and resources for their “Charger Pup” River to become a service dog. At the end of the season, River found his forever homeopens in a new tab with a veteran. The three-year-old Golden Retriever was brought to LA Animal Services’ East Valley Animal Shelteropens in a new tab as a stray and was named River after Philip Rivers, who is probably the franchise’s all-time greatest quarterback and certainly its most fertileopens in a new tab.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Paws for Life K9 Rescue team to the Chargers family and look forward to sharing River’s journey with our fans as she prepares to support a special veteran in the same way that they have supported our country,” Alexis Spanos Ruhl, Chargers co-owner said in a statementopens in a new tab before the season. She also acts as special advisor to the Chargers Impact Fundopens in a new tab, a charitable program that helped raise over $100,000 for LA Animal Services’ East Valley Animal Shelter and its facilities in 2022.
Kansas City Chiefs
While tight end Travis Kelceopens in a new tab ’s 2023-2024 season will be remembered “all too well” by Swifties everywhereopens in a new tab there’s more to be excited about if you’re a Chiefs fan. And no, I’m not talking about them winning another Super Bowl. Beyond bringing home the Lombardi Trophy yet again to possibly kickstart a dynasty, Kansas City unveiled its Kingdom Pet Packopens in a new tab this past offseason as an extension of its Kingdom Crewopens in a new tab.
The program aims to connect Chiefs loving pet parents while hosting or directing them toward pet-friendly events in the area. Following each win of the season, Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi sponsored a specific shelter pet by paying all the animal’s fees to encourage their adoption.
Detroit Lions
Dan Campbell, former head coach for the Lions, is essentially the walking embodiment of a dog mentalityopens in a new tab so it’s only natural that the team’s fans would produce a strong pet community. This past season, Detroit launched The Pride Unleashedopens in a new tab to connect Lions-loving pet parents.
“This community will bring together Lions fans who share a passion for their pups and their team. We know pets are part of the family and now they can be a part of the fan experience as well,” and Emily Griffin, senior vice president of marketing and brand for the Lions, said in a statementopens in a new tab. As part of the program, the team held an adoption eventopens in a new tab at its practice facility in August featuring pups from local shelters including Bottle Babies Rescueopens in a new tab, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Controlopens in a new tab, and Bark Nationopens in a new tab. All adoption costs were covered.
Houston Texans
After 21 years of irrelevance, the NFL’s youngest team finally has a couple of reasons to support its own existence. CJ Stroud looks like a legit franchise QBopens in a new tab and, more importantly, Houston added a team dogopens in a new tab to its roster this season. This Lab mix named Blitz received service dog training throughout 2023-2024 campaign which ended in a surprise run to the playoffs.
The program comes in collaboration with America’s VetDogsopens in a new tab, an organization that helps train and connect service dogs with vets and first responders with disabilities. In fact, 2022’s “Texans Pup” competed in and won MVPopens in a new tab (Most Valuable Pup) at the Puppy Bowl opens in a new tabbefore finding his forever home with a retired U.S. Army sergeant major.
Washington Commanders
Throughout my lifetime, Washington, D.C.’s NFL team has been an embarrassment onopens in a new tab and off the fieldopens in a new tab. But since the league (finally) ousted former owner and current terrible personopens in a new tab Dan Snyder, the organization has been trying to make amendmentsopens in a new tab. While this has yet to translate to on-the-field successopens in a new tab, Washington has at least been making better decisions for its community. The latest came in the form of an adorable English Yellow Lab puppy named Goldie, the Commanders’ new team dogopens in a new tab.
The Commanders partnered with K9s For Warriorsopens in a new tab to adopt Goldie, who is an in-training service dog. Most of this organization’s dogs come from rescues and they work to combat PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or military sexual trauma.
“After a thorough vetting process, our coaching staff was impressed with Goldie’s tenacity and speed on the grass. She leaves it all on the field, whether she’s fetching a tennis ball or treat. Goldie will bring paw-sitive energy and deep fetch expertise to our lineup and I am excited to welcome her to the team,” Head Coach Ron Rivera said in a statementopens in a new tab. Just like the Chargers and Texans’ team dogs, Goldie was placed with a military veteran at the end of the season.
The NHL
Chicago Blackhawks
After Blackhawks center Colin Blackwellopens in a new tab and his wife spent time fostering pups for the Determined to Rise Animal Foundationopens in a new tab, they urged his team to help the organization. In response, Chicago partnered withopens in a new tab the group and began posting adoptable dogs to its Instagram page.opens in a new tab Players met with the pups during a practice session and handed out team-inspired names to encourage fans to adopt. Right winger Reese Johnson even ended up adopting oneopens in a new tab with his girlfriend.
Seattle Kraken
I’ve always been more of a firefighter calendar guy myself, but the Kraken have me reconsidering tradition. That’s because the NHL’s newest franchise dropped a 2023-2024 specialty calendaropens in a new tab featuring players with adoptable rescue pups from Dog Gone Seattleopens in a new tab. Many of the months were festively themedopens in a new tab, while others simply embraced the iceopens in a new tab, but each included a dog in need of a forever home. Net proceeds went toward Dog Gone Seattleopens in a new tab and One Roof Foundationopens in a new tab, the Kraken’s charity focused on halting climate change and its environmental impacts.
Minnesota Wild
Before this season, the Minnesota Wild announcedopens in a new tab a four-month-old Golden Retriever mix named Hatty as the team’s official rescue dogopens in a new tab. She’s being fostered by the team from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescueopens in a new tab, based out of nearby Somerset, Wisconsin. The Wild is sponsoring her training to become a service dog. At the end of the season, Hatty will be paired with a veteran or first responder in need of a service dog at no cost.
Pittsburgh Penguins
A storied franchise like the Pittsburgh Penguins couldn’t let themselves be outdone by the Kraken, who are only playing in their third season. At a minimum, it’d be disrespectful to Sidney Crosbyopens in a new tab and his somehow still unfolding legacy. That’s why they released the Penguins and Pawsopens in a new tab calendar featuring Pittsburgh players and adoptable dogs. Plus, all proceeds go directly toward the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburghopens in a new tab.
The NBA
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton seems to have foundopens in a new tab his forever home with The Indiana Pacers after signing a five-year $260-million maximum contract extensionopens in a new tab over the summer, so it’s only natural that it was preceded by the organization’s pet advocacy. Last season, the team put on a puppy raceopens in a new tab during halftime of one of their games featuring nine adoptable rescue dogs. While the race itself didn’t exactly go as plannedopens in a new tab, all nine pups were quickly adopted by the end of the matchup.
Los Angeles Lakers
There may be no athlete more tied to one city than Lebron Jamesopens in a new tab to Cleveland, Ohio. So, when the local hero, who brought the city its first championship, reached the Conference Finals with his new team last season, Cleveland still showed its support. Humane Society of Summit Countyopens in a new tab in Akron, James’s hometown, decided that for every assistopens in a new tab he recorded in game one of the series, they’d waive the adoption fees for a rescue cat or dog.
After he tallied nine assists, the same number of animals were shortly adopted. Many of them have names inspired by King James, including “Lebron,” “James,” and “The Chosen,” a reference to his early moniker as “The Chosen One.” To be clear, the Lakers didn’t directly encourage pet adoption, but their play certainly did, so I’ll count it. And what better way to honor Lebron James than giving his team the benefit of an iffy callopens in a new tab?
Sean Zucker
Sean Zucker is a writer whose work has been featured in Points In Case, The Daily Drunk, Posty, and WellWell. He has an adopted Pit Bull named Banshee whose work has been featured on the kitchen floor and whose behavioral issues rival his own.
Related articles
- opens in a new tab
The 49ers’ Logan Ryan and His “Water Boy” Pit Bull Are Champions for Animal Rescue
The veteran safety, who’s headed to the Super Bowl this weekend, tells Kinship all about being a dog dad and his org, The Ryan Animal Rescue Foundation.
- opens in a new tab
Brady Oliveira Is Rushing to the Rescue
How the Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back expertly uses his football skills to help street animals in need.
- opens in a new tab
Puppy Bowl Referee Dan Schachner is Still Making the Right Calls
A week before the big game, we hit the gridiron with the longtime official on adoptable puppies, special needs MVPs, and hosts Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.
- opens in a new tab
Tennis Star Denis Shapovalov Started an Animal Rescue
“With ShapoShelter, we’re going to highlight the stories of these poor animals that can’t tell their own stories in the hopes of finding them new homes.”
- opens in a new tab
Pro Snowboarder Maddie Mastro on Puppies and Half-Pipes
“Although it would have been great to come home [from the Olympics] with better results, there isn’t anything I’d rather come home to than a puppy.”