UNC’s Dugout Dog Scores A Homerun With Teammates [Video]
Living in North Carolina for ten of the last twenty years, I can tell you that you are either a Tar Heel or you belong to the Wolfpack. Regardless of whether you are a fan of The University of North Carolina (Tarheels) or North Carolina State (Wolfpack), trust me, the rivalry is real.
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I never really favored either side, but may have turned the tide toward the Carolina Blue now that I’ve learned they have the most adorable new ‘teammate’ on board. As the Tar Heels look to make this year their first national championship in the College World Series, they are doing so with the assistance of a two-year-old Golden Retriever named Remington.
Remington is the pup of head athletic trainer Terri Jo Rucinski and Remington has the very official title of ‘psychiatric medical alert facility rehabilitation service dog.’ He helps injured players with emotional assistance throughout their rehabilitation and he has been with the Heels for the entire successful season.
Players say he is just like all the other members of his team, retrieving baseballs for the umpires and ‘paw bumping’ his teammates in the dugout for encouragement and celebration.
The Heels are number two this season and looking to make number one their final ranking as the NCAA baseball tournament starts tomorrow. Rucinski says she would like to believe that Remi had something to do with such a positive year. Remington knows over 100 commands, and is instrumental in providing support to team members undergoing the hard process of injury rehabilitation, but Rucinski says that he also is just a calming effect on the boys when they’ve had a rough day.
And seriously… watch the video and tell me you’re not rooting for the Tar Heels now too!
More by Lori Ennis