The Milwaukee Brewers spring training camp had a visitor a few weeks ago, a scruffy looking stray dog. Friendly and charming, he got bathed, fed, taken to a local vet, and became an unofficial mascot of the team.
Local news has been filled with news of Hank the dog, estimated to be anwhere from 2-4 years old. While it would be nice if they focused on the smoking ruin Scott Walker and his band of Not So Merry Men have been making of the state, Hanks story is a compelling one.
From one of his first media appearances...
... onward to becoming their unofficial mascot ....
...to becoming headline news day after day, Hank has gone from stray, to the Brewers promising him a forever home, to becoming a part of the team itself. He is even featured on an official Brewers T Shirt as well as his own team jersey (his player number, naturally, is K9) :
He came back home with the team on Sunday to a huge welcome by Milwaukeeans, including Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and an avalanche of reporters and cameras:
You can see the Official Hank T Shirt on a few of his fans.
Today, he made his first appearance at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, to a large crowd waiting for an opportunity to meet him and perhaps get his pawtograph:
He'll also be raising money for the Wisconsin Humane Society and raising awareness of the need so many unwanted and stray animals have for a forever home.
You can read more about Hank in a special section devoted to Hank and his history.
It's a great story and a reminder to adopt from shelters (as well as spay and neuter our pets). Many abandoned and stray animals don't have such a happy ending, much less an awesome life ahead of them.
Hank, you're one in a million.
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