Retriever Shea, MVP, Joins New York Mets

Baseball fans in Queens are cheering on a first-place team and a first-rate dog: Shea the labrador retriever. Shea is spending the first year and a half of his life hanging out with the New York Mets and their fans, after which he’ll be placed with a disabled veteran as a service dog.

The project is run by nonprofit America's VetDogs. Pups are born and weaned at the org’s Smithtown, NY campus, then placed with a volunteer puppy raiser, who helps socialize and train the doggo for 14 to 16 months. Shea is in the care of Tom and Deb Rubing, who live just east of Smithtown on Long Island.

The Rubings – who have raised seven vet dogs to date – have teamed up with the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Mets, so young Shea is a regular visitor to the ballpark on gameday, where he interacts with fans, players, and team mascots.

“The pup will attend community events, practices and select home games at Citi Field to expose him to various environments that will help mold him into a confident and calm future service dog,” says VetDogs.

The group says that it is crucial for puppies to acclimate to different people, sights, sounds, smells, and new situations – which Citi Field has in spades – so they don't get distracted later as service dogs. It costs more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place each assistance dog. To donate – or apply to raise a puppy yourself – visit vetdogs.org.
Of course Shea has Twitter and Instagram accounts: @MetsVetDog.

Photo credit: Amazon' Mets Foundation and America's VetDogs