Hank (dog)
Stray dog became beloved Brewers mascot.
Hank, also called Hank T. Dog, lived from about 2012 until September 12, 2024. He served as an unofficial mascot for Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers. A mixed-breed dog thought to be part Bichon Frise, Hank was around two or three years old when he wandered into the team’s spring training facility before the 2014 season, and the Brewers took him in.
Quick Facts
- Species
- Canis familiaris
- Born
- 2012
- Died
- September 12, 2024 (aged 12–13)
- Place of death
- Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
- Nationality
- American
- Role
- Unofficial mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers
- Owner
- Wronski family
- Appearance
- White with grey
Facts from the source article.
Background
On February 17, 2014, a stray dog wandered around the fields of the Milwaukee Brewers' spring training facility at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Security guards first spotted him, and Brewers coach Ed Sedar took him inside. Weighing 11 lbs, the dog had been hit by a car and had two chipped teeth. Team officials tried to find an owner but could not, so they rescued him. A veterinarian treated a laceration. The organization named him Hank after Hank Aaron. On February 26, Hank competed in a Sausage Race during a spring training game wearing a hot dog costume.
Reactions
Hank the dog became an internet sensation after his story spread across social media and was picked up by numerous news organizations. The Milwaukee Brewers got more than a thousand adoption requests for him. As spring training wound down, the team decided to keep Hank. He flew with the squad to Milwaukee in March, and his arrival at Mitchell International Airport drew Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and Mayor Tom Barrett. Fans greeted him at Miller Park. The Brewers launched official Hank merchandise, selling over a thousand shirts with "Hank" and the number "K9" on the first day. At the end of the 2014 season, 20% of the profits went to the Wisconsin Humane Society. By 2016, Hank and the Brewers had brought in over $300,000. Marti Wronski, the team’s vice president and general counsel, and her family in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, adopted him. He was thought to be two to three years old and a bichon frise mix. Hank attended many home games but not all. By Opening Day, he weighed 15 pounds. Bernie Brewer led him onto the field during the pregame introductions. The next day, Hank was neutered. He had a bobblehead giveaway on September 13, 2014, and met baseball legend Hank Aaron on August 21, 2014. In January 2015, Hank won the Golden Hydrant award as Dog of the Year at the first World Dog Awards. Another bobblehead giveaway in his honor took place on May 10, 2015.
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