Nationals acquire Team Dog, add to Man's-Best-Friend Roster
Screech, the Racing Presidents and a TEAM DOG… oh my! The Washington Nationals will be expanding their roster a bit early this year, adding a Team Dog to the squad through a partnership with Canine Companions and Eukanuba. As one of the official (furry) faces of the organization, the Nationals are calling on fans and dog lovers alike to help select the sweet pup’s name from a list of four options, including Cherry, Monty, Natty and Tater. Fan voting is now open Nationals.com/TeamDog until Wednesday, March 18, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Once a name is selected, the Nationals will officially introduce their Team Dog this season.
“We are thrilled to partner with Canine Companions and Eukanuba to welcome the first-ever Team Dog to the Nationals roster this season,” said Nationals President of Business Operations Jason Sinnarajah. “We are excited to be part of this puppy’s impactful journey to becoming a service dog, and we know our team, fans, community and ballpark will offer a wonderful training environment.”
The selected dog will undergo basic training and socialization with Nationals staff, players and fans for the next 18 months under the supervision of its puppy raiser through the Canine Companions program and while being fueled by extraordinary nutrition from Eukanuba. The Nationals will welcome their official Team Dog at community events and select home games, helping to raise a confident and calm future service dog.
“For more than 35 years, Eukanuba and Canine Companions have shared a commitment to giving our dogs what they need at every stage of life,” said Jason Taylor, vice president, Eukanuba. “We’re proud to join the Team Dog program and partner with the Nationals to welcome the newest member of the team and provide them with nutrition to support their service dog journey.”
“We are grateful to the Washington Nationals for partnering with Canine Companions to raise a future service dog, and to our national corporate partner Eukanuba for this generous commitment,” said Jeanine Konopelski, chief marketing officer at Canine Companions. “By adding this new teammate to the Nationals roster, they are helping us meet the growing national need for highly trained service dogs. We look forward to the new team puppy and watching it develop into an expertly trained service dog.”
Following the initial puppy raising, the future hero will continue to formal service dog training. Canine Companions provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professional working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings.
To stay updated on the Team Dog’s adventures, follow @Nationals on social media (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube). Voting to select the dog’s name is now open through Wednesday, March 18, at Nationals.com/TeamDog.
ABOUT CANINE COMPANIONS
National nonprofit Canine Companions is celebrating 50 years of empowering people with disabilities to live with greater independence. Canine Companions invented the concept of the modern service dog in 1975 and has since placed more than 8,600 expertly trained dogs at no cost to clients, entirely supported by donations. Today, as America’s first and largest provider of service dogs, Canine Companions has eight locations and serves adults, children and veterans with disabilities as well as professionals working in health care, law enforcement and educational settings in all 50 states. Donate, volunteer and learn more at canine.org.
ABOUT EUKANUBA™
EUKANUBA™ is part of the Royal Canin Division in the Mars, Incorporated group, and a leader in science-based, premium dog nutrition. EUKANUBA™ was founded in 1969 by Paul F. Iams, an animal nutritionist who had a strong focus on developing formulas to address dogs' specific needs. Today, its purpose is to fuel working, sporting and service dogs by supporting their mental and physical capabilities with science-based nutrition, designed to help canine athletes perform to their full potential. We know that reciprocity between dog and owner is the foundation for a lifelong bond. This is achieved by active moments spent together. Our job is to strengthen that bond. Whether they have an active lifestyle with their owner or need to perform in extreme conditions, working, sporting and service dogs need specific nutrition to fuel their performance. EUKANUBA™ delivers a range of tailored solutions to help them train, perform and recover, enabling them to do what they do best, and contribute to create more moments with their owners. EUKANUBA™ provides a concise portfolio of 26 different recipes (19 dry, 7 wet) that help unleash dogs' athletic potential and support their body, mind and energy. To learn more about EUKANUBA™, visit www.eukanuba.com.
ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $65bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products, veterinary services, and quality snacking and food products delight millions of people and support pets all around the world. With the strategic acquisition of Kellanova, we have further enhanced our capabilities and expanded our reach in the global market. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, and now, iconic brands from Kellanova including Pringles®, Cheez-It® and Pop-Tarts®. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, and ANICURA™, span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our more than 170,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.