Service dog joins North Carolina baseball team
The newest member of the University of North Carolina baseball team might not get any hits, but he can definitely fetch.
Remington is a 2-year-old golden retriever who works as the team's athletics training room assistance dog. He was trained by Wilmington, N.C. nonprofit paws4people and brought to the team by athletic trainer Terri Jo Rucinski.
His main responsibility is to assist Rucinski as she treats players recovering from injuries. He's able to brace to help people get out of a chair and offers emotional comfort for players.
Junior outfielder Brian Miller, who had surgery last fall, said, "Being injured isn't really the most fun thing to go through so it was definitely fun to have REMI there with me."
Along with assisting in player rehabilitation, Remington also takes balls to umpires before the start of games and stands with the team during the national anthem holding a hat or glove. He knows over 100 commands, including turn, rollover, open and close the refrigerator, and even first-bump.
"This is the first time I've ever had a dog or any sort of assistance dog helping out with any team I've been a part of," said Miller. "It's like a bond that I have with any of my teammates really."
