The NHL’s Seattle Kraken has welcomed its first puppy to the ice – a 4-month-old Husky mix named Davy Jones.
Davy started out as a homeless dog in Texas, then made his way to Dog Gone Seattle, a foster-based rescue organization in the Seattle area. He was adopted by Chris Scarbrough, lead developer of the Climate Pledge Arena (Kraken’s home ground) in Seattle and the Seattle Kraken app.
When looking for a comrade, Kraken began adoption from a rescue team or shelter. “We know that whichever dog is chosen needs to be nice to people and especially children,” says Chris.
As the team’s official dog, Davy will be the community ambassador, appearing at public events and at some of the team’s home games. Davy will also be trained as a licensed therapy dog, with the help of Canidae, Official Sponsor of Pet Food Nutrition of Davy Jones and Seattle Kraken, as well as the dogs of five other NHL teams. After he finishes training, the team hopes to use Davy at events that benefit from a therapy dog, such as hospital visits.
For now, Davy enjoys playing with his new teammates and stealing ice performances at home games. After his official debut, he made quite a few friends both in the team and in the stands.
Chris said: “He seems to like the attention. Not surprisingly, he also enjoys watching hockey. “He’s really after puck!”
When not at work, Davy spends his days playing with Scarbrough’s other dog, Doug.
The team hopes that, above all, Davy brings people moments of happiness. “When he gets old enough, he will be trained as a therapy dog, where he can bring a sense of calm and warmth to those who need him,” says Chris. “He’s definitely capable of doing that.”
Follow Davy’s adventures on Twitter @DavyJonesDoggo.
