Shea Stadium Goes to the Dogs!

By Admin - Deanna, on April 22nd, 2007 |

A day of fun and raising money for the North Shore Animal League, what a great combination and a great event!!

Check it out from MBL.com

04/21/2007 1:23 PM ET

Pets, owners enjoy Dog Day at Shea

Hundreds of canines take part in annual event Saturday

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

Shea Stadium’s Dog Day is a part of the North Shore Animal League America’s promotion to highlight the benefits of animal shelters. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

NEW YORK — Jose Reyes had better check his rearview mirror.

Forget about being the fastest player in the Majors. Reyes, boasts Manhattan’s Adam Feingold, may not even be the fastest thing at Shea Stadium.

Feingold’s 1-year-old Chihuahua, Monty, was one of hundreds of dogs that took part in Saturday’s Dog Day at Shea, marching around the field in what has now become a twice-annual tradition. And Feingold insists that Monty is the quickest of the bunch.

“This is the fastest dog you’ve ever seen,” Feingold said. “When he was five months old, they had a race for the fastest Chihuahuas in the state of New York, and he came in fourth. Now we believe he’s at his peak.”

It’d be tough for him to outpace the entire crowd at Shea, with just about everything in attendance from pugs to poodles, beagles to bulldogs. Some donned the jerseys of their favorite players — Reyes and Wright were popular picks — while others sported hats, handkerchiefs, custom collars and leashes.

Proceeds from all dog tickets sold went toward the North Shore Animal League, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization. The NSAL has rescued almost one million pets since its inception in 1944, including more than 1,400 adopted from the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina.

Rob and Lauren Pashkin of Forest Hills brought along their Old English Sheepdog, Dudley, a canine trained to work with autistic children and senior citizens.

“He loves coming out,” Rob Pashkin said. “This is his second time. I was excited to get on the field, so it was great that he was able to get us on.”

But some dogs took their 15 minutes of fame a bit more seriously. For Monty, the day was far more than simple fun in the sun — it was an audition.

“He’d like to challenge Jose Reyes to a race,” Feingold said of his speedy Chihuahua. “He’d like to teach Reyes something about speed.”

Anthony DiComo is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.