An innovative adoption event is about to hit a South Jersey animal shelter this Sunday, Apr. 7, in New Jersey. To kick off the baseball season with a twist, Burlington County Animal Shelter is hosting a one-of-a-kind affair. Visitors will have the chance to mingle with adorable shelter animals while enjoying carnival games and hot dogs. Additionally, the event will include an unconventional showdown between two special teams.Â
Adoption event takes the form of a dog vs. cat baseball game
The shelter director, Ericka Haines, revealed they have designated a baseball “Field of Dreams” for the event, as per WHYY News. Here, the Burlington Strays, comprising entirely of dogs, will square off against the County Cats for the ultimate shelter bragging rights.Â
Haines explained, “Every adoption is considered a home run. So, every time an animal gets adopted, one of the mascots, whether it’s a dog or it’s a cat, will do a run of the bases and initiate a home run.”Â
In addition, the “mascots” for these teams will be humans.Â
Miss Bella, a Cane Corso, is a standout player on the dog team. In Haines’ words, “She is about 3 or 5 years old, she definitely can run the bases, [and] … is absolutely breathtaking.”Â
Leading the County Cats is Chuckie, a stylish 7-year-old domestic Shorthair.Â
Moreover, Haines noted that shelters can occasionally be overwhelming environments. Therefore, they wish to provide a different platform for everyone to witness these animals’ exceptional qualities beyond their kennels.Â
The ceremonial first pitch for the Strays versus the Cats game will be thrown by Dan O’Connell, the deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners. Two years ago, he welcomed a senior dog named Bingo into his home.
O’ Connell said, “Our shelter does a great job. I gotta tell you, my guy is gonna be 8 this June. He’s great company.”
At Sunday’s open house, visitors can also catch the Philadelphia Phillies game against the Washington Nationals, streamed live on the shelter’s large screen.Â
