The “dog days” of a baseball season are typically said to be in August, but WKU softball scheduled its own dog day in the middle of April.

Saturday’s doubleheader was an opportunity for WKU softball fans to bring their dog to the park and enjoy $1 hot dogs for both games of a doubleheader against Florida International.

Advertisement

The “Bring a Dog, Enjoy a Dog” promotion allowed fans to bring their dogs to the park with them as former WKU softball player Elizabeth Ferrel did with her Yorkie Shih Tzu mix named Sam.

“He’s crazy, but he’s come to a lot of softball games,” said Ferrel of her one-year-old dog as he excitedly barked at almost everyone who walked by in between games.

Ferrel said she didn’t expect Sam’s energy level to go down in between games since he was forced to sit still for seven innings.

“He normally runs around all the time, and I just sit in the front row, and he’ll just chase everybody,” she said laughing.

As junior infielder Ciara Garcia took the field, her older sister Christie took the opportunity to bring her rescue dog to the park and allowed him to run around and play a little bit in between the first and second game.

“I normally leave him at home, but since it’s dog day I could bring him,” she said.

Garcia added that her dog was surprisingly calm that day considering how shy he can be around people.

Advertisement

“He was very good,” she said. “I’m surprised — it’s his first game.”

Some fans didn’t know anybody on the team but still took advantage of the chance to have their dog take in a game with them.

Bob Hammand and his wife Karen brought their Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix, Tillie, to the game and enjoyed themselves even though they had no family members playing that day.

“We had not been to a game this year yet,” Bob Hammand said. “We thought it would be fun to come out, bring the dog, get some dollar hot dogs and watch them play softball.”

Karen Hammand added that since all of their kids were out of the house, their dog was the best companion they had to bring to a game.

Seniors Amanda Walden and Laura Smith were Greenwood High School classmates of the Hammands’ daughter.

Bob Hammand also said he wasn’t concerned with the behavior of his dog.

“She’s not under control, but I’m not concerned about it,” he said as the small dog barked from under his seat.

Advertisement

Even with the chance to get his dog out of the house and the reduced price on the hot dogs, he said that the main appeal of coming out that day was the softball game itself.

“College and high school sports in Bowling Green is great,” he said. “It’s inexpensive, and there are good quality athletes.”