West Michigan Whitecaps host Dog Day

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — The fans at LMCU Ballpark on Tuesday night were a little… furrier… than they would be during the average game.

The West Michigan Whitecaps hosted “Dog Day,” allowing fans to bring in their dogs with them to enjoy the game against the Lansing Lugnuts. The first 250 dogs to arrive at the park were given a gift bag from Kong to take home. There were water dishes throughout the park and even a station where people could pick up a “pup cup” treat for their dogs.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of the night was the opportunity for pet-loving nonprofits to raise some money. A portion of Tuesday night’s ticket sales went to the BISSELL Pet Foundation, and the 50-50 raffle benefitted the Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue.

“We are foster-based, which just simply means we have no location. We pull the dogs out of overcrowded shelters, and we bring them in the home, and we take care of them, and we love on them, and we rely solely on donations to vet them and get them well,” said foster coordinator Pamela Chase, who noted that they are incredibly grateful the Whitecaps gave them this opportunity.

“It's huge. Our vetting costs are always astronomical, and we really rely on every donation we can get, because our adoption fees barely cover the cost of vetting these dogs, and something like this is just a really nice time for us to gather a lot of money that can help save so many dogs.”

If you didn’t get to attend Tuesday night’s game but would like to help Hearts of Hope, you can donate through their website. You can also find information on how to foster or adopt a dog.