Name that pooch: Muckdogs adopt a stray dog as new mascot

This past December, at Batavia's Christmas in the City event, our sports editor, Brian Hillabush, snapped a photo of a stray dog decked out in a santa hat and a trench coat. That's him looking cool here to the right. Well, that dog was spotted a few more times after that, romaing the city, looking for a home.

Now, thanks to the Batavia Muckdogs, this stray dog has a home. He was adopted by the organization this morning and officially named as the Muckdogs new mascot. But there's one thing... He doesn't have a name! And the Muckdogs are hoping we can fix that.

Here are all the details:

On January 20th, 2009, in celebration of National Adopt a Mascot Day, the Batavia Muckdogs decided to officially adopt a very large, stray dog found sniffing around the City of Batavia.

The dog, which stands between five and six feet tall, weighs in at over 150 pounds, is brown with black patches, and has a very friendly smile.  He was first seen in early December at Christmas in the City.  The next sighting found him enjoying the sparkling lights at the Holland Land Office Museum’s Wonderland of Trees.  Apparently he likes to skate, because his travels took him to Falleti Ice Arena in early January.  Then he was seen meandering around TOPS where several children spotted him in front of the dog bone section. Recently, he drew lots of attention cooking it up at Pauly’s Pizza.

“I’ve seen the dog wandering around the area. He is very friendly and really enjoys being around kids. On top of that, he seems to love the game of baseball. For those reasons, I think he will find a good home at Dwyer Stadium,” said Travis Sick, general manager of baseball operations. “He’s a bit large, but we have a big yard here at Dwyer,” added Travis.

The new Muckdog’s mascot will make his first public appearance on Friday, January 23, 2009 at Jackson Elementary School in Batavia.

“Adopting a new pet is a huge responsibility. I think our staff and fans will do everything they can to make this dog feel right at home. I did a little research and I found this breed is really playful with kids, thrives on hotdogs, and excels at chasing batted balls,” said Casey Freeman, general manager of stadium operations.

The Muckdogs’ decision to adopt the dog was made when they learned the friendly canine needed a home.  The adoption took place at the Genesee County Animal Shelter, located in Batavia.

The Muckdogs will introduce a “Name the Mascot Contest” this week with entry forms available in the Daily News and at Dwyer Stadium. Fans have until February 13 to turn in their name suggestions for Batavia’s new best friend. The fan who comes up with the winning name for the pooch will receive a motorized scooter courtesy of Dr. Pepper and Snapple and four tickets to the Muckdogs’ home opener on Friday, June 19 vs Auburn. Fans interested can fill out the necessary form and mail it to Dwyer Stadium at 299 Bank Street, Batavia, NY 14020.