CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina celebrity dog is in Charlotte this weekend and you can meet him!
Ripken the Bat Dog will be at the Charlotte Home + Remodeling Show this weekend at Park Expo.
For those who are unaware, Ripken is the official Bat Dog for the Durham Bulls, the tee retriever for NC State Football and the spokesdog for Sit Means Sit Dog Training in the cities of Apex and Charlotte.
Ripken's owner, Michael O'Donnell, said he used to play college baseball at Radford University and once he stopped playing he wanted to find a way to still get involved with the sport.
O'Donnell and his wife got Ripken at 8 weeks old and figured teaching him to fetch bats for their business, Sit Means Sit, would be perfect marketing.
"It's crazy that it's blown up to what it has," O'Donnell said with a giant grin on his face. "It's so much more than just marketing, he's a vital part of the team."
O'Donnell said despite Ripken's celebrity status, he is first and foremost, his best friend.
"So he's a pretty famous pup, but he's just my pet and my best friend and gets to travel with me everywhere," O'Donnell said.
When asked which skill O'Donnell thinks Ripken enjoys the most, Ripken said it's the people that really get his pup going.
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"I mean he goes faster when the crowd cheers, so the louder they are, the faster he goes," O'Donnell said.
What's next for Ripken the Bat Dog? O'Donnell said he's setting his sights on the Carolina Panthers.
"We're hoping the Carolina Panthers will give us a shout and give us a chance to fetch some tees on the football field," O'Donnell said. "That's our next goal. And we're always setting lofty goals."
Ripken will be at the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte all weekend. Click here for parking and ticketing information.
Contact Meilin at mtompkins@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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