That Time Yoda Became a #RedSoxPet
Once upon a time (Monday), a jet lagged and slightly stinky girl (me), frantically picked up a blorpy and farting dog (Yoda) and careened on the Massachusetts Turnpike towards a magical land filled with green monsters, hundreds of dogs, swag and snacks (Fenway). The event that warranted some clever driving tactics and possibly some colorful use of the english language was the annual “Dog Day at Fenway” event hosted by the Boston Red Sox and sponsored by NutriSource at the infamous Fenway Park.
For those people that know me well, you may find the fact that I was invited to this amazing event to be hysterical. I am the girl, who has accidentally typed “Red Socks,” in text messages instead of “Red Sox,” to which the recipient normally replies with a couple thousand sad face emojis. I have only been to a game at Fenway once, with a dear friend who is an avid Sox fan. We went, on a whim, on a frigid day in March. In my normal way, I wandered around, finally sat down and literally got distracted by shiny things. What were those bright and fantastical items? The GIGANTIC diamond rings of the lovely (and I do mean stunningly beautiful) women sitting in the row behind us. I am adept at my ability to talk to strangers, it’s a skill I’ve been honing since I was a toddler (much to my parents chagrin). And so, in our time together, I chatted with the women and realized they were the wives/girlfriends/fiances of the players on the opposing team. We chatted for so long, the game concluded. I don’t remember who won or lost and I don’t actually recall having seen a single play occur. I had a blast, though, and the ladies thanked me for being one of the only nice people they’ve met when cheering on their significant others for an opposing team.

Years later, I forced my friends to go on a tour of Fenway in the middle of November on a day that was cold enough to make your snot freeze to your face. It’s a gross visual, but it gets the point across. I learned about the rich history of the park, about past fires, the process of appointing the folks that change score numbers behind the Green Monster, and why there’s a single seat that’s colored red in a sea of green chairs. I hobnobbed with announcers for the team (I didn’t know they were announcers, I’m just really good at talking to strangers), and got to observe the field from an announcing booth. It was amazing, and awe inspiring, and I don’t even know the first thing about baseball. It was with this sense of awe and appreciation that I jumped at the opportunity to visit Fenway with Yoda, even though I’m not really qualified to be doing so.

Fast forward to Monday, when I excitedly entered the gates to Fenway Park and was greeted by all the things that make the park special PLUS being surrounded by hundreds of adorable dogs and their devoted humans. “Dog Day at Fenway” is an annual event at Fenway Park. As with previous years, participants could bring their dogs to special parts of the park for photo opportunities and to share in the amazing park with their pups. Folks could have photos of them and their dogs taken with the World Series Trophies and in front of the infamous Green Monster. Classic food stations were open for folks to grab things like french fries, soft serve ice cream, and hot dogs. I most certainly saw this handsome fella featured below eating some vanilla soft serve out of the tiny Red Sox helmet before someone thought it would be a fun idea to place it on his giant dome of a head.

In addition to photo opportunities and tasty human food, the concourse was lined with vendors that were happy to share samples and other swag with the dogs in attendance. The primary event sponsor was NutriSource, and I’m so happy they were. We have been an avid fan of NutriSource for years. It is one of the few companies we trust in providing healthy and tasty treats for Bean and Yoda. Bean has always suffered from allergies and a sensitive stomach, and their treats have been one of a small number of companies we have been able to use. They offer grain free options, and their food has exotic single source protein options, like Boar, Quail, Lamb and Salmon. They sustainably acquire their food protein sources, and are manufactured in the United States. I would like to thank all of the companies that participated for their generosity in sharing their products and helping to make the event a huge success. Everyone, especially NutriSource knocked it out of the park (see what I did there?)!

I am honored to have been invited to join in on Dog Day at Fenway. It was great meeting with so many other pups and their humans along with the vendors and sponsors. I hope to visit Fenway again in the future. Who knows, maybe I’ll actually watch a game the next time I’m there! No promises though, shiney things will forever distract me. Like human, like dog I guess.

Cheers to baseball, dogs, and memories. The only thing missing was a cold beer! Next time! Share your favorite sport related memories and stories that you shared with your dog(s) in the comments below! I’d love to see what you’ve been able to experience with your pups by your side! Check out hashtag #RedSoxPets for fun photos folks uploaded throughout the event. I hope you find Yoda mixed in somewhere!
