American minor league baseball team fetches its own full-time bat dog

No one is more excited about getting on base than Omaha. The Golden Retriever is just doing her job, and loving it, fetching bats for a professional Lake Elsinore baseball team. (KCAL/KCBS via CNN Newsource)

LAKE ELSINORE, California (KCAL, KCBS) -- No one is more excited about getting on base than Omaha. The Golden Retriever is just doing her job, and loving it, fetching bats for a professional Lake Elsinore baseball team.

The Lake Elsinore Storm is the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, and the only team on the West Coast to employ a full-time bat dog.

“She is a big star here every time she goes out. Especially the first time of the night, she gets a huge cheer from the fans,” Justin Pickard, Lake Elsinore Storm marketing manager said.

Omaha’s dad, David Lamm, says he was inspired by a documentary to rescue a Golden Retriever mix. As the manager of a collegiate baseball summer league, Lamm says it was only natural to train a bat dog of his own.

Named after the home of the College World Series, Omaha debuted as an amateur bat dog in 2024. One year later, she signed an exclusive, pro contract with the Storm.

It took time to work out Omaha’s job description, and in the first couple of rookie seasons, there was a lot of trial and error.

“When players either walk or get hit by a pitch, they typically throw their baseball bat back to the on-deck circle. And then they’re taking off their elbow guard and ankle guard, and they’re throwing these things -- and she was just all over the place,” Lamm said.

Now, Omaha only retrieves bats when players get a hit. Other situations are reserved for her human colleagues.

Major League Baseball doesn’t allow for bat dogs due to safety concerns and a need to maintain a strict professional setting. But in the minors, it’s a popular fan engagement strategy.

“At our level, we have lots of roster changes. It’s constant. Because they may be here half a season, one full season, very rarely more than that. And so we make sure to put people or animals in place that are here year after year so that our fans have something to connect with,” Pickard said.

After her field duties, Omaha always hosts a meet and greet with her fans, who get a shake and an Omaha baseball card.

Baseball isn’t Omaha’s only sport; she’s actually pretty good at soccer, too.

“This three-and-a-half-year-old dog, who is just doing what comes naturally to her, has brought so much joy and happiness to other people, that’s what I really want out of it,” Lamm said.