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Video: Layla, Bat Dog for Phillies' Single-A Team, Grabs Final Bat Before Retirement

Adam Wells

Layla, a white labrador retriever, has wrapped up her career as the bat dog for the Philadelphia Phillies' A-ball affiliate.

The very-good dog who has been with the Clearwater Threshers for six years picked up a bat for the final time during Friday's game against Fort Myers.

After wrapping up her last game, Layla got a special retirement treat and gift from the club.

Layla became a social-media star in 2018 when a video went viral showing her owner, Andrew Davis, asking her to get him a beer from the refrigerator. She jumps off the couch, opens the fridge door with the help of a towel placed on the handle, grabbed the can, brought it to him and went back to shut the door.

Per Leah Burdick of WMNF Radio in Florida, Layla had actually trained alongside athletes at Webber International University when Davis was a student at the school.

Davis explained to Burdick he showed Dominic Repper, Threshers manager of promotions and game entertainment, the viral video and it gave Repper an idea. It just wasn't certain at that point if Layla could pick up a bat.

"When we first contacted the Threshers, Layla didn't even know what a baseball bat was," Davis said.

It didn't take long before Davis took Layla to baseball fields near their home where he taught her to pick up a bat and bring it back to the dugout.

Even though Layla won't be there to pick up bats, Davis told Burdick he will keep bringing her to Threshers games as a fan.

   

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