Man's best friend often has another best friend: The yellow ball with which dogs can play "fetch" for hours at an end. Now, they will be doing just that at the Brazil Open tennis tournament, except they will not exactly be the players here. Rescue dogs Cindy, Nanda, Pretinha, Mia, Arlete and Sheep from the NGO Projeto Segunda Chance — literally the Second Chance Project — have replaced the ball kids and will fetching balls after each point in a match.
This is not the first time authorities at Brazil Open has employed such canines. Last year, these furry 'boys' and 'girls' stole the limelight as well as many hearts as they fetched balls after every game. They will be back this year as well, when the clay-court tournament starts on February 27.
Where did they come from?
Cindy, Nanda, Pretinha, Mia, Arlete and Sheep may have come to Projeto Segunda Chance at different times, but they have one thing in common: All of them are rescue dogs. They had been abandoned by their previous owners or have never had lived with any, and are looking for their forever home.
Their partnership with the Brazil Open started last year when dog-food company PremieR Pet came forward. "By bringing the Caodulas [literally: Dog Dolls] to the courts, we again want to show the public that dogs waiting for a home only need high-quality affection, care and nutrition. No matter what their origin or age, when they are loved and fed properly, they can be wonderful companions, play, learn new things and accomplish great deeds," PremieR Pet Corporate Marketing and Strategic Planning Director Madalena Spinazzola has been quoted as saying by the Brazil Open website.
How are they trained?
The shelter dogs are currently under the care of Andrea Beckert, who trains them for the tournament. "These are dogs that were mistreated. We have to make them adapt, feel the environment, the court, the noise of the balls, and the noise of the people," she was quoted by AP as saying about their treatment regime.
And the training works, for the most part. For example, the dogs looked dapper in scarves and wrist bands as they "worked" pretty well during an exhibition match between Roberto Carballes and Gastao Elias. Except the one time one of the did not want to give back the ball. Watch that bit right here:
