Clearwater Threshers bat dog, Layla, retires after six years of service

CLEARWATER — Canines can be therapy dogs, police dogs and service dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, watch dogs or delivery dogs. Others live as domesticated royalty, the lucky ones allowed on the couch. Many are strays.

But 13-year-old Layla is a bat dog.

And after six years dedicated to the Clearwater Threshers fetching baseball bats, she’s retiring.

The minor league team’s “Christmas in July” special overlapped with “Beach Dogs Friday,” a pup-friendly event that takes place on the last Friday home game of the month. This one was extra special: Layla’s last game. Between Santa Claus, the Threshers mascot and the white labrador, BayCare Ballpark was chock-full of A-listers.

In 2018, Layla’s owner, Andrew Davis, trained the pup to fetch a beer for him from the fridge, and sent the video to the Threshers.

”They finally reached back out to me,” said Davis. “And they said, ‘That’s a really cool trick. You think your dog could fetch bats?’”

After a few weeks of training, Layla became the best girl to step paw on the baseball diamond — and has been for the past six years.

“But you know, she’s slowing down,” said Davis, “and we wanted to send her off.” His pockets were stuffed Friday with teriyaki beef jerky, Layla’s favorite.

At the top of the third inning, the lab trodded through the dugout, padding over mud puddles and spit-out sunflower seeds. She stationed herself for her final fetches.

“Come on ol’ girl,” said Davis. “Come on ol’ girl.”

The inevitable came at the bottom of the fourth when infielder Bryson Ware’s ball flew out to right field.

Layla plodded to home plate with the gait of a dog who’s not as agile as she once was. Fans chanted her name. She deserved every bark, woof and bow-wow that came from the stands.

“We love you, Layla!” yelled a spectator.

Layla’s sister, Lucy, watched her sibling soak in the love. As a top prospect for Layla’s replacement, “you could say Lucy is in the minor leagues right now,” said Threshers community engagement and media manager Robert Stretch.

After two innings of retrieving bats, Layla’s time had come. She trudged back up the stairs between sections 117 and 118, hands reaching out to pet her snowy coat.

“She’s been (Davis’s) best friend for 13 years ... so watching her out there for the last time is bittersweet,” said Davis’s fiancee, Alex Spadaro. “She’s not done being our best friend — that doesn’t change anything.”

The celebration ended on a sweet note with a bone-shaped baseball cake reading “Happy Retirement Layla.” A highlight reel of some of the dog’s best fetches played on a big screen. Watching their hall of fame-worthy pup lick away frosting, Spadaro rested her chin on her fiance’s shoulder.

“She’s the best dog in the world, I tell her that all the time,” said Davis.