‘Everyone’s just going to love him’: Bruce the Bat Dog to make his debut

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — One local pup has a big day ahead of him, as he prepares for his formal debut at Innovative Field in Rochester next week.

Bruce the Bat Dog will mark his first day on the job Sept. 5. Thursday, a week before the scheduled Red Wings game, his owner told News 8 it was a long road to get the young pup to where he is now.

“It takes a lot of patience,” Josh Snyder said, “But my biggest thing is just having a good time with the dog.”

Bruce was just a puppy when he was first introduced to the world of the Red Wings, but now at 11 months old, he’s changed a lot and gone through plenty of training.

“I just start off with Bruce holding the bat, and eventually I work up to taking the bat from the ground and then eventually sending him to the bat,” Josh Snyder explained. As for his reward? A ball on a string.

“I’ve been super fortunate – he’s pretty much been a retriever ever since I got him. He’s just had an eager – willingness to not only please but to retrieve,” Snyder said.

Snyder said he’s excited for the big day but is also nervous at the same time. Bruce has quite the role to fill after his predecessor, Milo, died of liver disease in 2023.

“I can’t really compare dogs, but, like I said, Bruce is great,” Snyder said. “After losing any dog, especially a dog like Milo, it’s extremely hard – I explain it like worse than losing a family member in my opinion. They’re just always there for you. And Bruce is just that – he’s always there for me.”

Snyder described Bruce as a goofy, loving dog. Something he said will make fans fall in love once again.

“No matter what he does on the field, I think everyone’s just going to love him,” Snyder said. “I’m anticipating a huge Thursday night crowd, and just like always, no offense to the players, but this guy gets a lot of cheers.”

Much like Milo, Bruce’s job will help raise money for local organizations, including Honor Flight and the Veterans Outreach Center . Dan Mason, the general manager of the Red Wings, said they weren’t sure what to expect up until this point.

“This is a day that everybody has been looking forward to, and when I talked to Josh, we didn’t think it would be until 2025. So, he’s made such good progress through Josh’s hard work and Bruce’s hard work that a week from tonight, it’s going to be a big, big night in Red Wings baseball.”

Snyder said, the dog’s presence on the field alone is enough to make everyone, even the players, content.

“They’re constantly coming up to Bruce, and they were coming up to Milo before, and just having a dog in the dugout – I think even brings their spirits up no matter what the scoreboard reads,” Snyder said. “You can’t look at this dog and not smile, so I’m excited to share that with everyone.”

Bruce’s debut is set for the Sept. 5 Red Wings game at 6:05 p.m. You can buy tickets here .

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