Where “Out” Means Something Completely Different
Brazil’s Clay Court Shelter Dogs are the happy, tail-wagging result of Brazilian ingenuity.
In case you haven’t noticed, sometimes things work a little differently in Brazil. Pizza is better, coffee is definitely better (even at Starbucks), and politics?
Well okay, that’s actually about the same.
However, it’s true for sports, too. For instance, beach volleyball is played without using your hands, and for the second year in a row, tennis may have found a new tradition.
Ball boys at the Brazil Open on the red clay courts of Pinheiros in São Paulo have been replaced by bandana-wearing dogs. And they’re pretty good at it, too.
Putting Clay Court Shelter Dogs In Play
Organizers of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament are credited with the idea. Bring in half a dozen shelter dogs to help promote local dog shelters while running down errant tennis balls. Consequently, the tournament found airtime on all three of Brazil’s national TV networks.
And here’s the best part: Arlete, Blackie, Cindy, Mia, Nanda, and Ovelha are all up for adoption, too.
Marcelo Demoliner played a few demonstration points with one of the Brazilian coaches, then stopped for photos with the shelter dogs.
But are they ready for primetime? Demoliner says maybe, someday.
“I think they need to improve a little bit because if they put dogs in a real match we will have a lot of let calls,” he said with a laugh. “But I think it was really nice to do this thing today.”
Whatever the future holds, we can certainly say that the clay courts of São Paulo are where “out” means something completely different to Brazilian dogs.
Music, Travel, Friends, And Fun!
Brazil’s Clay Court Shelter Dogs
Programming like ‘Brazil’s Clay Court Shelter Dogs’ is what we do. Why not join us? Join our list. Listen to our live streaming station and 15 streaming channels, all free. Browse our Lifestyle Directory and events coast to coast. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
