During a recent Chicago Steel hockey game, the audience was a little rowdier than usual.
You could say the crowd had gone to the dogs – quite literally. It was the Chicago Steel’s annual Pucks and Pups Night, when fans could bring their dogs to help them cheer on the players.
This is the first year Anderson Humane has been involved in the pet-friendly game, and we were thrilled that 70 people bought dog companion pass tickets from us. The Chicago Steel donated $5 of each of those tickets to Anderson Humane and featured us as the Charity of the Game.
As part of that designation, we played a key role in the ceremonial puck drop, with Greg Mucha, our director of corporate partnerships, and his dog Dexter, who he adopted from Anderson Humane, doing the honors. The Steel announcer also interviewed Greg on the jumbotron during the first intermission.
Throughout the game, six of our Healing Paws dogs were available to interact with the hockey fans. When not attending games, these certified dogs visit nursing homes, schools, and other locations as representatives of Anderson Humane, offering their comforting presence to those who need it.
Nutz, a 90-pound Pit Bull mix, Domer, a Labrador mix, Coco, a Yorkie-Chihuahua mix, and Piper, a Standard Poodle, were among our Healing Paws animals cheering on the players and comforting the crowds that night. Thankfully, the Chicago Steel fans didn’t need too much comforting, as the Steel beat the Green Bay gamblers 5 to 2.
“This was a great way for us to increase awareness about our services and programs in the community,” Greg said of Anderson Humane’s involvement in Pucks and Pups Night, adding that he’s already excited about other joint projects with the Chicago Steel.
One of the Steel fans in attendance and her dog were already familiar with Anderson Humane. “One lady said she adopted her dog in 2016 at an adoption event Anderson apparently held at the same hockey rink,” said Barb Kohley, our community programs manager. “She came to our table so excited for us to see her dog now.”
Anderson Humane was grateful for a chance to connect with old friends and make some new ones, including the Chicago Steel!