01/03/2025
To the very best friends a dog has ever had,
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved family member, and the sports world’s very best boy, Ripken The Bat Dog. Ripken crossed the rainbow bridge unexpectedly on 1/1/25 after suffering complications from a serious, undiagnosed medical condition which he sadly could not recover from.
Since beginning his athletic career in 2019 at the age of three, Ripken has brought smiles to people not just in his home state of North Carolina, but all around the world with his kind eyes, gentle demeanor, and incredible retrieving ability. Whether Ripken was retrieving baseball bats for the Durham Bulls, the Holly Springs Salamanders, or the Savannah Bananas; bumping fists and dropping pucks for the Carolina Hurricanes; or fetching kicking tees for the North Carolina State University football team (Go Pack!), Ripken was happiest when he was surrounded by people and making friends (and maybe eating a hot dog or two).
Over the past four seasons that Ripken retrieved for the Durham Bulls and NC State football teams, the love that was shown to him is something that our family will never forget. The pictures he took, the “pawtigraphs” he signed, the generous gifts he received, the appearances he made, the videos that were shared, and the interviews with media outlets from around the world were something that we never expected when Ripken’s journey began. We simply don’t have the words to express our gratitude to everyone who took the time to love on our pup. Ripken’s life was truly blessed, and it was all because of YOU and your love for our sweet boy.
After finishing what ultimately ended up being his final seasons with the Durham Bulls and NC State football teams this year, Ripken still stayed busy. Not only was Ripken asked to assist in a marriage proposal at Carter-Finley stadium (she said "yes"!), but he was also asked to be the Grand Marshal in our hometown's Christmas parade! If that weren't exciting enough, just a few days later came the unbelievable honor of being asked to perform the ceremonial puck drop at the Carolina Hurricanes “North Carolina” night on December 10th with all of the state’s team mascots in attendance. It was an incredibly humbling experience and representative of exactly how much Ripken meant to the people of his home state.
Ripken’s final appearance was on Sunday, December 22nd, just 10 days before he passed away. After years of proving himself, Ripken was given the opportunity to retrieve a kicking tee for the Carolina Panthers at their final home game of the season. With his paws on the field serving as a good luck charm, the Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals and Ripken maintained his perfect record of first game wins. As unexpected as it was, this ended up being the perfect culmination of an exceptional career that ended far too soon.
While we are still struggling to figure out why this happened, what we do know is that Ripken was more than a dog, he was more than a pet, he was a bright furry light that spread smiles around the world. Not only will Ripken forever be a legend here in North Carolina, but Heaven has now gained a sweet, handsome, four- legged Angel.
Thank you, Ripken, for all the amazing memories you have given us. You were a once in a lifetime dog and will be so incredibly missed.
(Your little brother, Champ, has some big paws to fill! 🐾).
Until we meet again Rippy-Roo ❤️
Love, The O’Donnell Family
