There’s a shelter pet out there who would love to meet you. With rescue cats and dogs, it’s really hard to say whether it’s the human being who truly saves the animal, or vice versa. Last week saw the Chicago Cubs co-host a dog adoption event with PAWS Chicago, and we’ll have coverage of that event, both here and at the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America newsletter, shortly. For now, we focus on former Cubs centerfielder Albert Almora, who, along with his wife Krystal, participate in an event entitled “Intentional Walk” with PAWS Chicago.
The event’s goal was to raise awareness about the need to walk dogs at local animal shelters.
Almora, who is now in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, once graced the cover of the PAWS Chicago magazine.
Said Heather Way Kitzes, Cubs Director of Community and Government Affairs, this past week: “He and his wife were very involved. I think pet adoption was their pet project. (laughing)”
Just like with “Intentional Walk,” pun very much intended.
The Almoras, along with a team of Cubs front office volunteers, visited the PAWS shelter in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and took a few of the shelter canines out for a walk. While shelter cats and dogs are much more fortunate than street animals (they have food, water, warmth and medical care), they still need social stimulation and companionship.
There simply aren’t enough shelter volunteers to go around and give all these the animals the play time, exercise and love that they need. Shelter pets spend an overwhelming majority of their lives confined to a cage, not roaming free.
Kudos to Albert Almora for doing his part, and bringing more attention to this issue.
Shelter animals need us, and we need them.
“Even if you’re having a bad day you can always go snuggle a dog or pet a cat,” said Tom McFeeley, Associate Director, Media & Community Relations for PAWS Chicago.
Albert Almora won a World Series ring during his rookie year with the Cubs in 2016. That season, Almora played 47 games, and hit .277 with 3 HRs and 14 RBIs in 112 ABs for a .308 OBP, .455 SLG, .763 OPS. He is .298 in 132 games with the 2017 Cubs, who reached the NLCS.
He then hit .286 with Chicago, in 152 games, the following season. In between the Cubs and Arizona, Albert Almora had short stints with the Reds and Mets.
The sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft has put up a career statistical slash line that reads as follows: .259 BA, 3.3. WAR, 33 HRs, 163 RBIs for a .300 OBP, .383 SLG, .683 OPS.
With shelter dogs though, Albert Almora is proverbially batting .1000
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.