Wild welcomes rescue dog, Hobey, to the team

ST. PAUL -- The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild today announced it has adopted Hobey, a five-month-old Golden Retriever rescue dog from Coco's Heart Dog Rescue, on a one-year training contract. Hobey will be raised to become a future service dog and joins the Wild as part of the team's Adopt-A-Dog Program, presented by PetSmart. The program's mission is to give a local hero a hero of their own.

This marks the second time the Wild has adopted a dog from Coco's Heart Dog Rescue. Breezer, a Labrador Retriever, was adopted last August and is now training with Soldier's 6, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Minnesota that provides honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and fire fighters with specially trained K-9s.

"We're excited to continue our Adopt-A-Dog Program and help another rescue dog become a service dog," said Wayne Petersen, Minnesota Wild Director of Community Relations and Hockey Partnerships.

Wild Chief Financial Officer Jeff Pellegrom and his wife, Mary, will foster Hobey and help facilitate basic obedience training until the summer of 2021. Following his tenure with the Wild, Hobey will pursue a career training with Soldier's 6. At the conclusion of his specialized training, Hobey will be permanently placed with a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a "Battle Buddy" and will help guide them through the difficult days in life.

Fans can follow Hobey's journey with the Wild on

Instagram

and

and at

wild.com/Hobey

.

Coco's Heart Dog Rescue is a primarily volunteer-driven organization that welcomes dogs to rescue from unfortunate situations and houses them in volunteer foster homes while preparing them for adoption placement. Coco's Heart Dog Rescue focuses on evaluating each dog's needs, provide high quality veterinary care, and work towards finding them a lifelong match with an adoption placement. Additionally, Coco's Heart Dog Rescue strives to educate its community on the importance of rescue, our specific rescue efforts, responsible pet ownership, and the difference each person can make on the lives of dogs in need. For more information about Coco's Heart Dog Rescue, visit

www.cocosheartdogrescue.org

and follow them on

Facebook

and

Instagram

.

Soldier's 6's mission is to provide honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and fire fighters with specially trained K-9's. These special dogs will become their Battle Buddy and help guide them through the difficult days in life. The name Soldier's 6 was chosen because that is what a service dog has, its Battle Buddy's 6 (or back). For more information about Soldier's 6, visit

www.soldiers6.com

and follow them on

Facebook

and

Instagram

.