Following kickoff, Pint retrieves the tee and returns it to the sideline.
Following kickoff, Pint retrieves the tee and returns it to the sideline.

"Wonder Dog" Pint Retires

  • by Rob Warren

For the past 10 years, whenever the UC Davis football team kicked off, the crowd wasn’t focused on just the players. Their eyes were also glued to Pint — a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever poised on the sideline, ready to sprint onto the field and retrieve the tee.

Pint patrolled the sidelines at Aggie Stadium since the 2012 season, before hanging up his duties in November to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

Owned and trained by faculty member Dr. Danika Bannasch, a veterinary geneticist who breeds the retrievers, Pint became a  de facto school mascot and a bit of a campus celebrity. He quickly became a fan favorite in his first season, and the adoration never ceased.

UC Davis Athletics realized his celebrity status early on and utilized Pint for promotional activities, dubbing him the “Wonder Dog.” Over the years, his likeness was used for program advertisements, in-stadium videos, t-shirts, and an extremely popular bobblehead which was given to fans at one of his final games. Pint also made an impact nationally in the college football world with ESPN featuring him in a 2017 article and video.

The school used their connection to Pint to sponsor three football games during his career. The school celebrated full days of activities around these games to host faculty, staff, students, donors, referring veterinarians, and clients. Pint’s celebrity status at Aggie Stadium helped the school promote the veterinary hospital to Aggie fans, and they enjoyed many opportunities over the years to meet Pint.

Outside of athletics, Pint performed several other duties for the school. When a dog was needed to lead a 2014 video tour of the veterinary hospital, Pint was a natural fit. The video has been viewed thousands of times by potential clients, whom Pint charms alongside a playful voiceover. His well-mannered composure on camera also made him an immediate choice when Jeopardy! came to the campus in 2015 to film several veterinary medicine-related clues. Pint joined the “Clue Crew” for one of the segments and was prominently featured on the hit game show.

Bannasch, the Maxine Adler Endowed Chair in Genetics at the school, fondly reflects on Pint’s 10 years with the football team.

“The best part was the smile that Pint put on everyone’s face on game day,” said Bannasch. “We all love our dogs, but not many people have a dog loved by so many.”

Pint sporting his K-9 numbered football jersey at Aggie Stadium.
Pint sporting his K-9 numbered football jersey at Aggie Stadium.
Bannasch with Pint during a UC Davis football game, with Pint ready to spring into action.
Bannasch with Pint during a UC Davis football game, with Pint ready to spring into action.
Pint enjoying his time meeting students at a UC Davis football game.
Pint enjoying his time meeting students at a UC Davis football game.

Bannasch’s desire to train Pint for his football activities stemmed from an accidental poisoning of Pint’s grandmother that led to the veterinary hospital saving her life.

“I wanted to find a way to give back after the incredible work our faculty did to save her,” said Bannasch. “Pint has also been a recipient of the hospital’s high-quality collaborative specialty care, having gone through a surgery to remove a tumor just before his last season. We’re so thankful everything turned out great for both of them.”

And what a “give back” Bannasch has gifted the school. With nearly 300 football tees retrieved over a decade — and a fan’s heart stolen with each one — Pint’s work has given back more goodwill to the UC Davis community than could ever have been expected. All the best in your retirement, Pint!

Check out the upcoming Fall 2022 issue of Synergy to meet the school’s new football tee retriever rookie.