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Third-generation Dover dog retrieves foul balls


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High school baseball fans around the York and Adams counties know him as the "Dover dog" or "Dover ball dog."

The English springer spaniel accompanies Kevin McCleary to every Dover baseball game, chasing down foul balls and returning them to his owner.

His real name is Lew, and chasing down foul balls is his family's tradition. His mother, Lacy, used to chase down balls at Dover games, as did his grandfather, Greco.

McCleary brought Lew to Tuesday's YAIAA championship game in New Oxford, and Lew patiently sat through the whole game, jumping up every time he heard the ping of the bat and saving players some treks by quickly running down any foul balls on the first-base side.

“I’ve had springers since the mid ‘70s," McCleary said. "When they’re young puppies, I lay a wing down on the floor and I get down with them and while they’re chewing the bird wing, I’ll lift them up onto all four feet. At some point, they’ll stop chewing and it will fall into your hand and you don’t need to say a word. You do that and do that and do that, then interject ‘fetch’ and ‘give’ and now they can put that in your hand every time.”

Watch Lew in action in the video above.