The ball dogs are back.
After debuting last year, dogs will once again serve as ball boys during the warm ups for the semifinal and final of the Brazil Open tennis tournament on March 4-5.
What elevates the story from cute to heart-warming is the fact that the six dogs who will participate—Cindy, Nanda, Pretinha, Mia, Arlete and Ovelha— have been abandoned and are looking for new homes.
"No matter their origin or age, when they are loved and fed properly [rescued dogs] can be wonderful companions. [They can] play, learn new things and accomplish great deeds, " organizer Madalena Spinazzola said in a Portugese-language release that The Dodo translated.