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DURHAM, N.C. — The family that trained Ripken The Bat Dog says the black Labrador known for fetching bats and football kicking tees during sporting events in North Carolina has died. In a Facebook post Friday, the O'Donnell family said Ripken died Wednesday due to complications "from a serious undiagnosed medical condition." The 8-year-old had appeared at numerous sporting events, notably at Durham Bulls minor-league baseball games and N.C. State college football games. Ripken also participated in a ceremonial puck drop for the NHL Stadium Series game in Raleigh in 2023 and a recent home game for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
