Why Kraken team dog Davy Jones stepped back from the spotlight

Doggone it, where is Davy Jones?

The image of the Kraken’s team dog, proudly holding a stuffed fish, still adorns crew socks at the team store. He’s on the back of a steeply discounted 2023 calendar. His X, formerly known as Twitter, account with more than 3,000 followers sent Matty Beniers congratulations after the Seattle rookie won the Calder Trophy in late June.

But the pooch himself was nowhere to be seen in Year 2 after he started displaying anxiety at games, and eventually needed to settle into a new home.

“Before we even knew that he was available for adoption, we loved Davy Jones, and we would always watch his video on Instagram,” new owner Claire Kozel said. “We were wondering ourselves, ‘Where did he go? What happened?’ We missed him — he was cute and lovable.”

A former child star, Davy decided the chaos of Climate Pledge Arena wasn’t for him. He expressed his own wants and needs and now leads a quieter life in Tacoma — not retired, but with a scaled-back schedule.

“The decision that we made midway through last season was that it wasn’t in Davy’s best interest for him to be at games, that he was suffering from a little bit of anxiety,” Katie Townsend, Kraken senior vice president of communications and chief marketing officer, said. “So what was best for Davy was to cheer us on from the sidelines and not be at games.

“It’s difficult when you have enthusiastic fans and kiddos and they all want to love on Davy, but whether that was right for him last season was a question mark for us. So we pulled back from that. And maybe that’s something that changes this season as we work with [his] new owners.”

During the Kraken’s 2021-22 inaugural season, the organization sought an employee who could bring home their new canine ambassador. Davy, a husky mix, was adopted by White Center’s Emily and Chris Scarbrough. Chris is currently VP of digital innovation and fan experience with the Kraken.

Initially it was puppy love, with 4-month-old Davy getting along well with his adopted siblings and seemingly enjoying the limelight. But on a trainer’s advice, Davy was rehomed earlier this year due to compatibility issues with the other dog in the house. Chris said they try not to bug his new owners, but he’s “in a good spot,” happy and healthy.

Davy, now a leggy, 75-pound almost-2-year-old, lives with Kozel and Justin Abts, a season-ticket holder. Davy is the only dog in the household, as he made it clear he wanted to be.

When adding a new pup to the pack, there are several reasons it might not go smoothly. It’s dog- and case-specific, said Dr. Raelynn Farnsworth, chief medical officer of the veterinary teaching hospital at Washington State University.

“There are general trends. Intact dogs are more territorial than neutered and spayed dogs,” Farnsworth said. “In some breeds, females tend to not get along together as well as multiple neutered male dogs. But there’s no way to totally predict that. And some of it is exposure when they’re young to other dogs.

“Some of it’s just innate. You can sometimes train it out of them, and sometimes despite your best efforts, you still have to worry about them.” 

These behaviors also might not show up right away.

“Hormonally, as they develop and as they grow — as a young puppy they would not be prone to be aggressive, whereas as they mature they might be,” Farnsworth said.

Davy came to Seattle from Texas via Dog Gone Seattle, a foster-based rescue organization dedicated to saving homeless dogs and those in kill shelters. Canidae Pet Food Company sponsored Davy and paid for his medical bills, food and training. The plan was for him to become a licensed therapy dog for school and hospital events.

Davy joined a handful of other Canidae-backed team dogs around the league — the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Bolt, Nashville Predators’ Smash, Minnesota Wild’s Celly and New York Islanders’ Monte. Roughly a third of NHL squads have a team dog.

Davy brought cheer and wiggles to the locker room during the latter half of an underwhelming first Kraken season, accepting pets from players and sliding around the ice during a January 2022 practice.

“He loved it so much,” Chris told The Seattle Times afterward. “He got a little overexcited and had an accident out there. But he was running around chasing pucks. It’s adorable.”

Seattle’s dog had his day. Davy was pronounced a good-luck charm as he attended a shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 17, 2022, that ended a nine-game skid. He’d continue to attend select games and practices, per Kraken public relations at the time.

That didn’t happen in 2022-23, though his presence was still felt. Davy’s social media manager — presumably someone with aligned values and opposable thumbs — reacted to several news items during the season.

Meanwhile, a costumed mascot, Buoy the troll, had Twitter howling. Buoy was introduced during a preseason Kraken game and a huge push followed to stir up intrigue and endear him to the fan base. Buoy entertained at games while Davy quietly drew back from public life.

Townsend said he’s still the team dog, and they’re not seeking another. Game appearances probably aren’t in the cards, but promotional work is possible. Next year could feature a very Davy December on a team calendar.

“I think maybe going into that arena would be kind of a lot for him, but we’re not 100% ruling it out, I guess,” Abts said. “I think we’re just kind of trying to make sure that he’s comfortable.”

“So, yeah, we’ll keep testing the waters,” Kozel added.

Davy has settled into his Tacoma home and is enjoying a summer of walking along the waterfront, dog park romps, brewery visits and wearing his special gameday scarf. He’s occasionally, excitedly recognized by Kraken fans.

He’s worked with a trainer in order to feel more confident, in control and trusting. Kozel and Abts know to watch for cues that he’s getting nervous.

“He definitely has some anxiety and you can see it at certain times, but I think he does better when it’s more of a controlled situation,” Kozel said. “A lot of it’s the larger crowds with lots of people. Coming in, obviously wanting to give him some love and say hello. When he’s at home, he’s totally fine.”

Whatever his job is — whether that’s darting between skates in an NHL locker room or dutifully watching his people try an IPA on a sunny patio — the Times can confirm reports that Davy Jones is a very, very good boy.