Lifestyle Pets Ethan the Rescue Dog to 'Throw' First Pitch at Louisville Baseball Game After Stunning Recovery Ethan the dog was chosen as the “celebrity” guest for the Louisville Bats’ first Hops & Hounds event By Vanessa Etienne Vanessa Etienne Twitter Vanessa Etienne is an Emerging Content Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 24, 2021 04:11 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Courtesy Jeff Callaway Ethan the dog is ready to play some baseball! The 1-year-old pup was chosen to take the mound on Friday during the Louisville Bats game and "throw" the first pitch. "We've got a celebrity coming to Hops & Hounds! Ethan the dog will be throwing out the first pitch this Friday at Slugger Field!" the team's official Twitter account wrote alongside a photo of Ethan with their mascot. Louisville Bats/Facebook Ethan the Rescue Dog Is 'Doing Very Well' After Overcoming Health Issues from Prior Abuse During the game, the minor league baseball team is hosting its first-ever "Hops & Hounds" event — presented by Club K9 & the Louisville Ale Trail — which allows fans to enjoy the game with their furry friends while sampling different beers from local breweries. Ethan was chosen as the "celebrity" guest following his remarkable recovery earlier this year. In January, he was found emaciated and alone, weighing just 32 pounds, in the parking lot of the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS). At the time, he was too weak to lift up his head. In the weeks following his abandonment, Ethan won over hearts by amazing strides, regaining enough strength to walk on his own and packing on around 50 pounds to reach a healthy weight. Kentucky Humane Society Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He was later adopted in March by Jeff Callaway, the KHS facilities director who oversaw his recovery. Though the rescue dog has suffered from seizures due to brain damage following his recovery, his owners said last month that Ethan has been "doing well." "His loving personality and joy for people is back in full swing and he continues to bring smiles and happiness to everyone we run across," his family wrote in a Facebook statement. "His seizures seem to be gone for now. But we monitor his health so closely every day."