Harper the support dog loves watching the Philadelphia Phillies with her owner, Delaware County resident Nancy Criscuolo, writes Dave Uram for KYW Newsradio.

The rescued Chihuahua-blue heeler mix is named after Philadelphia Phillies player Bryce Harper because of her acrobatic jumps.

She rescued Harper at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, naming her after her favorite Phillies player. 

The similarities to Bryce Harper began when the pup was taken outside to play ball.

The dog had an instinct for retrieving the ball and graduated to jumping high in the air and catching it.

“No ball left behind,” Criscuolo said. “It was insane. Like, she has crashed into fences.”

Just like Bryce Harper.

Criscuolo said Harper also reacts while watching Phillies games. She looks for tennis balls when home runs are hit and barks when the game ends.

In her role as an emotional support dog, Harper has also helped Criscuolo cope with a chronic illness.

“I truly don’t think I’d be here” without Harper, Criscuolo admitted. “I really do not think I would have had enough in me to keep going and to keep having treatments and to physically push myself.”

Read more about the acrobatics of Harper the support dog, and about her owner, Nancy Criscuolo at KYW Newsradio.