{"id":"1793617407647-viral-segment","slug":"siena-mascot-trains-his-replacement-before-retiring","title":"Siena Mascot Trains His Replacement Before Retiring","summary":"Siena College introduced a St. Bernard puppy, Baby Baloo/Baloo II, at its Blessing of the Animals event during Family Weekend in early October 2026. Baloo, the current live mascot, is nearing retirement and is mentoring the puppy at games and campus events. The puppy is expected to take over in May 2027.\n\nHandler Charles Rice says Baloo is a giant breed getting older, and the university wants him to enjoy retirement. The puppy learns by mimicking Baloo, including how to stay calm around game-day noise, crowds and stimuli.\n\nBaloo, Siena College's St. Bernard mascot, is training a puppy successor known as Baby Baloo/Baloo II. The puppy was introduced in early October 2026 and is expected to take over in 2027 after Baloo retires. Note: the viral post says “Siena University,” but the school is Siena College. The post is just a link with no visible factual claim to check. The post refers vaguely to “she” and a deleted video, but no identifiable person or specific checkable claim appears in the text.","publishedAt":"2026-11-02T11:03:27.647Z","channel":{"id":"viral","name":"Oncast Viral","language":"en"},"show":"Morning Brief","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Baloo, Siena College's St. Bernard mascot, is training a puppy successor known as Baby Baloo/Baloo II. The puppy was introduced in early October 2026 and is expected to take over in 2027 after Baloo retires. Note: the viral post says “Siena University,” but the school is Siena College. The post is just a link with no visible factual claim to check. The post refers vaguely to “she” and a deleted video, but no identifiable person or specific checkable claim appears in the text.\nSource: [dexerto.com](https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/university-mascot-dog-trains-puppy-to-replace-him-before-retirement-3423507/), [cbs6albany.com](https://cbs6 (https://x.com/Dexerto/status/2117195110773297233)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Baloo, Siena College's St. Bernard mascot, is training a puppy successor known as Baby Baloo/Baloo II. The puppy was introduced in early October 2026 and is expected to take over in 2027 after Baloo retires. Note: the viral post says “Siena University,” but the school is Siena College. The post is just a link with no visible factual claim to check. The post refers vaguely to “she” and a deleted video, but no identifiable person or specific checkable claim appears in the text.","sourceName":"[dexerto.com](https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/university-mascot-dog-trains-puppy-to-replace-him-before-retirement-3423507/), [cbs6albany.com](https://cbs6","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/Dexerto/status/2117195110773297233","claim":"A College dog mascot is training his replacement before he retires Baloo has been mascot for nearly 5 years, but is now teaching Baby Baloo at games https://t.co/odsvvPWOD1","author":"@Dexerto"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/Dexerto/status/2117195110773297233","name":"[dexerto.com](https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/university-mascot-dog-trains-puppy-to-replace-him-before-retirement-3423507/), [cbs6albany.com](https://cbs6","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@Dexerto"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793617407647-viral-segment-siena-mascot-trains-his-replacement-before-retiring","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/viral","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793617407647-viral-segment-siena-mascot-trains-his-replacement-before-retiring","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793617407647-viral-segment-siena-mascot-trains-his-replacement-before-retiring and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Nora","text":"Good morning, it's Monday, six oh one, and the internet's best story is a dog training his own replacement."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Not just any dog. A St. Bernard named Baloo, and he's teaching a puppy to do his job."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Dexerto posted on X that Baloo has been Siena's mascot for nearly five years."},{"host":"Jake","text":"The puppy is literally called Baby Baloo. I need a moment."},{"host":"Nora","text":"You can have a moment. Small correction: the post says Siena University. It's Siena College, upstate New York."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Fine. Baloo is a giant breed getting older, and the school wants him to enjoy retirement."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Siena College is a private school in Loudonville, New York."},{"host":"Jake","text":"I didn't ask for the brochure, but okay."},{"host":"Nora","text":"His handler, Charles Rice, says the puppy is, quote, \"literally just following suit with whatever he sees Baloo doing.\""},{"host":"Jake","text":"That's the best part. The puppy learns game-day noise, crowds, everything by copying the old dog."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Wait, live animal or a person in a suit?"},{"host":"Jake","text":"Live St. Bernard. The school uses a real live mascot."},{"host":"Nora","text":"That makes the training plan even more interesting."},{"host":"Jake","text":"The puppy is basically shadowing Baloo, like an intern with better instincts."},{"host":"Nora","text":"If my intern copied everything I did, I'd need HR."},{"host":"Jake","text":"For a dog, it's a solid onboarding plan."},{"host":"Nora","text":"They introduced the puppy at the Blessing of the Animals during Family Weekend in early October."},{"host":"Jake","text":"So they didn't just drop a puppy into a stadium. They had Baloo there as the mentor."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Right. Rice told CBS six Albany that Baloo has done a great job over the last six years."},{"host":"Jake","text":"And now the goal is for Baloo to live a happy life. That's the whole story."},{"host":"Nora","text":"The handoff is planned for May twenty twenty-seven, when Baby Baloo takes over."},{"host":"Jake","text":"After retirement, Baloo moves in with the college president and his wife. On campus."},{"host":"Nora","text":"So he retires without actually leaving."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Exactly. A St. Bernard with a golden parachute, but fluffy."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Baloo has better retirement housing than most of us."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Let's not make this about our own retirement plans."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Too late, I'm already resentful."},{"host":"Jake","text":"I like that a private college's mascot story is the feel-good item this morning."},{"host":"Nora","text":"It's simple, it's true, and it actually makes sense."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Fine, I'll say it: we needed this one."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Now, from a good dog to a messy crypto rumor."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Speaking of loyalty, one crypto account on X is trying to drag SpaceX into a fight."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Big Jiggy posted that CZ—the former Binance CEO—called out Elon and brought up Binance's SpaceX holdings."},{"host":"Jake","text":"The claim: those holdings are worth more than a billion dollars."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Not official. No confirmation yet, and the post cuts off before the clarification."},{"host":"Jake","text":"The backstory is that CZ isn't just a random account. Binance has put money into Musk projects before."},{"host":"Nora","text":"Right. That part is real. The new part is a billion-dollar SpaceX stake."},{"host":"Jake","text":"So a former crypto boss may or may not be flexing that position after a disagreement."},{"host":"Nora","text":"That's the honest version. The post has more question marks than answers."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Which makes it great for engagement, terrible for clarity."},{"host":"Nora","text":"That's exactly why it's only a rumor until someone posts an official response."},{"host":"Jake","text":"If CZ wants to make news, he'll have to finish the sentence."},{"host":"Nora","text":"We'll keep an eye on it, but the dog is still the only confirmed story this morning."},{"host":"Jake","text":"Typical internet. Good boy, and a maybe."},{"host":"Nora","text":"More when something actually exists."}]}