Bill Belichick's Dog Nike Caused Surge in Interest for Alaskan Klee Kais
We all remember when Bill Belichick's dog, Nike, stole the spotlight during the NFL Draft. Nike was sitting in Belichick's chair in front of his laptops, seemingly running the New England Patriots' war room when ESPN keyed in on Belichick's home camera on draft night.
Well, apparently Nike's appearance on national TV sparked a surge in people wanting to acquire a dog of Nike's breed.
SI.com's Connor Orr spoke to Sherry Holloway, who is the president of the Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America, as well as its chief historian, who told Orr that a lot of people have been contacting the Association to inquire about buying an Alaskan Klee Kai.
“It’s been quite an experience,” Holloway said. “We’ve had major questionnaires put in over the breeders’ websites and all these people are inquiring. I wasn’t quite sure if it was just the [stimulus checks during the pandemic] or maybe that everyone is home and trying to find a puppy to play with. Or maybe it was Belichick.”
The process to buy an Alaskan Klee Kai from the Association is not easy. Holloway said it's "almost like adopting a child."
Holloway said that there is a 50-line questionnaire prospective owners have to fill out, which asks about the family and their habits. Breeders check up on the family’s home life and ensure they have proper space to keep the dogs in house.
The average price for an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy is between $1,500 to $3,000, according to All Things Dogs. But for many who are Patriots fans and want to have the same breed of dog that the greatest NFL head coach of all-time has, the price they're willing to pay may be well above that.
