To Grace, Benny is more than just a family member and best friend. He is also her life-changing medical alert service dog.
Grace has been diagnosed with a medical condition where her blood pressure can suddenly plummet. But Benny, the one-year-old Golden Retriever, has been trained to warn her. This way, she has enough time to get into a safe position or even prevent passing out.
“You are the reason that I was okay this past year. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” the 19-year-old gushed on Facebook.
The last time Grace saw her beloved best friend, she was dropping him off at “Ohio Pet Resort” in Louisville for training. While Benny is already a highly trained medical alert service dog and knows the 200 commands that Grace taught him, he was still struggling with socializing with other dogs. So, after a tour, Grace allowed Benny to stay at the facility for training.
She felt reassured because they boasted “world-class training” in a “great learning environment,” the trainer appeared knowledgeable, and the facility had accumulated quite a few “five-star” reviews.
But on the morning of the day Grace was scheduled to pick up her precious pup, she received devastating news. Matthew Cox, the owner and trainer at “Ohio Pet Resort,” texted her a photo of a small hole in their fence. He said that Benny had run away and that her best friend was missing. Grace was devastated.
“I wouldn’t expect that he would ever run. Especially because he loves people so much,” said Grace.
Matthew called the local authorities, and then he, along with Grace, two kennel techs, the police, and the fire department, searched the entire area for hours. But no one, not even the neighbors on either side, had seen any sign of Benny. When asked whether Matthew had any surveillance videos of the property, the owner explained that he “ honestly didn’t think to save it.”
“He sent me a photo of the opening, which was only really a couple inches wide, and Benny is a 75 pound dog,” said Grace.
Grace then made a desperate plea on social media for help finding Benny. She shared her story, and she was met with so much love and support. However, it was in the comment section of her posts that other local pet parents started sharing their unsettling experiences with “Ohio Pet Resort.”
Many people shared that their furry family members returned home matted and ungroomed, sick and emaciated, and/or lacking any new training skills. Multiple commenters shared that they, like Grace, had their puppy pick-up days scheduled and rescheduled multiple times. They even went on to say that they were fearful that their dogs had been stolen. Many of them shared their worry that something “incredibly shady” is going on at the facility.
Despite posting and distributing flyers, following every lead, sharing all over social media, and continuing to look for Benny daily since his disappearance six weeks ago, he has yet to be found. There is currently an ongoing investigation looking into Benny’s whereabouts.
In response to a civil lawsuit filed by Grace, a search warrant allowed authorities to enter the facility on Thursday, July 29th. That day, local police combed the property for hours. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether any evidence was found, and criminal charges have yet to be filed.
If found, Benny has a microchip and could be identified. However, with more and more troubling details coming to light, people are questioning whether or not this was simply an escape.
We see a lot of determined dogs around here. Committed canines, firm-minded fidos, and a bunch of good boys and girls on their own private missions.
One of our favorite recent examples is a red retriever named Eden and her undying resolve to get one of her favorite tennis balls from under a fence. It’s pretty funny to watch, but what makes it even better is that although it’s her own backyard and she knows it well, she stubbornly persists…even with a wide-open gate literally a few feet to her left.
The Yard-en of Eden
Without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to Eden and her mission to get what must be her favorite tennis ball from just a few inches under and past her backyard fence.
Ahhhhhh, she’s just inches away there!! So close to the prize. But she’s definitely not getting to it like that, although that doesn’t stop her from trying over and over.
Funny thing is, as Eden’s human Molly Kuekes pans to the right in the video, we can see the fence’s gate is just a few feet away. Eden could easily just walk around the exit and get her ball.
So what could look like a sad situation is actually pretty hilarious—we can’t get enough of this silly, adorable girl.
Molly, a 29-year-old resident of Charlotte, N.C., is the proud mom of Eden and another red retriever, Bowser. And the group has grown quite popular on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.
According to Molly, it’s not the first time she’s been laser-focused on getting a ball back.
“This was the first time she did it next to an open gate though. She was so concentrated on the missing ball that she didn’t even notice the gate was open,” Molly told the UK Daily Mail.
Obviously, when Eden has a mission, she’s dead-set on finishing it.
Molly explained further, saying:
“When playing fetch, we often have tennis balls go over the fence into the neighbor’s yard,” Molly said. “When that happens, nothing else in the world matters except that one missing tennis ball.”
From Air Bud to A Dog’s Purpose, from Cujo to Marley and Me, dogs always draw a big audience when they make it to the big screen.
But it’s not that often we see them make it onto the red carpet too.
That’s exactly what happened for the premiere of the Czech Republic movie Gump: The Dog That Taught People How To Live (title in English, translated from the Czech language). The film is based on a 2019 book of the same name and follows the story of, you guessed it, a dog named Gump and several other strays and their journey as neglected animals to become loving members of a family.
A Humble Origin
Author Filip Rozek tells the story from the perspective of the dogs. He got the idea for the book while working with a friend helping a Czech animal rescue organization.
“During my work for the organization, I was very emotional,” Rozek said at the premiere, per The Animal Reader. “I heard a lot of stories about dog rescue operations. And one day, I decided to start writing them all up,” he said during the premiere.”
And not only does the flick tell the story of several mistreated and homeless animals, but it also stars them. Some of the film’s proceeds will go to fund a brand new no-kill animal shelter in Velke Popovice, not far from the country’s capital in Prague. The facility is set to open in September.
“This whole project made sense to raise awareness to a lot of things, and to make money for needed shelters and organizations. That is what we wanted,” Rozek said at the premiere.
Rozek actually got to know the dog star, named Punk, who portrays the titular character in the movie and ended up walking the pooch down the red carpet at the event.
Big Screen, Big Heart
The film also meant a lot to director F.A. Brabec, who went on to tell The Animal Reader:
“I think that passing on emotions, both human and animal emotions, is incredibly important. Emotions always work, it’s just like love,” Brabec said. “I was excited to try to convey these dog emotions to the screen and to look at the world of dogs through their eyes.”
Actress and star of the movie Patricie Pagacova echoed that sentiment, saying, “I liked the theme a lot. I think we were missing something like this (in the Czech Republic). In American movies, animals often appear as main characters.”
Although the film isn’t currently available in America, we’re hoping for a stateside release sometime in the near future.
Many lost pet stories don’t have a happy ending, but every once in a while, a miracle occurs. For a man in Wisconsin named Dwight, a news channel helped him achieve that miracle. Payday, his family’s dog, had gone missing two years ago. They’d lost hope of him coming home, but then a special news story turned everything around.
Thanks to what seems like fate, Payday is home, and he certainly didn’t forget his loved ones. Payday’s story proves that no amount of time could make a dog not love their forever family!
Dwight says it’s rare for him to fall asleep with the TV on. But one night, he must have left it on by accident. Or perhaps it was fate. When he woke up in the morning, FOX6 News in Milwaukee aired their “Adopt-a-Pet” segment. The news featured a brown dog with an adorable underbite. Dwight couldn’t believe his eyes!
“It only took one glance at the picture for Dwight to immediately recognize Payday, his long-lost pup who had gone missing nearly two years ago!” the Wisconsin Humane Society wrote on Facebook.
Dwight immediately reached out to the news station, and they connected him with the Wisconsin Humane Society. He said the family originally got Payday as a companion for his 12-year-old daughter, and she had been distraught ever since the pup went missing. But now, things are looking up!
Dwight’s mom, Melissa, headed to the humane society. Of course, the pup was ecstatic to see someone familiar. On Facebook, the Wisconsin Humane Society posted the most adorable reunion video.
In the video, Payday immediately starts wagging his tail when he sees Melissa. She picks him up, and he showers her with endless kisses. It’s clear that he remembers being with his old family like it was yesterday, and he’s so happy to be back.
“Dwight’s mom, Melissa, came to pick up the beloved pup and – as you can see – it was the most incredible reunion! We are beyond ecstatic for this amazing family to finally be whole again,” wrote the Wisconsin Humane Society.
No one knows where Payday has been all this time, but he seems to be in good shape. Many Facebook comments suggested that the family get the pup microchipped to ensure that something like this never happens to him again.
Dogs are incredible characters. Almost without exception, they have this amazingly upbeat spirit that lights up any room, brings smiles to our faces, and can turn our whole lives around. Even some of those that suffer the most horrific abuse and neglect come out of it ready to forgive with little hesitation. Dogs are pure love. And when given love, they can accomplish big, big things.
Kardi is one such dog who has taken the love she is given and made miracles happen with it. Her life had a sad start, but her story really began when she met Kelsey. That was the moment Kardi experienced real love for the first time and her life completely changed. Dog mom Kelsey R. tells iHeartDogs:
“Kardi came into my life on 10/11/2012. I rescued her from a breeder who no longer had use for her and had spayed her at 2 years old. She had spent the majority of her first 2 years of life in a cage.
“Kardi was very fearful and shy at first but quickly warmed up to her new life. She went everywhere with me and since I was a college student at the time, she made many new friends. Kardi is a typical ‘clown’ French bulldog. She loves to make people smile and has the silliest personality. She absolutely LOVES toys and is rarely seen without one in her mouth.
“When she’s not playing with her toys, she loves napping. She’s also extremely attached to me (her mom) so wherever I am you can bet she’s right there. She’s often referred to as my shadow and very much a mommas girl.”
During college, a friend’s brother passed unexpectedly, and he was really suffering from the sudden loss. Kardi understood that he needed support, and was there for him in a very tough time.
“Kardi would sit with him for hours and bring him toys to try and brighten his day. She knew he was going through a tough time and was a natural at being a therapy dog.”
Kelsey saw that Kardi had the natural disposition for therapy work, and in 2015, the two became a registered therapy team.
“She loves people of all ages but her specialty was the Alzheimer’s patients. Kardi would always nudge their hands to remind them to keep petting her. She brought so many smiles to people in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, classrooms, and summer camps.”
But that year brought some hardship Kelsey and Kardi’s way, too.
“Kardi became paralyzed in 2015 at the age of 4 due to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). It is a disease that prematurely ages and hardens the discs of the spine causing them to rupture into the spinal column. Kardi had a couple discs rupture in her lumbar spine and was unfortunately not a surgical candidate due to other medical issues. Kardi never regained the use of her hind legs and was permanently urinary and bowel incontinent.
Even without the use of her legs and the loss of bowel control, Kelsey says that Kardi remained happy and upbeat.
“Kardi was so strong through all of it and never once felt bad for herself. Each day she became stronger and happier. Kardi learned how to pull herself around on her front legs and can actually run faster than I can walk. A couple months after becoming paralyzed, a secret fund was put together at the vet clinic that my sister and I worked at and a pink Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair was given to Kardi.
“Kardi was strapped into the wheelchair and literally took off running and has not stopped running since. She prefers to scoot around the house and use her wheelchair for outdoor activities. Kardi has learned to go down a couple steps in her wheelchair, how to lay down in it, how to turn wide corners to avoid hitting things, and how to backup.”
Kardi is a speed machine in her wheelchair, and she has since become something of a celebrity! She has been a calendar girl multiple times for Walkin’ Pets, and in 2019 won a Halloween costume contest as a Budweiser Clydesdale. Another year, she was pulling a cart with her sister, Bonnie Rose sitting in a matching costume!
Though Kardi adapted to her new situation and set of wheels, there was more bad news to come.
“Kardi has unfortunately had many hereditary health issues over the years due to poor breeding. We learned that Kardi has transitional cell carcinoma (TCC/bladder cancer) via ultrasound in March 2020. She had a UTI and blood in her urine that wasn’t responding to antibiotics so an ultrasound was done that confirmed bladder cancer.
“Many treatment options were discussed with Kardi’s internal medicine specialist but none were a great choice due to Kardi’s other medications that would adversely interact with them.”
“Kardi was given 3-6 months to live and this absolutely crushed me. I got engaged in September 2020 and our wedding date was set for 2/21/2021. My dream has always been to have Kardi be in my wedding. Kardi has literally been with me through everything and I couldn’t imagine not having her there for the happiest day of my life.
The diagnosis was difficult, but after everything they had been through together in eight years, Kelsey wasn’t going to let Kardi fight alone. She was going to give Kardi her best chance and as long and happy a life as she could.
“Kardi’s strength through everything she has been thrown in life is just astounding. Kardi has never once felt bad for herself. She literally gets up every day with a smile on her face and conquers the day in true Kardi fashion.
“She has taught me so many life lessons along the way and I am truly honored to be her mom. She and I really lean on each other through our bad days and help keep the other motivated. To say we are a team would be an understatement. Kardi is my soul dog and we have a connection/bond that is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. We just get each other.”
“Kardi had many ups and downs since her diagnosis and it was unclear if she would make it to February. Kardi has been with me through everything; the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was never a question in my mind that she wouldn’t be next to me in my wedding. My husband loves her as much as I do and also wanted her to be present in our wedding.”
Together, Kardi and Kelsey turned out to be tougher and more resilient team than the specialist expected. Kardi was only expected to make it to the summer of 2020, but the following February – almost 1 year after being told she’d only have 3 – 6 months to live – she got to see her human get married. Not only was she present at the wedding, according to Kelsey, she “stole the show”!
“I chose to incorporate Kardi into my bridal pictures and our photographer captured so many special moments between me and my girl. Kardi and her sister Bonnie Rose, a special needs Boston Terrier, were flower girls and were wheeled down the aisle in a flower decorated wagon. Kardi then followed my husband and I out to our vehicle in our sparkler send off in her wheelchair, pulling cans behind her with a sign that said ‘just married’.
Our dogs are incredible creatures. Kardi has shown time and time again that we should never underestimate dogs. She started her life unknown, unloved, confined to a cage, and used as a tool. Nobody gave her a thought until Kelsey saw her. With the support of someone who truly loves her, Kardi has overcome so many things that would bring a human down. She has defied expectations and now has an incredible story, adoring fans, and a family that loves her more than anything. She lives a life too big for a little cage.
“Our two dogs are our children and literally do everything with us. This is partially because of their special needs but we wouldn’t have it any other way. They even accompanied us on our honeymoon. We have a soft spot in out hearts for the specially-abled dogs.”
