Benny, the Ice Skating Dog, will put any hockey player to shame! This incredibly talented canine is just as driven and focused as any human player there is. He has with him the same attitude and spunk of a professional hockey player, with his cute paws planted firmly on his ice skates, custom-made just for him, and his stick in his mouth. Skating effortlessly around the rink, jumping across hurdles, and showing off with a crossover that only professionals could do, Benny sure does pull it off to a tee!
Now you may ask: just how did this talented yellow Field Labrador, who was saved from the brink of death at a Utah-based shelter, end up becoming such an ice hockey sensation?
Seven years ago, Cheryl Del Sangro and her husband Flory thought about adopting another rescue dog. They already had two other dogs in their family but wanted one more to be a playmate for their third younger dog named Doodles. She recalls seeing the dog’s photo online, who was staring at the camera with his big black eyes.
She discovered that he had already been adopted but sadly returned. He spent the next six months at the shelter, where he was eventually scheduled to be euthanized. Nobody took an interest in him, except for Del Sangro.
The fur-mom immediately sprung into action, for she knew that time was running out for the dog she would eventually name Benny. And it was only through a rescue that they could get him out of there. Del Sangro reached out to the Las Vegas Labrador Rescue, who was able to pull Benny out of their euthanasia list. He made his way to Las Vegas into the Del Sangro family’s arms through the help of volunteers.
Upon arriving at St. George, Utah, he got picked up by another volunteer from the Las Vegas Labrador Rescue. At the same time that he got a medical check at the vet, the Del Sango’s were being approved for adoption. Finally, his new family was able to welcome him warmly! Del Sangro says he was perfect since the day they got him.
Benny had always been intelligent and different—he wasn’t just your average dog. His new owners began to give him dog training sessions, where they were utterly impressed with his learning abilities. Currently, he knows about a hundred tricks and commands and has a 300-word vocabulary.
Del Sangro proudly says that Benny is aware of what’s going on and even knows what words mean. Soon enough, she was taking him to perform tricks for several children’s events and fundraisers.
And then, in 2018, Rick Vierkandt, their friend, dog rescue enthusiast, and photographer from Bark Gallery, got in touch with them and presented an idea to the Del Sangro’s to take Benny on the ice. After all, Vierkandt was aware of Del Sangro’s skating background and figured it would be a great fit.
During that time, everybody in Las Vegas was involved in making the Vegas Golden Knights NHL get into the playoffs in their first season. He was going to make a video where the players were being cheered on, which involved Benny. Vierkandt was able to acquire access to the local ice rink.
Del Sangro shares how she put on her skates, and Benny just ran around. He played with a toy puck, ran around the ice with a hockey stick in his mouth, chased his owner, and had a good time. Vierkandt produced the video and uploaded it for the Golden Knights, where it garnered 40,000 views.
Del Sangro hasn’t been back on the ice in years after she moved to Las Vegas. However, after spending some time with Benny, she realized that she could combine both: her passion for skating and her love for Benny. She said that she immediately thought that she could get him to skate. Even though everyone around her thought she’s gone crazy, she still fashioned a pair of skates for her beloved dog, who already knew how to use a skateboard.
And during his first try, Del Sangro recalls how he got up and skated. Of the moment, she describes it to be incredible. They placed two cones and a hockey stick across from them, where he jumped over as he skated towards it. She says they didn’t even teach him how to do that—it was just the way he was.
Currently, Benny already knows how to stop, perform crossovers, jump and skate backward. And to make sure he doesn’t slip, they make him skate on rough ice where it isn’t very slippery.
And Benny holds the record for being the first dog to skate at an NHL game for the Vegas Golden Knights back in November of 2019. Del Sangro said that they made him skate twice in front of 18,000 adoring fans during an intermission. And the best thing about that? Benny did not look at all fazed by the attention.
The talented dog was also able to skate with the UNLV hockey team and attended Skate America events where he met some top-level skaters. He also met Brian Boitano, a retired figure skating champion and Olympic Gold medalist at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in North Carolina.
And it seems like he eases well into the spotlight, indeed! During the championships, two Olympic figure skaters had been signing autographs. Benny casually walks over to the table, jumps, and sits down on it where he looked at the crowd who had been waiting to take his photograph.
Benny does his share of giving back by being involved in causes such as skating with the children in Spectrum On Ice, which provides ice skating opportunities for kids with a spectrum disorder. He has personally appeared at animal organizations like The Animal Foundation and Nevada SPCA.
But because of the pandemic, the ice-skating duo couldn’t do what they love best. Since March last year, Benny was unable to skate until July when the CW Network made a video of him after he was declared one of 2020’s top ten dogs. Del Sangro expressed her amazement and said that it was as if Benny never missed a day on the ice.
When Benny isn’t out there impressing everyone with his ice skating skills, he does love a good swim, a dock dive, going skateboarding, and doing agility. He even knows how to climb trees and bounce off walls. Del Sangro says that you have to do activities with him because he won’t leave you alone. He loves doing everything with Del Sangro—they seem to be each other’s ‘person’ and have a unique bond.
And through this connection, Del Sangro learns that the impossible is possible with her beloved Benny. When people said he couldn’t skate, look at him now!
From death row to an ice skating rink, Benny has indeed come a long way. Del Sangro said that Benny is the poster pup for adoptable dogs: if he could make it out from a high-kill shelter and reach the point where he is now, it just solidifies other shelter dogs’ possibilities.
Benny is a rescue dog who was supposed to spend his last day on earth but could live his best life—all thanks to a loving family who gave him a second chance.
Source: Benny the Ice Skating Dog
