Labrador saved from kill shelter finds fame as world’s first ice skating dog
A LABRADOR who was saved from being put down at a shelter has found fame in Las Vegas as the world's first ice skating dog.
Labrador Benny becomes ice-skating superstar
Eight-year-old Benny was due to be put to sleep after six months in a shelter, when with just one day to spare, owner Cheryl DelSangro saw him and immediately wanted to take him home. “I fell in love with his big black pools of eyes,” she recalls.
Cheryl, from Las Vegas, USA, is a retired professional figure skater, so it was only a matter of time before Benny had an encounter with the ice.
But the first time he visited a rink, she was surprised by just how much the Labrador seemed to love the experience
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When National Hockey League team, the Vegas Golden Knights, made it to the championships, Cheryl was asked if she would like to lend a hand in making a fun video to cheer them on ‑ and brought Benny along to the shoot.
The moment Benny set his paws on the ice, it was clear how much the Labrador enjoyed it. After watching Benny happily spend the day carrying hockey sticks in his mouth and chasing pucks across the ice, an idea struck Cheryl: could she actually teach Benny how to ice skate?
“I taught skating for over 20 years and taught our daughter how to skate at 17 months old,” she says. “So I figured Benny was more coordinated than a toddler.”
It took Cheryl two months to fashion a special pair of ice skates for Benny. When it was finally time to test them out on the ice, the talented pup could skate amazingly on them from the very first try.
Now Benny can’t get enough of it. “He can’t wait to get out there and we always skate together. We have a special bond, and skating makes it even stronger.”
Benny has since become something of a star in Vegas, showing off his skating skills at events from ice hockey games to the United States Figure Skating Championships.
He has even made celebrity appearances on Good Morning America and the Today Show.
The superstar Labrador has his own TikTok account, where millions of impressed viewers have been stunned by clips of his skating abilities. “Just when I thought dogs couldn’t get any better, they learn to ice skate,” one user commented.
“He skates better than I ever can,” another said.
They aren’t the only people to be amazed by Benny’s unique talent. “Benny is unlike any dog I’ve ever had before. He is extremely smart,” Cheryl says.
She hopes that Benny’s inspiring story will encourage more people to adopt rescue dogs, and offer them a much-deserved second chance. “Benny is the poster dog for adoption and shows the world what any dog can do, even a shelter dog,” she says.
“He is a once in a lifetime dog, and I am the lucky one that got to adopt him.”