A dog is lending a helping hand to a Florida community affected by Hurricane Milton in a heartwarming way.
A golden retriever named Ben is owned by the Chasse family.
Olivia Chasse and her daughter Charlotte Chasse thought their retired therapy dog, Ben, could help those who lost their homes in the storm.
Olivia said her family’s home in Vero Beach, Fla., was spared damage from Hurricane Milton, but she wanted to help. “We thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s a way we can do something different that I don’t think anyone else is doing at this point,'” she said.
Olivia said Ben was 10 years old and worked as a therapy dog for five years before retiring in 2020.
The journey to becoming a therapy dog took a long time, as Olivia and her family went through a lot before adopting her..
Olivia Chasse and her daughter Charlotte Chasse thought their retired therapy dog, Ben, could help those who lost their homes in the storm. olivia chasse
Olivia said it took Ben six months to warm up to his foster family after he was rescued from euthanasia at an animal shelter.
After Ben was adopted by Chassis, they decided to train him as a therapy dog, Olivia said.
During his career as a therapy dog, Ben helped all kinds of people.
Ben is 10 years old and worked as a therapy dog for five years before retiring in 2020. Olivia Chasse
Olivia said she meets returning and deployed soldiers, goes to hospitals and meets with patients, and now that she’s retired, she’s helping her family.
Charlotte said one of her favorite things about Ben was his fur.
“His fur and all his love,” she said. “He’s so helpful,” Charlotte said.
Olivia Chasse and her husband pose with their daughter Charlotte and dog Ben. Olivia Chasse During his career as a therapy dog, Ben helped all kinds of people. fox weather
Olivia said that coming out of retirement was difficult but rewarding.
She said everyone knew Hurricane Milton was coming, but no one expected the tornadoes the storm would bring.
“It was very significant, really devastating,” she said.
“There was an adrenaline rush of, ‘Okay, let’s go out and help,’ and I wanted to teach Charlotte a good lesson as well. This is what we’re doing, and we can go out and help.” ‘Then I’ll do it,’ said Olivia.
