Benny's Bone

4/5/26

Easter is both an exciting and trying time for me. I’m excited for the treats I know that Pack Leader will be giving me in honor of the Creator’s Son rising from the Dead. That is worth celebrating and I can’t wait to either chew on a nice bully stick, have some Beggin’ strips or maybe even get some delicious wet dog food. The struggle for me is dealing with all the interesting smelling treats that you humans get that are bad for me. Today and in the coming weeks there are going to be so many pieces of chocolate that smell amazing, but I know are not good for me! I’ll just have to focus on the yummy things I can eat and do my best to avoid the temptations of those human-only treats. I hope you all know how lucky you are to be able to enjoy chocolate without fear. But enough about that struggle! It is Easter. I hope you all have a great time with your families and if you’ve got a dog, don’t forget to give him or her a dog-friendly Easter treat! Happy Easter! 

3/29/26

This past week I was so happy to be back with the school kids in the classrooms. It is my favorite time of the week when me and the Pack Leader go around and visit the different classrooms. Since the kids were on Spring Break two weeks ago, I didn't get to see them. But this past Wednesday, I relished the pets from kids, showing off my tricks, getting treats from the Pack Leader and teachers and even just laying down and chilling with the kids while the Pack Leader taught and read to them. I have such a good life and one of the best things about it is all of my young friends both in the church and the school here! You guys are the best!

3/22/26

I don’t think the Pack Leader understands the satisfaction that we dogs get out of destruction. Sometimes, when we’re trying to play tug of war either with a rope or with some other toy, the Pack Leader says something along the lines of: “Careful, Benny, we don’t want to break it.” What he doesn’t realize is that this is part of the fun for me! There is doggy satisfaction in ripping the stuffing out of toys, gnawing off their fake limbs and tugging a knotted rope until it comes undone. The Pack Leader forgets that a good chunk of my doggy ancestry is tied to hunting dogs, and if we go back far enough, wolves! He shouldn’t be surprised then, when my inner hunter and predator rears its head.

3/15/26

I was with the Pack Leader recently at a house with a lot of hardwood floors and was getting a bit nervous. He called me a “drama king” for whining about the floors and maybe he’s right, but I do have my reasons for being nervous. Unlike you humans, who have rubber-soled shoes, I just have my paws, which don't grip slippery floors very easily. I know there are dog shoes and other things you can get to help us grip, but I don't like having those extra things on my feet. So I whine sometimes when the slippery floors become too much for me. If that makes me a drama king, so be it!

3/8/26

Me and the Pack Leader got to go on a nice walk a few days ago when the weather warmed up and it was fun to sniff all the smells along the way. The Pack Leader always has to remind me that we’re out for a walk, not a sniff. I just get so caught up in the smells that it becomes hard to do anything but analyze them. My legs seem to stop working when my nose is working on overdrive. I have to analyze whether it’s a dog, cat, or other creature; whether it’s a boy or girl; what it ate or drank recently; whether it has any health issues, whether it was with another animal. There’s so much that I can gather from just a few sniffs with this amazing nose the Creator gave me. But I understand that the Pack Leader just wants to keep walking, so I try not to resist too much when he gives me a tug on the leash! I just need to master sniffing on the go.

2/22/26

I am relieved that the snow is finally starting to melt. I am fine with running around in the snow and having fun. Although I don’t have the same love of snow as my brother dogs who are huskies, Burmese mountain dogs, or other breeds that would stay in the snow all day if they could. My coat isn’t built for that. So I sniff around in the deep snow and try to move through it the best I can. My main issue with the deep snow is that it makes bathroom breaks really tricky. Imagine if every time you were going to the bathroom you had to sit on a big pile of freezing cold snow! It’s not very fun. I dealt with it while I had to but now I’m really hoping that we are done with the deep snow for this winter.

 2/15/26

I tell you, sometimes you just have an unexpectedly good couple of days. Many of you may know that I am a lover of treats. However, I have been known to be a bit choosey with my treats over the years. I don’t really like a lot of the sweet treats or vegetable-based treats that are out there for dogs. But one thing I adore is deli meat slices and I got to have them two days in a row this past week. I know some of you humans choose not to eat meat, but for me as a dog, I live for it. Those slices were SO incredibly satisfying. So thank you to the Pack Leader’s spiritual director and the missionary at Damascus who gave me those delicious morsels. I will take them any time!

2/8/26

The people doing pictures for the new parish directory have been in the office for the last several days and it’s provided me with some extra temptation. I have a lot of toys already available to me in the office. There is a whole basket of them near Aunt Angel and Aunt Meghan’s desks. But there is just something so attractive about the toy that you know isn’t yours. The photographers brought along a squeaky Lamb Chop and it is the toy that I can’t be without in the office. I know the Pack Leader wants me to just leave it with them so they can use it for their photo sessions, but whenever I’m over at the office and I see that Lamb Chop sitting there all cute and fluffy and squeaky, I can’t help it. Even though I have a Lamb Chop of my own over at the rectory, there is something irresistible about the draw of the one I know I’m supposed to leave alone. I will try my best to listen to the Pack Leader, but sometimes it’s just hard!

2/1/26

…CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

When midnight came the moon stood high in the sky, casting eerie shadows on the ground that seemed to creep along like ghosts seeking a house to haunt. The woods were silent except for the creak of the trees and the occasional rustle of leaves. Suddenly, the rabbit hopped out of the brush. Her eyes shone with fear at the possibility of her babies falling victim to the sinister wolf. I spoke to her in a whisper: “In a minute, my friends the coyotes are going to begin howling over there.” I tilted my head towards the left. “That will give the wolf a loud distraction so we can get to your babies undetected. Ready?” The rabbit nodded and we stood there for a few tense moments when the howling suddenly went up to our left. The rabbit immediately took me on a winding route through the woods to a large bush. Underneath, seven bunnies crouched, shivering. “There is a river about a quarter mile from here. I know how to get through it, but the wolf is terrified of it. We will cross over to the other side and there is a great nest under a big oak tree that my coyote friends dug out for you earlier. Let’s go!” As we ran through the woods at full speed, in the midst of the coyote barks in the distance we heard a blood curdling howl. It was the wolf! As the howl continued, it got louder and louder. He was gaining on us. Finally, we made it to the river and a small floating raft just big enough for the rabbit and her little ones was tethered at the shore. “Get on!” I shouted. Just as the final baby hopped on, the wolf burst through the trees just steps behind us. But I gave a big push with my hind legs and yanked the rope from the tether and we were off and floating across the stream, the wolf yipping in frustration behind us. “This isn’t over!” He growled. But it was for that night.

My feet kicking in the water of the river all of a sudden were kicking the dog bed by the fire. What a dream! As I yawned, I almost thought I saw a rabbit zip across the yard in the corner of my eye…

1/25/26

…CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK...

It was a large wolf with mean eyes and a scar on its chest. A low growl escaped from my chest as my hackles stood on end. The wolf spoke. “I know your little ones are around here somewhere and I’m going to find them.” Without hesitation, I responded to the wolf, “Not on my watch, wolf. Not only will you have to go through me, but you will also have to deal with my friends, too!” And as I said this, a number of coyotes jumped out of the bushes behind me and the rabbit, teeth bared and snarling. “You may have won this time, but I’ll be back,” the wolf said as he bounded away. I could feel the rabbit relax behind me. “I need to move my babies tonight or the wolf will find them!” The rabbit said. “Me and my friends will help you,” I told her. “Meet me back here at midnight tonight and we’ll get your babies to a new nest that is safe from the wolf.” The rabbit nodded and hopped away quickly into the brush. …TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

1/18/26

Sometimes I have the most exciting dreams! The other day, I was curled up with the Pack Leader by a nice warm fire, and my eyes began to feel droopy…

All of a sudden, I found myself in a clearing in the woods and the shrubs at the far side of the clearing began to rustle. My nose picked up a familiar scent, but I couldn’t quite place it until a small furry creature burst forth in a panic. It was a rabbit. In a blur, she zipped past me and then spun around to hide herself behind my rear legs. Between gasps for breath, the trembling rabbit said, “You’ve…got…to protect…me…” Not exactly getting the point, I said, “Protect you? From what?” “From HIM,” came her words as she stared past me to the shrubs she had just bolted from. Turning to follow her stare, I heard a vicious snarl as a dark figure with glowing yellow eyes leaped from the bushes…

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK…

12/21/25

I am really excited to go with the Pack Leader to his family Christmas celebrations, but part of me is nervous for the sake of my stomach. Just the other day, the Pack Leader was having a Christmas party at the house and I was in Heaven! There were so many yummy things I nabbed off of plates and out of trash cans when I thought nobody was looking. The Pack Leader did catch me a couple of times, but I got so many yummy things anyway. However, I padi for it the very next morning, as I had to go out and throw up in the yard right when I first woke up. So my resolution this Christmas is to only enjoy the treats the Pack Leader gives me. I know those will be both really yummy and easy on my stomach. We’ll have to see how well I can keep to that resolution. There’s bound to be a LOT of temptation but I will do my best. I wish all of you a merry Christmas and remind you to responsibly enjoy the yummy things that come your way!

12/14/25

This time of year brings a lot of temptation for us dogs. You humans give each other so many delicious smelling treats and we dogs are just left to suffer! I know that you also give us more dogs treats than normal because of the season, but there’s just something so alluring about those cookies, and cakes and pies. I know I shouldn’t eat them, but I want to - so bad! The past several weeks I’ve been doing pretty well, but there’ve been some slip ups. I especially regret eating part of a pie that was intended for the Pack Leader, Uncle Anish and Uncle Mike. My stomach was all tied up the next day. But I guess that’s what I get for not resisting the temptation. I just hope I can get through Christmas without helping myself to too many human treats!

12/7/25

It has been a pretty exciting couple of weeks since I last checked in with you guys. The Pack Leader took some time away before Thanksgiving, so I went and spent the week with Aunt Maggie and uncle Eric and their family. Their dogs are so much fun to hang out with. Me and Oakley has an especially good time chasing each other around in the back yard. We dogs enjoy the opportunity to get out and get moving. Me and Oakley may or may not have gotten into some yummy apple pies together. They didn’t have enough proof to convict us, though. As good a time as I had, I was really happy to see the Pack Leader again and have him back home. Just recently, he and I got to drive around in some really intense snow. You humans find that stressful, but I just get to enjoy the pretty views and bide my time till I can get out and run around in it! So overall, I’m just enjoying life: good times with my Pack Leader and my other friends. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves, too!

11/16/25

The Pack Leader wasn’t too happy with me the other day. There were some donuts on the counter in the rectory, and they were just too yummy smelling to resist! In my defense, I only took one, but I know that donut wasn’t intended for me. It’s a big struggle for me because I’m just tall enough to get my nose up above counter level where all these sweets are stacked. The Pack Leader looked it up for me and you humans have 5 million scent receptors as opposed to us German Shepherds who have about 225 million. For those of math-inclined humans, that means my nose is about 45 times more sensitive than yours. I’m not using that as an excuse, but I would beg you and the Pack Leader to put yourself in my shoes. The struggle is real to resist those delicious smells with this nose of mine!

11/9/25

The Pack Leader did something I really don't like the other day: he clipped my nails. Now I know what most of you humans are thinking: ‘What’s the big deal, I clip my nails all the time! It's the most normal, boring thing ever.’ That's all well and good for you, but you don't know what it's like to be a dog. It just makes me nervous when a human brings clippers near my paws. I get worked up over it. But the Pack Leader helped get me through it by feeding me several yummy sticks of string cheese. With the cheese to distract me from the horror of the clippers, the Pack Leader was able to do what he needed to do. I'm just glad it's over!

11/2/25

It was so much fun to meet Aunt Pam’s (you may know her as Mrs. Deal) dog a few weeks ago. She is a 3rd Grade teacher at the school. I forget the puppy’s real name because I just constantly heard the Pack Leader calling him ‘Mini Me!’ You take a look at the picture and let me know what you think. Besides the ears and about 60 pounds, I really do think he and I could be twins. It was fun hanging out with Mini Me, Indi, and Bentley at the staff retreat. We had fun out in the yard and in the building where the retreat was happening. All of us older dogs were able to keep Mini Me’s puppy energy under some sense of control, so it worked out well. It was great having that play date with old friends and a very cute little new friend twin!

10/26/25

Happy Birthday to the Pack Leader and his mom! They share a birthday, which is super fun. Birthdays are some of my most favorite times to hang out with him and his family. I get to see Grandma and Daddo, his siblings and their kids. It’s awesome to get pets and play time with my favorite humans that I don't always get to see! Not only that, but the Pack Leader also lets me help him open his gifts by ripping the wrapping paper. I don't know about you humans, but for me as a dog, there are few things as satisfying as the sound of tearing wrapping paper and the satisfaction of turning it from a sheet into little slobbery bits. Also, there is the glory of one of my favorite treats: a desiccated chicken heart! Beyond all that, it's great to spend special time with the Pack Leader; because he’s my human. I think I have as much fun as the Pack Leader does on his birthday!

10/19/25

These days I have a lot of itches. It’s that time of year where many of the things I roll around in outside leave me itchy. I am able to get most of the spots with my paws, but there are certain spots that only the Pack Leader can reach. It is really satisfying to get those scratches from him. He knows he’s hit the spot when my leg starts thumping involuntarily. Maybe your dog does the same thing. I am not ashamed to itch myself around the Pack Leader because that clues him in that I might need some scratches in those places I can’t reach. Some of you humans hold back from letting your friends know when you need help with something you can’t handle. But that is silly. If you have a problem, reach out! Your friends and family will be more than happy to help scratch those itches, whatever they might be.

10/12/25

I couldn’t believe how many different types of pets you guys brought to the blessing of pets this past Sunday. I got to meet a lot of new dog friends, a couple of cats, a guinea pig, a bearded dragon, fish, a frog and even some chickens! It’s amazing to me how many different kinds of animals the Creator made. I saw some animals on Sunday that I had never seen before and that was a special treat. The Pack Leader has told me that I, along with all of creation, proclaim the Creator’s glory. It was such an honor to do that with so many new and interesting animal friends on Sunday!

10/5/25 

While the Pack Leader was away recently I got to go to Aunt Maggie’s house for the first time. She works in the office with the Pack Leader and has a big family and lots of animals. I made friends with her dogs Alpine and Oakley really quickly. We had a lot of fun playing and hanging out together. Deacon Wright, Aunt Maggie’s husband, even had some yummy treats that he gave me. I don't like it when the Pack Leader is gone but spending that time with friends definitely makes it easier!

9/28/25

I hope you will join me for a fun day at my house and a blessing, too! Bring your own furry, feather, or scaled friends. I would love to meet them! Or, if you don't have a pet, you can still come and join in the fun and meet some new pals.

9/14/25

There are moments in the rectory where I have to confront my uncomfortability head on. One of the things I really don’t like doing is walking on the hardwood floors in the rectory. The Pack leader has done a great job of putting some runners in the hallways so I have rugs to sink my claws into, but there are still islands of hardwood to navigate. I could just be stubborn and only stick to the ares with carpet and rugs, but that would keep me away from so many fun areas of the house, including the Pack Leader’s bedroom. So I just take a breath and take that first step out onto those hardwood floors I hate. Why? Because the uncomfortability is worth the joy of new adventures with the Pack Leader, Uncle Mike and Uncle Anish!

9/7/25

With the school kids being around I think I may have broken my personal record for pets per day. These kids really know how to show a dog some love! I find it so comforting to be petted by my friends. There is something to the physical contact from those that you love. Keep a lookout for the people in your life that may be going through a tough time. Sometimes the best thing isn’t any words you say, but a hug or a hand on their shoulder.

8/31/25

BENTLEY, THE LEADER OF THE DOG AVENGERS

The other day I got to hang out at the school with Indi and Bentley, the two other school dogs. When we are all in the same room, I feel like we become a type of Dog Avengers, coming to bring joy and happiness to those that need it most. I think Bentley will have to be the leader of the Dog Avengers for now, because with his fluffiness and puppy cuteness, he definitely brings the biggest smiles! I know we’re not superheroes like in the movies, but when our powers combine, we Dog Avengers make people smile regardless of their circumstance. That feels like a superpower to me!

Who is Benny?!

Hey everyone! My name is Benny, and I am Father Tom’s dog. You all call him Father, but I call him the Pack Leader. He has been my Pack Leader ever since he adopted me in 2018. This is our third parish that we’ve lived in together and I have loved every place I’ve been. You can expect to hear from me every week in the bulletin. I like giving you all updates on my doggy adventures. Here are a couple of things you should know about me:

● I am a very friendly dog and I love kids. I will probably be there after most Masses to greet you.

● I will be at the school with the Pack Leader a lot. I look forward to getting to know the students there.

● I love peanut butter and belly scratches and especially tug of war.

Thank you for having me as part of your parish family and I am so excited to get to know all of you!