Former therapy dog brought out of retirement to help Floridians recovering from Milton

VERO BEACH, Fla. - One dog is lending a paw to Florida communities affected by Hurricane Milton in a heartwarming way.

The golden retriever, named Ben, is owned by the Chasse family.

Olivia Chasse and her daughter Charlotte Chasse thought Ben, a retired therapy dog, would be able to help people who lost their homes during the storm.

Olivia Chasse and her husband pose with their daughter, Charlotte, and their dog Ben. (Olivia Chasse)

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Olivia said her family's home in Vero Beach, Florida, was spared during Hurricane Milton, but she wanted to help.

"We thought, ’Oh goodness, we've got a way that we could do something different that I don't think anybody else out there is doing at this time,'" she said.

Ben is 10 years old, and he was a therapy dog for five years before he retired in 2020, Olivia said. His journey to becoming a therapy dog took time, as he had been through a lot before being adopted by Olivia and her family.

Ben the golden retriever. (Olivia Chasse)

Olivia said it took Ben six months to warm up to her family after he was saved by a foster family from euthanasia at an animal shelter.

After Ben was adopted by the Chasses, they decided to get him training to become a therapy dog, Olivia said.

READ: Hurricane Milton's mark on Tropicana Field in Florida highlights need for stronger stadiums

In his career as a therapy dog, Ben helped all different kinds of people. Olivia said he met troops who were returning from or being deployed, he went to hospitals to meet with patients, and now, in his post-retirement, he's helping his own family.

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Ben, acting as a therapy dog, helps a patient. (Olivia Chasse)

Charlotte said one of her favorite things about Ben is his fur.

"His fur and all of his loveness," she said. "He helps a lot," Charlotte said.

Olivia said bringing him out of retirement was exhausting, but rewarding. She said everyone knew Hurricane Milton was coming, but no one expected the tornadoes that the storm brought with it. "It was so significant and absolutely devastating," she said.

Damage after Hurricane Milton in the Oceanside, Florida, area. (Olivia Chasse)

"There's that adrenaline rush, like ‘Come on, let’s get out there, let's help,' and I wanted to teach Charlotte a good lesson as well, like this is what we do, if we can go out and help, then we do it," Olivia said.

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