A dog can be a very important part of a person’s life. To Rylan Perkins, she is like a man’s best friend. Perkins has a special connection with his dog, Benni.

“She [Benni] is ten years old, and she’s a black lab,” Perkins said.

Perkins’ parents adopted Benni when he was at a young age. She was adopted from a local shelter when she was around 11 months old. Perkins was five years old when they brought her home.

“We adopted her [and] she was very energetic. I loved running around with her,” Perkins said.

Benni has been a part of the Perkins family for the past ten years. The day that she tore her CCL (Cranial Cruciate Ligament) was a tough time for him and his family.

“We like to go on walks together but when she tore her CCL in both of her legs, she wasn’t able to do that for a while,” Perkins said.

After four months, Benji recovered and Perkins was able to get back to his normal activities with her. That did not last too long, unfortunately, due to a sudden case of cancer. 

“After the CCL surgery for her, we were glad she was able to get back up but then we got the report that she had Lymphoma,” Perkins said. 

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that is common in dogs. Perkins’ dog was diagnosed about three years ago. It is highly treatable but can take a long recovery time. For Benni, recovery took almost a whole year. 

Benni has been a healthy dog for two years now. The relationship Perkins has with Benni shows the true meaning of a dog is a man’s best friend.