Our sweet and very handsome boy, Bentley, took a huge piece of my heart when he passed. Also known as Sir Licks-A-Lot, he will be missed by many! 


Bentley, my beloved therapy dog, passed away in 2018, two weeks before his 13th birthday. He came to me at 6 weeks old after the litter being surrendered to a Belleville shelter without their mom were 5 weeks old. That’s just way too early to be separated from his mom and we are assuming that had caused him to suck on his blanket, like a soother. He did this his entire life.

At 6 years old, Benners, or The Bentler  (his nicknames), we decided to go to a training program. The dog trainer felt Bentley would be a great therapy dog, which I was excited to hear! We went through the training and at first we would go to a nursing home. The residents enjoyed him very much, but he kept inhaling their Kleenex right out of their hands! Silly guy!

Once we started visiting elementary schools, I knew this is where he loved to be. I’d put his Therapy Dog vest on him and when we got to the school, we would quietly make our way through the school to the library and he’d lie down in front of me and wait patiently for the kids to come. Oh wow, did they ever love him! He was sweet and gentle. He would lick each child on their hands and he eventually became known as 'Sir Licks-A-Lot'.

He absolutely loved the kids, including my own. He had a very special bond with my daughters, Taylor and Aaryn. We got him when we moved into our first house, and the girls were 14 & 11, so they went through their teenage years with him. He watched them grow and eventually move out of the house. Taylor went away to Ottawa University and Aaryn to Seneca College. When Bentley was diagnosed with cancer and had only days to live, Aaryn was able to come home and spend time with him until he passed. She brought out a mattress off the spare bed and stayed right beside him the entire week. Her friends would come over to be there for my daughter, but also for Bentley, as they had also grown up being around him.

What an incredibly special time that was. It was difficult knowing he was dying, but we enjoyed every last second we had left with him. Aaryn's friends did a photoshoot. He looked so handsome and … happy.

The day Bentley passed was extremely sad, but we were lucky to have had his precious soul with us for as long as we did. Love ya, Bud! You were the bestest boy! xoxoxo

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