When Brian Benson, a single father from New York, tells his two teenage daughters that he loves all his kids equally, he means it — mostly. A recent TikTok video he shared, however, hints that one “child” might have a slight edge: his yellow Labrador retriever, Magnus.
In the video posted under his handle @magnusthetherapydog, viewers are treated to a hilarious revelation — Benson’s refrigerator is covered with countless pictures of Magnus in various funny poses, while a lone photo of his two daughters, aged 16 and 18, is tucked modestly among them. The clip has clearly struck a chord, racking up an impressive 1.9 million views.
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Speaking to Newsweek, Benson explained, “I adopted Magnus back in 2017, several years after my last Labrador passed away. I have always been ‘a dog person’ and am that guy who ‘will always have a dog’ because I am a firm believer that life is definitely better with a dog!”
Magnus is more than just a beloved pet; he’s a major part of the family. “Magnus loves family time,” Benson said. “Besides being with myself and my two girls, his favorite things are eating, sleeping, and getting massages.”
The fridge collage, filled with snapshots of Magnus in funny and endearing situations, seems to echo the sentiment that many dog lovers share. According to a 2024 Talker Research survey conducted on behalf of The Pets, 84 percent of dog parents consider their canine companions as their children — a fact Benson clearly embodies.
But Magnus is not just a pet; he’s a hero. “Magnus and I became a certified pet therapy team back in 2018 and visit terminally ill children and adults in hospitals,” Benson shared. “We recently also became certified as a crisis response team in the event that something tragic happens, and the people involved need comfort from what they experienced.”
It’s no wonder that even Benson’s daughters are happy to let Magnus take center stage on the fridge — they know how much their father loves them. Still, viewers on TikTok couldn’t resist weighing in with their own hilarious takes:
- “Guess who doesn’t talk back.” — @grave37
- “he didn’t even get you solos, both of you shared a single frame so there’s more space for his favourite 😂” — @maoismeow
- “I know you put your photo there by yourself 🤣” — @saiahunk
- “the hubby tells our daughters that Enzo is his greatest achievement. daughters are 25 & 22yrs old. Enzo is our 2yr old German shepherd 😂🤣” — @bmkke415
For Benson, the video was simply a playful nod to the unbreakable bond between dog lovers and their pets. “I thought the video was a funny take on how obsessed true dog lovers are because our dogs give us unconditional love all the time, no matter what,” he said.
Clearly, in the Benson household, love is abundant — even if fridge space isn’t divided quite so equally.
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