Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett has been scoring goals on the ice and assisting the Humane Society of Broward County in a unique way off it. For every goal Bennett scores, a lucky shelter dog or cat finds a new home without the burden of an adoption fee, as reported by 7News.
The Stanley Cup champion along with his fiancée Zoe created Benny's Buddies, an adoption charity that sprouted from their own experience of adopting their dog Billy, to date Bennett's initiative has led to the adoption of more than 30 pets a testament to both his prowess in the game and his passion for the welfare of animals, according to details obtained by Local10.
Cherie Wachter of the Humane Society has remarked on the challenge of keeping up with Bennett's scoring, "We have adopted, we have featured 20 pets already,” she told 7News, expressing delight at the “fabulous problem” of matching the number of goals that Bennett is scoring, highlighting the win-win situation created by the program's success.
A Broward County resident, Leslie Robinson, took part in the program, adopting a pet she saw featured on social media now fondly named Sam after the Panthers' player, "We saw the video on social media of Cocoa, who now is called Sam, after Sam Bennett, and we just said, ‘We just got to have him.’ He’s a sweetheart," she shared in an interview with 7News. Bennet's charity extends beyond just covering adoption fees, it also includes the unique touch of an autographed pet bandana with every adoption.
