A dog befriended the butterflies in his owner's garden, and their photos together will melt your heart
Zoë Ettinger
- Milo is a 2-year-old Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever who lives in Los Angeles, California, with his owner, Jen Bennett.
- Bennett, who raises monarch butterflies in her garden, found that Milo has developed an unlikely friendship with the colorful creatures.
- Bennett starting snapping eye-catching photos of Milo with the vibrant butterflies, which has led to a growing Instagram fan base.
- Milo — who's naturally gentle with the creatures — checks on the butterflies every morning, Bennett told Insider.
Jen Bennett got Milo two years ago after her other Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever passed away.
Milo is actually related to Bennett's last dog — her previous dog's father was Milo's grandfather.
Bennett said she chose Milo because he was the "smallest and the smartest of the litter."
Around the same time she got Milo, Bennett started raising monarch butterflies in her garden.
Bennett said that she loves monarchs and decided to raise them after seeing that the population of the species has been declining.
A huge butterfly migration two years ago led to tons of butterflies in the garden, and Milo became amazed by them.
After Los Angeles experienced heavy rains two years ago, Bennett noticed an influx of butterflies.
"There were thousands. You would drive your car down the street and you couldn't help but hit a butterfly," she said.
Bennett told Insider that Milo "would just sit and stare at all the butterflies."
Bennett happened to be off work the week of the butterfly migration, which is when she first noticed Milo's interest in them.
Like clockwork, Milo started to check on the butterflies every morning.
Bennett raises her monarchs as caterpillars in her home garden and releases them into the wild as soon as they become butterflies.
Milo is naturally very gentle with the delicate butterflies, Bennett said.
Milo enjoys sniffing and staring at the butterflies, and he doesn't need much direction when interacting with them, Bennett said.
Bennett started capturing pictures of Milo with the vibrant butterflies in her garden, and people can't get enough of the dog's interactions with the flying creatures.
Bennett documents Milo's adventures in the colorful garden on Instagram, showcasing how he playfully interacts with the butterflies.
Milo is a natural in front of the camera, Bennett said.
Bennett's pictures of Milo sometimes include fun accessories, like dog-sized flower crowns, which she makes herself.
Some fans of Milo have had to ask Bennett if the vibrant butterflies are edited onto the photos.
Milo also likes to pose with the caterpillars before they become butterflies.
Bennett plants milkweed in her garden, which her caterpillars eat.
When Milo's not posing with his breathtaking butterfly friends, he stars in cooking videos on Bennett's YouTube channel.
Bennett's YouTube series, "Drooling for Treats," shows viewers how to make treats that are safe for dogs, including granola bars and peanut butter doughnuts.
The duo can be found on Instagram at @Milo_The_Toller.
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