Dad tells daughters he “loves all his kids equally,” fridge says otherwise

A single father-of-two has joked how he always tells his two daughters “he loves all his kids equally,” even if his refrigerator tells a different story.

Brian Benson, from New York, loves his two daughters, aged 16 and 18, but there is clearly a special place in his heart reserved for his yellow Labrador retriever Magnus.

“I adopted Magnus back in 2017, several years after my last Labrador passed away,” Benson told Newsweek. “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!”

It is not uncommon for pet owners to consider their canines as surrogate children. Some Gen Zers are even choosing to have a dog rather than a child.

In 2024, a survey of 2,000 dog parents conducted by Talker Research on behalf of The Pets revealed that 84 percent of respondents think of their dog as their child.

Magnus certainly seems to be firmly ensconced in Benson’s family. “Magnus loves family time, and I would say his favorite things, besides being with myself and my two girls, are eating, sleeping, and getting massages.”

Proof of that can be found in the video Benson shared to TikTok under the handle @magnusthetherapydog showing the incredible array of photos of Magnus that take pride of place on the refrigerator alongside a single snap of his two daughters.

“The pictures on the fridge are from various funny things that Magnus has either done, or funny positions we find him in,” Benson said. “Magnus is definitely the boss of the house and the king of the castle.”

On the face of it, Benson might seem like any ordinary dog owner doting on their canine companion. However, Magnus is a special pup and not only like a son to Benson but also arguably his best friend.

“Magnus and I became a certified pet therapy team back in 2018 and visit terminally ill children and adults in hospitals,” Benson said. “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.”

Given his incredible efforts, Benson’s daughters are probably happy to play second fiddle to Magnus when it comes to pictures on the fridge. They know how much their dad loves them.

For Benson, the video was intended as a bit of fun that reflects on not only his own life with Magnus, but also most likely the lives of many dog owners out there.

“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.