‘Benny the marathon dog' to offer his viral ‘free pets' for Chicago runners once again

One of the best parts about having a dog is getting to share the joy that it brings and the marathon brings this extra special moment to share this with other people, his owner, Megan Peirona, told NBC Chicago. This year, Benny will return to the corner of Erie and Wells, near Mile 12, in hopes of bringing joy to runners nearly halfway through the big event. People expect it now and I m so lucky that I get to be the owner of this amazing dog that brings so much joy to people, Peirona said. It s so sweet. Peirona said she s received plenty of notifications from runners or spectators eager to see Benny along the route. His efforts have even inspired other dog owners to do the same. It really is such a boost for the runners, Peirona said. But Benny isn t like most other dogs, Peirona said. There s something special about him, she said. He was given to me in this world to make my life better but also to do that for so many other people. He just has this special aura about him. He isn t like other dogs he understands his assignment on this Earth. New this year, she plans to bring Benny to Ema in River North after the race, so those who missed pets along the course can still get their free Benny pets in. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.