HE could be doing an impression of Tommy Cooper or Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance or maybe he is just being blown around by the wind.
But one thing is for sure, Benny the dog has certainly got people smiling.
The popular pooch from St Lawrence has become an internet sensation after a photo of him taken by his owner on a blustery day at Grève de Lecq was uploaded on to the JEP’s Facebook page.
The picture has been seen by more than 115,000 people from all over the world via the Facebook page alone – more than the equivalent of the whole of the population of Jersey.
It has also been liked, commented on or shared more than 11,000 times, and that number is growing daily.
And, the picture has gone viral after being picked up by a number of national and international websites, including BuzzFeed, the satirical news website The Poke and the Countryside Alliance.
• See Friday’s JEP for more pictures of Benny
It has also been featured on the American news website the Huffington Post under the caption ‘this may be one of the best dog on the beach photos we’ve seen yet’, and has been viewed more than 500,000 times on the website Imgur, which shares viral images from around the world.
Benny’s owner Richard Dale, and his daughter Sophie, who is almost three, were shocked by the response to the picture but say they are glad it has made people smile.
And, judging by these other photos taken by Mr Dale, five-year-old Benny is more than happy to show off his moves in front of the camera.
‘I had shown the photo to some friends who said how good it was and after a glass of wine one evening I decided to send it in,’ said Mr Dale.
‘I was quite shocked by the reaction but I am very pleased it has put a smile on lots of people’s faces and spread a bit of happiness.’
He added: ‘Sophie hasn’t quite grasped his fame just yet.’
Benny, an English springer spaniel who has lived with the Dales since he was a puppy, is described as a very docile dog who loves walking on the beach and, most of all, tennis balls – providing that there aren’t any other dogs around that is.
‘He just loves tennis balls and had leapt to catch one when I took the original photo. So it was a lucky shot really,’ said Mr Dale. ‘He can be very antisocial towards other dogs, especially if there is a tennis ball involved.’
