Kirk Herbstreit announces the death of his service dog, Ben, beloved for crashing football broadcasts
Kirk Herbstreit, chief analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay" and cohost of the NFL's "Thursday Night Football," announced the death of his golden retriever Ben.
Kirk Herbstreit, the chief analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay" and a co-host of "Thursday Night Football," announced the death of his golden retriever, Ben, a service dog whose appearances at football stadiums in recent years made him a beloved four-legged friend to the sports world.
Ben was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma in March and died Thursday after the cancer spread throughout his organs, Herbstreit said on X. He was 10 human years old.
"I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 (of) 1," Herbstreit said. "He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag."Ben had surgery in late July to remove two cancerous masses on his spleen and intestine, Herbstreit said on X in September. He said that while it had been a "challenging offseason for Ben," the dog had an "incredible recovery" in weeks after his surgery.
"Just so thankful he’s feeling better and able to travel with me," Herbstreit said on X at the time. "Honestly I think being out and seeing people on the road really helps his spirit and gives him something to look forward to."
On Oct. 23, Ben had a second chemo injection but weakened afterward, losing the use of his back legs, Herbstreit wrote Monday on X. Herbstreit took him to a holistic doctor, and he was given a three-day Vitamin C IV that would hopefully “flush the toxics from his body and give him a chance.”
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