Ben Madilynn
Oct. 1—Living in a Bedford animal shelter since May, Benito was a big dog who was always eager to go for walks, slather affection on his human friends and play.
While on one of his adventures at the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire recently though, the goofy 2-year-old pit bull mix was killed while walking with one of his closest friends — Naomi Stevens, the shelter’s chief operating officer. The two of them were struck by a car the afternoon of Sept. 11 on Route 101 when a Merrimack woman fell asleep at the wheel, police said.
The driver is now facing charges. Stevens and others at the shelter are facing “a large dog-shaped hole” in their hearts, she said.
“Whenever you spent time with him, he had no sense of your size, he just wanted to be on you and loving you,” Stevens said. “He was a big goofball. He had the biggest smile.”
Life in an animal shelter is tough for big dogs, Stevens said, and Benito loved exploring the neighborhood around the shelter. The two would often walk up Route 101 a short distance to Joppa Hill Road and enjoy the peaceful neighborhood, where Benito could keenly observe small animals and sniff all the smells.
With a wide breakdown lane on Route 101 in front of the Animal Rescue League, Stevens has always felt safe taking dogs off the property. But in an instant, she and Benito were in the way of a car careening off the highway, giving them no time to get out of the way.
“A car suddenly came into the breakdown lane and just kept heading right for us,” she said. “There was not enough time. I tried to swing him behind me with the leash, but we both got struck. I got up quickly. I don’t know how. And he was standing. But that didn’t last.”
The driver, 39-year-old Bethany Belmonte, was arrested Sept. 24 and charged with vehicular assault and negligent driving. Investigators say Belmonte had fallen asleep and drifted off the side of Route 101 before striking Benito and 37-year-old Stevens of New Boston, Bedford police said in a written statement.
Belmonte is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 29 in Merrimack District Court.
Back at work on Tuesday, Stevens said she would often break up the routine for big dogs like Benito by taking them for longer walks and investing more of her time in their lives. Especially since dog adoptions are down and big dogs can often toil in shelters longer because of pet restrictions in housing or homeowners and families that just don’t want a big, “blocky head” pit bull.
“Adoptions are down for large-breed dogs right now,” she said. “Dogs are having a hard time. And Benito would get frustrated with being inside all day. He loved people. We made extra time to take him on adventures.”
Many people have reached out to the shelter since the crash. Stevens said it’s hard to talk about how much Benito meant to her and her co-workers, but physically she’s mostly recovered.
“Physically, I’m OK. I had minor surgery on my leg. Fortunately I didn’t break anything,” said Stevens, who has worked at the Animal Rescue League for 10 years. “I’m walking around. Came back to work pretty quickly because I couldn’t stay away too long. I love my job.”
Benito was supposed to be Stevens’s walking partner for the upcoming Howl-O-Ween 5K, a fundraiser for the shelter on Oct. 19 at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.
Now, she’ll walk in his honor and hopes that the support on social media will raise more awareness about dogs like Benito and bring in vital donations for her nonprofit, she said.
“I just want people to remember Benito for the happy, goofy boy he was, and for people to consider adopting the little-less-than-perfect dog,” Stevens said in a Facebook post on the shelter’s page. “This has been an emotional time, but let’s use these emotions to advocate for finding these dogs homes, advocating against breed discrimination to allow for more homes to be available, and for responsible dog ownership. Do that for Benito. That’ll make the difference.”
To register for the Howl-O-Ween 5K, visit rescueleague.org/howloween5k. To donate to the Animal Rescue League go to rescueleague.org and click the “donate” button.
