Disneyland Celebrates the Retirement of Security Dog Benny
If you are a frequent Disneyland visitor, it is likely that you have seen Benny the dog.
For the past six years, Benny has worked as a security Cast Member at The Happiest Place on Earth, helping to keep Disneyland safe.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
For those who don’t know, Disneyland currently has 28 security dogs, each of whom wears a name tag and badge just like any other Cast Member.
After years of service, Benny is hanging up his harness.
Photo: Disney
“He’s a great dog,” Benny’s K9 handler, Kevin, explained to the Disney Parks Blog while beaming at his golden retriever buddy. “Very friendly, never gets aggressive, never barks at other dogs. Could be a biased opinion, but he’s one of the best dogs.”
Kevin’s Story
Kevin’s Disneyland career started as a regular security officer before he moved to the kennel technician team. There, he helped care for the Disneyland dogs when they were not working with security.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
When a K9 handler position opened up, Kevin applied. He has been working with Benny ever since.
Before hitting the pavement, Kevin and Benny spent time together to make sure they worked well as a team.
Photo: Disney
“You work all the dogs, and you get [paired],” Kevin explains.
“The trainer will see which one works best with what person, and that’s how [Benny] and I matched. At some point, my trainer asked, ‘We already know who’s gonna get who, but if you guys had to pick, what dog would you want?’ And I was like, Benny — this is the one I want.”
Benny is Always Smiling
While Kevin and Benny have a serious job to do, the Disneyland pooch is always smiling.
“A lot of people come in and are like, ‘Oh, look at that dog, he’s smiling.’ He just always brings the room up.”
Photo: Disney
Although Benny is always having a good time, he is serious about his job.
“We were taking him around, and he’s just happy running around, even though he’s about to be nine years old,” Kevin continues. “I feel like he made my job as a handler easy. Didn’t have to worry about him reacting to other dogs. I didn’t have to worry about him trying to go for squirrels. He was always on point. He sees horses, other animals, and he doesn’t really care. He’s like, ‘Just do his job.’”
Photo: Disney
After a six-year career at Disneyland, Benny is now heading into retirement.
Benny’s Retirement Party
To send the pooch off in style, security Cast Members held a party in Benny’s honor.
As part of the festivities, Benny got to try his first hot dog!
Photo: Disney
After trying his first bite, he quickly began looking for a second.
Finally, security Cast Members held a ceremony to send Benny off into retirement, where he performed one last vehicle check.
Upon finding the fake training substance, he was showered with tennis balls and cheers.
Photo: Disney
Amid the excitement, Benny quickly found his favorite red toy.
The Next Chapter
While Benny and Kevin will no longer be working together at Disneyland, their adventure will continue at home.
Photo: Disney
At the end of his last shift, Benny headed home with Kevin to begin enjoying retirement.
“I think he’s going to wake up at five in the morning and expect me to feed him. He’s going to make sure I wake up, and he’s gonna be ready to eat.”
A very good boy has retired 🐾✨ Thank you Benny for 49 (dog) years of service. Every magic moment was safer because of you. 💙 https://t.co/INYZ5Evu0A pic.twitter.com/fXLXKQtz0H
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) July 7, 2026
Kevin is already planning to take Benny on hikes and to the beach for the first time.
After years of service at Disneyland, Benny has certainly earned some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
Photo: MickeyBlog
