Who would have thought a dog and a butterfly could be friends? Meet Milo, the butterfly king! The 3-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has made an unusual friendship with the monarch butterflies that call his garden home.
Milo’s fascination with his butterfly friends began when one spring thousands of Vanessa Cardui (aka Painted Lady) butterflies wandered his neighborhood in Los Angeles. His mother Jen immediately noticed how gentle he was with the butterflies when they flew near him or even landed on his nose.
With monarch butterflies threatened with extinction due to pesticides, urban development and global climate change, Jen, under Milos “supervision”, has adapted and expanded her home garden to attract monarch butterflies so he can visit his new friends all summer. In addition, Milos Butterfly Garden provides a safe place for the caterpillars to transform into butterflies under his careful supervision.
Jen, florist and photographer, combined her love for nature and flowers to create stunning photos of Milo with his butterfly friends. Jen says she started Milo’s Instagram account “to connect with him, and he was just the cutest puppy you’ve ever seen!” Milo’s 100,000+ followers agree. Milo also uses his platform to educate his followers about key environmental issues that affect our world, including conservation, climate change and creating a zero-waste planet.
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Milo is a dog cook too! In March 2020 he started his now popular YouTube show Drooling for Treats. On each show, he explains how to make some of his favorite dog-friendly treats, including a delicious strawberry butterfly cake and festive poochy candy canes.
Milo is no stranger to the spotlight either! He was named Good Morning America Pet of the Week in July 2020. With Jen’s help, he appeared on national television to tell his story of his unusual butterfly friendship.
No matter how famous Milo gets, he’s still a regular dog at heart and enjoys spending time with his family and canine friends. As a retriever, he needs a lot of exercise and loves to go hiking and play on the beach. “He loves exploring the garden,” says Jen.
He controls the chickens, smells the roses and looks for monarch butterflies that are always flying through the garden. ”The story of Milo and Jens, how their unusual friendship ultimately led them to give them a platform to educate others and at the same time valuable Spending time together should be an inspiration to all of us. And it should remind us to stop and enjoy the outdoors, value our relationships, and if we do the things we enjoy, it could lead to something great that we never expected.
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To see more of Milo’s adventures visit:
Website: milothetoller.com
Instagram: @milo_the_toller
Youtube: youtube.com/milothetoller
Facebook: @milothetollers
Twitter: @milo_the_toller
About the author: Rachel Phelps, America’s Pet Parent, is an award-winning author, photographer, and certified dog trainer. She’s busy managing the career of her internet celebrity dog, Preston from PrestonSpeaks.com. She has three Westies who consider themselves mini-humans and a cat who rules the house. Learn more at RachelPhelps.com.
