First published through The Paris News on Aug. 27, 2018. The article can be found on their website at http://theparisnews.com/opinion/article_4ea5ac74-aa10-11e8-9d47-df6ea270a718.html and was backdated.

Benson is a 5-month-old, 20-pound, solid white French bulldog, who chews on shoes, shirts and sometimes toys. I got him toward the beginning of June, and I can’t imagine not waking up at seven in the morning to take him outside to do his business.

Thinking about the special relationship between man and dog, I recalled a story in which actor, writer and producer, Sylvester Stallone said he sold his bull mastiff, Butkus, to make ends meet before selling his script for “Rocky.”

In an interview with ShortList about six years ago, Stallone said, when he was 26, he tied Butkus up at a store with a sign asking for $100 dollars.

“I got $50 from this guy called Little Jimmy,” Stallone told ShortList.

That’s a gutsy move I don’t think I could make with Benson, especially not for just $50 — I think he has $50 in toys alone.

After selling the “Rocky” script, Stallone went to Little Jimmy and begged to have Butkus returned.

“(Jimmy) lined up his children, ‘Oh, my kids love the dog,’” Stallone told ShortList. “I said, ‘You’ve only had him for a (expletive) week.’ He wanted to fight me and he said he was gonna kill me — he was a crazy little person. I couldn’t fight him — they’d arrest me — so I offered to pay double. Anyway, $3,000 and several threats later…”

After getting Butkus back, Stallone used him in “Rocky” and “Rocky II.”

I understand Stallone was in a bad situation and had to make a decision. I can only imagine what went through his head as he had to make such a heartbreaking judgment. Stallone possibly didn’t have someone to help him out while he was down on his luck.

I’m lucky enough to have two older brothers, a mom and a dad who are there if and when I need them. Plus, I have a sister-in-law who is more than happy to babysit, or dog sit, Benson if ever needed — it’s as if she likes him.

In the original “Rocky,” Butkus was gifted to Rocky Balboa from Adrian Pennion, Rocky’s love interest. Adrian told Rocky Butkus was given to him, “to accompany you when you run.” Butkus can be seen running with Rocky throughout the movie, and he’s in quite a few other scenes being a dog, or as Rocky put it, “Sometimes I look at Butkus, I don’t think he’s a normal canine. He just doesn’t look like a regular dog to me sometimes.”

When he was 26, totally broke, going nowhere, Stallone said he owned two pair of pants and shoes with holes.

“I had my dog, Butkus, the one living thing that loved me for who I was,” Stallone said.

Though Butkus passed away in 1981 from a heart attack, according to TotalRocky.com, Stallone said in 2015, “He’s still my desktop wallpaper.”

There’s a chance I’ll be copying the sentiment. Also, I think I’m going to go and watch “Rocky” now.